Vein FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about Vein Treatment
What are the signs of varicose veins?
Some common symptoms of varicose veins include:
- Swelling in the legs
- Restless legs
- Numbness in the legs
- Aching pain
- Tired heavy legs
- Persistent itching or irritated rash on the legs
- Leg ulcers (open wounds) that won’t heal
You should always seek the advice of a doctor if any of these symptoms are present.
What is the difference between varicose and spider veins
- Heredity
- Obesity
- Hormone changes
- Standing or sitting in one place to long
- Crossing your legs
- Leg injury
- Exercise improves leg strength, circulation, and vein strength.
- Controlling your weight can avoid placing too much pressure on your legs.
- Don’t cross your legs when sitting.
- Elevate your legs as much as possible.
- Avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time – get up walk around often.
- Wear support stockings and avoid tight clothing around the waist, groin and legs.
- Wear comfortable/sensible shoes.
What causes varicose and spider veins?
What can I do to prevent varicose veins and spider veins?
Although they can’t always be prevented, you can reduce your chances of getting varicose and spider veins and ease the discomfort from the ones you already have:
Will I need my varicose veins later in life?
What are the latest treatment options for varicose and spider veins?
Currently, the most modern treatments for varicose veins are called Endovenous Procedures including Radio Frequency and Laser. These procedures work by injuring the vein so it can’t work anymore and your body then clears it away like a scab or a bruise. Another method or step to treating varicose veins is called Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy, which involves injecting the vein with a microfoam that pushes the blood out of the vein causing the varicose vein to become ineffective and dry up and like a bruise it heals away. Most patients get both the Endovenous procedure for straighter, longer, larger veins and the Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy for twisted varicose veins.
How can compression stocking help my legs feel better?
How does new, non-surgical technology vary from traditional treatment?
Traditional treatment methods consisted of cutting the veins out. The limitations were that you could only treat the veins that you could see and as a result you would have a high recurrence rate because the veins were part of a diseased system. With new technology such as ultrasound the success rate is about 95% because we are able to treat all of the veins not just the surface veins.
How long does non-surgical treatment take?
The procedure can be done in a lunch hour. Most patients require 3-5 visits over a period of a few weeks to ensure successful treatment.
How will non-surgical treatment affect my everyday life?
With non-surgical treatments there is no downtime associated with the procedure. You can go about your normal daily activities. In fact, you’ll have less soreness after your procedure if you immediately resume your normal activities. In the past, with surgical vein treatment, there was significant downtime.
What kind of results can I expect from non-surgical?
The long term success is greater than 95%, far better than traditional procedures.
What happens if I don’t have my varicose veins treated?
Because varicose veins are progressive, without treatment your symptoms will get worse every year. Some people even experience significant problems associated with varicose veins and require immediate medical intervention.
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