Facts About Varicose Veins

Everyone has veins in their body. These are the counterparts of arteries. Veins carry blood back to the heart and lungs so that it can be re-oxygenated. Then, arteries carry the blood out to the body’s cells.

There are some aspects of a person’s life that can bring about problems with veins. One of these is where the veins become stretched out. This widening of the veins’ diameter can make the veins more visible on the skin, and also create unpleasant symptoms for the individual who has them. This is often brought on by changes in a person’s weight, either by becoming overweight, pregnancy, or other issues. Standing or sitting for long periods can also cause varicose veins to develop. Being inactive and not exercising enough is another reported factor.

Some of these symptoms are itching, a burning sensation, feelings of cramps and tightness, heaviness, and tingling. Numbness and tiredness in the affected limb can also occur. Smaller varicose veins, commonly called ‘spider veins’ are almost flat, have a spider web appearance, and can range in color from red to blue to purple. Larger ones, true varicose veins, can be felt with the fingers, and produce an uneven appearance where they are located.

There are different remedies for varicose veins – some for use at home and others that are performed in a medical setting only. Many advances have been made that allow for outpatient methods. Today, these are both much less costly and also much quicker to perform. Most procedures are also touted as being pain-free, or nearly so, followed by a short recovery time that is almost non-existent.

Medical procedures now include small injections that slowly kill the vein, which is then absorbed into the body, removal of the vein by lasers, which destroy the offending ones in a similar process. These procedures do not require any incision or other invasive methods to be carried out on the patient. There are other procedures, as well, for those individuals whose varicose veins fail to respond to these more gentler, less-aggressive methods.

So how does someone know how high their risk might be for developing varicose veins? Older relatives can provide some clues. If others in your family have varicose veins, your risk is probably higher. Sedentary work, such as secretarial positions, factory jobs, and others in which moving from one area to another is minimized can increase your risk.

Consulting with your physician about your overall health and bringing up this topic can provide many more answers to your questions. Hearing recommendations from a health care professional who may know about the latest developments can provide you with insight that can help protect your health.

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