Varicose Veins - Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatments
 Do you suffer from any of these symptoms?
Visible, enlarged veins
Dull aching, heaviness, or tiring in legs
Swelling of ankles or legs
Itching, burning or tingling
Pain that gets worse when standing
Pain that gets better when legs are raised
Restless or cramping legs
If you answered yes to any of the above, then you may
have varicose veins that need to be treated. While varicose veins tend to worsen with time, with proper diagnosis and treatment the disease is treatable and controllable.
Varicose veins are normal veins that have become stretched and dilated. These visibly abnormal veins can be small, medium or large in size and are part of the superficial venous system.
Small dilated veins, also known as spider veins, while typically cosmetic in nature, can be painful or even bleed.
The large veins, typically known as varicose veins are more commonly associated with pain, aching and tiring, and also more typically cause medical problems including swelling of the affected limb, skin discoloration and ulceration, and increase incidents of venous clotting.
Besides a surface network of veins, your legs have an interior, or deep, venous network. On rare occasions, an interior leg vein becomes varicose. Such deep varicose veins are usually not visible, but they can cause swelling or aching throughout the leg and may be sites where blood clots can form.
Varicose veins are a very common condition caused by a genetic predisposition exacerbated by prolonged standing and pregnancy. Women are at least twice as likely as men to develop them because of hormones and pregnancy. In the United States alone, they affect up to 60% of all Americans.
Diagnosis
A medical evaluation at Midwest Vein Care will help determine the severity of the varicose veins, the risk for more serious complications and options for treatment. A diagnosis includes a venous history, physical examination and additional testing as needed.
At times we may order a Doppler ultrasound scan to see blood flow in the veins, and to rule out other disorders of the legs (such as a blood clot). An accurate ultrasound test will help determine the most appropriate treatment for each patient with varicose veins
Treatments
Treatment for varicose veins is tailored for each patient depending on general health, age and the severity of the condition. We have expertise and experience in all types of varicose vein treatment, ranging from injections to minimally invasive office-based surgical procedures.
Treatment options include liquid sclerotherapy, foam sclerotherapy, laser and/or intense pulsed light treatments, endovenous laser thermal ablation and microincisional phlebectomy (ambulatory phlebectomy). Patients may receive a combination of treatments.
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