Treat yourself to healthy legs this holiday season
The holidays are a time of giving, spending time with family…
What are Varicose Veins?
If you have varicose veins, you are likely used to discomfort in your legs or affected areas. It may feel like a stinging or burning sensation.
The condition does not always have direct health effects, but it may lead to health issues, including blood clots and vein inflammation.
Today, varicose veins are treated using modern, efficient methods. Learn more about varicose veins and what to expect from treatment below.
What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are swollen veins, most frequently found in the legs but sometimes occurring on other parts of the body.
Though they are not a serious condition but they are often painful and inconvenient. They can also lead to other health issues if left untreated.
Mild instances of varicose veins are called spider veins and may have a web-like appearance. Varicose veins only occur in superficial veins, near the skin, where they are often visible.
When blood travels through your body, it relies upon valves in the veins. If any of these valves are damaged, blood does not move as efficiently, and it may collect in veins, causing them to swell. Valves may become damaged during extended periods without motion, either standing or sitting.
Symptoms may vary, but generally include discomfort in the legs or other affected parts of the body. Some common symptoms include:
- Bruises
- Sores
- Throbbing sensation
- Burning or itching
- Discoloration
- A sensation of heaviness in affected limbs
What Are the Treatment Options?
After you book an appointment for varicose vein treatment, the first procedure that will be done is an ultrasound. The ultrasound will map out your veins so the doctor can view the veins in the affected area and the flow of blood in those veins.
The process is used to diagnose varicose veins and identify veins that are swollen or damaged. After the ultrasound, varicose veins have been located and treatment can begin.
Treatment is done through minimally invasive laser procedures. Recent technological advances have changed treatment to be much more convenient for patients. Instead of open surgery, patients can expect a quick and efficient treatment that reduces discomfort. Most patients leave the clinic ready to continue their activities as normal.
Why Choose Us?
At Northern Illinois Vein Clinic, we work hard to keep patients informed on treatment options. Our skilled, well-trained staff includes a team of certified medical professionals specializing in vein treatments.
With more than 20,000 laser vein treatments already completed, you can expect a smooth experience at our clinic. Contact us today to make an appointment and get started on treatment.
Causes
Most of us have a genetic predisposition to developing vein disease, which means we have a family history of varicose veins or other vein diseases. Other causes of varicose veins include:
- Pregnancy
- Gender (women are affected more than men)
- Injury or other trauma to the leg
- Obesity
Symptoms
Symptoms of varicose veins occur mainly in your legs or ankles and can include:
- Fatigue or heaviness in the legs
- Aches
- Burning
- Itching
- Swelling in the legs or ankles
- Cramping
- Throbbing pains
- Sores or open wounds
- Restlessness in the legs
- Discoloration or strange texture of the skin
- Difficulty becoming comfortable
Eating healthy, maintaining a healthy body weight, avoiding sitting and standing for long periods of time and staying away from tobacco are some of the best ways to avoid or lessen your symptoms.
Treatments
Before we consider any kind of treatment, you will be screened to make sure we completely understand your symptoms. From there, our team of experts will perform ultrasound vein mapping, so we can see exactly where the problem veins are located. If treatment is needed, we combine our years of experience with the latest cutting-edge technology to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients – all with minimal discomfort, little downtime and no scarring. Gone are the old-school treatments of vein stripping and open surgery. In fact, our procedures are so much simpler that most patients typically return to their normal activities the same day.
Featured Patient
Long days of teaching exacerbated the burning and restless feelings in Kendra Brauer’s legs. The bruises and visible veins also provoked curious questions from her second-grade students if she wore anything shorter than full-length pants. Brauer first noticed a bruise on her leg when she was in her mid-20s. Slowly, more veins showed up and […]
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