Vein Care – How to Treat Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted and swollen blood vessels that appear on the surface of your skin. They’re most often blue, purple or red and can be painful and itchy. Varicose veins are not usually a health risk, but they can signal a more serious condition called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Untreated CVI can lead to ulcers (open sores), inflammation or tissue discoloration. It also increases your risk for developing a dangerous blood clot in a deep vein, called a deep vein thrombosis or DVT. If a DVT breaks loose and travels to the lungs, it’s called pulmonary embolism and can be fatal. For more info visit Center For Advanced Vein Care.

A physical examination of your legs and groin will help diagnose varicose veins. We may also test your blood flow, measure the pressure inside your veins and check for any symptoms. If you have severe varicose veins, a painless ultrasound exam may be recommended to get a better look at your veins and check for complications. An ultrasound uses safe, painless sound waves to create pictures of your veins and blood flow and can detect a clot and how well your valves are working.

You can reduce your risk of varicose veins and symptoms by managing your weight, wearing compression stockings and elevating your legs at work and home. Cold therapy can help too — using a cool compress or showering with a cold water bottle on your legs several times a day helps ease discomfort by decreasing swelling caused when blood pools in your veins. Exercise is a good way to increase your overall health and can also ease varicose vein symptoms by improving circulation in your legs.

Medications can help with the pain and itching that comes with varicose veins. Over-the-counter painkillers, such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen, can relieve the discomfort. For more serious pain, your doctor may prescribe a stronger medication, such as narcotics or naproxen.

If painkillers don’t help, your doctor may recommend a procedure to remove your varicose and spider veins. A technique called ambulatory microphlebectomy can be done with only local anesthesia, and you’ll go home the same day. It involves making 1 or more cuts near a varicose vein, then pulling out the vein through a small hook-like tool through the cut. Another option is a minimally invasive procedure called TriVex that involves multiple small cuts in your leg through which your surgeon passes a special tube to view and then remove your varicose veins.

Other treatments for vein pain include sclerotherapy and endovenous thermal ablation. During sclerotherapy, a healthcare provider injects a solution into your vein. The solution causes your vein walls to stick together and eventually close. In endovenous thermal ablation, a thin catheter is passed through a small cut at your knee or ankle. Then a laser or radio waves are used to heat and seal off the damaged vein. Both procedures are performed in a hospital or clinic and you’ll be able to return home the same day.

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