Learning About Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are extremely common around the world, but no matter who has them, they want to get rid of them. This is because varicose veins are incredibly unsightly, and can be very damaging to one's self esteem and self-confidence. In order to learn how you can get rid of varicose veins, you first have to learn about varicose veins and understand what they are and why you have got them.

What They Are

Varicose veins are basically swollen and twisted veins that show up more severely than other veins. They are visible just under the surface of the skin and although they typically appear in the legs and feet they can also develop in other parts of the body.

There are a few other vein-related problems that are similar to varicose veins, and this includes spider veins, telangiectasias, venous lakes, reticular veins and hemorrhoids, to name a few.

About Varicose Veins Causes

When it comes to learning about varicose veins, one of the most important things to know relates to the cause of them. Basically the reason that varicose veins is not completely known at this point but what is understood is that damage to the valves is one of the major causes. This is because when there is damage to the valves the blood is not able to travel up the veins as easily and as a result and is thereby more likely to pool.

Also when learning about varicose veins and their causes, you should know that damage to the valves can be caused by a number of different things, including putting too much wear and tear on your legs. People who are on their legs throughout most of the day are putting serious strain on their legs and varicose veins often develop as a result.

About Varicose Veins Treatment

Diagnosis needs to be made before any treatment can be suggested, and this is another of the most important things to learn about varicose veins. There are a few different tests that a doctor may use to determine whether you do have varicose veins and if so how serious they are. This includes a Doppler test, which is a test that uses sound waves to give information about the direction of the blood flow in a vein, and color duplex ultrasound imaging which is used to look for abnormalities.

Treatment is obviously the most important step of all, and there are a few options you have here. One is injection sclerotherapy, which uses a form that is injected and for best results the patient is required to wear a compression bandage for a few weeks afterwards.