Living with Painful, Swollen Varicose Veins? There is Help Available!

Varicose Veins - What are the symptoms?

Varicose veins are a circulatory health condition most often occurring in the legs, ankles and feet. The medical term for advanced cases is venous reflux disease. The obvious symptoms include painful bulging, gnarled veins. These are caused by the blood on return route from the legs to the heart pooling in the leg veins. In some cases there may be swelling and discoloration of the surrounding tissue.

Many people with varicose veins have no discomfort but live with small unsightly purple or blue blood vessels. However, millions suffer with throbbing, heavy fatigue and pain in the legs that make simple walking a difficult task. The disease may cause muscle cramps, burning and itching skin, restless legs and severe swelling of the ankles. The extreme scenario can see blood clots or skin ulcers form that always demand immediate medical care.

Causes and Risk Factors

Men, women and even teenagers are susceptible to venous reflux disease. A family history of the affliction, obesity and steady prolonged periods of standing, sitting, or heavy lifting all contribute to the development of the disease. Those employed as nurses, teachers, flight attendants, or other jobs that demand a majority of time spent on the feet suffer from varicose veins.

Since pregnancy and childbirth add to the risk for women to develop varicose veins, they are twice as likely to be affected than men. Hormonal changes in the body that occur with menstruation, menopause and even birth control pills are found to decrease the strength of vein walls, possibly breaking them down and causing one to be open to venous reflux disease.

Tests and Diagnosis

A primary care physician will examine the groin area and legs and may refer the patient to a vein specialist. The doctors will pay close attention to areas of severe tenderness looking for signs of blood clots or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). An ultrasound of the legs may be in order to provide a clearer image of the circulatory system of the leg and in some cases a Magnetic Resonance Imaging test (MRI) may be necessary.

Varicose Vein Treatment

The good news is there are solutions available for painful varicose veins and venous reflux disease. The VNUS Closure Procedure is the latest advancement in treatment and preferred over vein stripping and laser therapies. More information on the disease and treatment can be obtained at http://www.vnus.com.