The Real Danger Of Ignoring Varicose Veins

By Stella Gay


While Austin, TX may have many experienced vascular surgeons available, it is always in the best interests of the patient to avoid surgical solutions. When a condition suffered is resulting in an ugly discoloration or disfigurement to the body, then surgical procedures may be the only option. However, most varicose veins can be treated at home, or noninvasively.

This condition is sometimes called a spider vein, and occurs when there is pressure to the lower body preventing blood from traveling back up to the heart. The blood pools in the vein causing it to enlarge and turn blue. For this reason, most of these varicosities are located in the legs and feet, often advancing to the stage of being an eyesore that results in a negative body image.

The procedures recommended for self-care include exercise, changing standing or sitting positions every half hour, and sometimes the wearing of compression stockings or hose. When the woman is suffering discomfort or painful throbbing in her legs, her doctor may have some surgical alternatives. However, she must be willing to discuss the presence of this pain and find out what her options really are.

An advanced form of this condition known as venous insufficiency can occur in some individuals. For these unfortunate souls, a surgical alternative may be required and should be sought sooner rather than later. If caught early the surgery can be done through non-invasive laser technology.

With pregnancy or advancing age, many women will begin to see the first signs of varicosities. When a vein loses elasticity, it can become unable to successfully bring blood all the way back to the heart. Some blood can fall back and pool in the vein, causing it to become enlarged and discolored. Pregnancy varicosities often repair themselves fairly quickly.

While men do sometimes suffer this affliction, it is primarily a scourge for women. Age and hormonal changes play a factor, as do the development of obesity or certain lifestyle or career choices. Women who walk or stand for long periods of time are more likely to see these ugly, blue, rope-like formations appear on their legs and feet.

Women often believe that being on their feet promotes a more healthy lifestyle, and they would be correct most of the time. However, if there is not enough movement going on, she is contributing to the pressure on her lower body. This is a tough reality for women who push themselves to lead an active life with hopes of keeping their bodies unmarred while approaching life changes such as parenthood or middle age.

The good news is that regular exercise focused on creation and maintenance of muscle tone in the legs and butt can fix old varicosities, and compression stockings can prevent new ones from forming. Horse chestnut seed extract is known to promote healthy circulation, and thus has been shown to result in improvement as well. Should she have a more advanced problem such as bleeding ulcers on her ankles caused by venous insufficiency, laser surgery or sclerotherapy are two options she has available to her.




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