Shorts weather is right around the corner. Are your legs ready?
- Posted on: May 15 2017
If you dread the arrival of warm weather only because you’ve got unsightly leg veins, and hate shorts… keep reading. Varicose and spider veins can be prevented, managed, and even eliminated. So don’t hate your veins – understand them:
Varicose and spider veins run in families
Many factors that can raise your risk of getting varicose veins, but they are mostly a genetic problem. In fact, more than 70-80% of patients with varicose veins have a relative with varicose veins. Other risk factors include:
- Being female
- Obesity
- Aging
- Pregnancy
Change your habits, reduce your risk
Many varicose vein risk factors are out of your control, but there are things you can do to decrease your risk:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Avoid standing or sitting for prolonged periods
- Avoid wearing clothes that feel tight on your waist and upper thighs
- Avoid wearing high heels for long periods
Get rid of them
There are different options for treating varicose and spider veins, and they can all be effective in permanently closing diseased veins and making them less visible – or eliminating them. Vein stripping, the surgical removal of varicose veins, was once the norm, but newer non-surgical treatments can provide amazing outcomes.
The most common techniques
- Sclerotherapy – diseased veins are injected with a saline solution, which dries up the tiny cells lining the blood vessel. This causes the vein to collapse, and over time, your body absorbs the vein, and it disappears.
- Heat-based treatments — radiofrequency energy or laser energy is used to seal off and destroy the vein, which dissolves overtime.
Should you be concerned?
Your varicose veins could simply be a cosmetic issue, but they could also be a health problem. Some people hate the look of their veins, but they can also cause discomfort and even pain. The main symptoms are:
- Heaviness
- Aching
- Fatigue
- Swelling
- Itching
- Burning
- Numbness
- Cramping
Not all varicose veins will require treatment
Schedule an appointment if your veins become swollen or tender, and especially if you’ve developed sores on your skin. Your veins shouldn’t interfere with your daily activities – or with being excited about summer.
Call for a vein consultation appointment today: (901) 297-4000.
Posted in: Varicose Vein Treatment
