Varicose Veins Are Not Just A Cosmetic Problem: What You Should Know

By Bryan Carter, MPA-C, Phlebology-Surgery

Spider veins are tiny blood vessels that are showing through the skin, while varicose veins are more prominent and sometimes take on a ropey, bulging look. Both spider veins and varicose veins are a warning indicator that the circulation is disrupted. However, varicose veins can also be a sign of a more serious condition, and that’s why it’s imperative that you see a vein specialist. If your legs hurt, or if you have swelling, numbness, or tingling in your legs or feet, you should never ignore these symptoms. Various health conditions can cause tingling sensations in the feet and legs, such as diabetes or MS, but often it is associated with varicose veins. One out of two people over the age of 50 have varicose veins, but that’s not to say that younger people can’t also develop them.

Varicose & Spider Vein Symptoms
Along with tingling, the symptoms may include throbbing, weakness, a sensation of heaviness in the legs, restlessness, and dark blue or purple bulging veins in the legs, calves, or behind the knee. Varicose veins can cause pooling of the blood and blood clots, but not all varicose veins are initially dangerous or systemically damaging.

What Causes Varicose & Spider Veins?
Some of the risk factors include a family history of varicose veins, poor circulation, being overweight, hormonal imbalance and fluctuations, birth control medications, standing or sitting for long periods of time, blood clots, abdominal pressure, or frequent crossing of the legs.

Spider Veins Treatment
Because spider veins are tiny blood vessels that typically are just starting to become discolored and more noticeable as we age, Village Heart and Vein Center offers an in-office procedure that’s efficient and quick. It’s called sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy involves the controlled destruction of enlarged veins by injecting a solution directly into the blood vessel. The vein shrinks and ultimately collapses, allowing the blood to reroute through other, more healthy veins. Sclerotherapy is a conventional treatment for spider veins in the legs and feet.

Varicose Vein Treatment Options
Many individuals find relief from compression garments, elevating the legs, cold compresses, and rest, but once you have varicose veins, these remedies will not “heal” their underlying issue.

Years ago, the only options for alleviating varicose veins was surgery, which includes stripping (removes long portions of the vein), or ligation, which ties the vein off from the blood supply. These treatments are still used in some severe cases, but now there are other options that are minimally invasive. These advanced procedures close a vein and reroute the blood flow via several mechanisms and alternatives. Village Heart and Vein Center will determine which is the optimal choice for your specific needs.

Enhanced Treatment
• VenaSeal™ Closure System (closes vein through thermal energy and medical grade adhesive)
• Endovascular Laser Ablation (collapses the vein internally)
• Radiofrequency Ablation (Collapses the vein and shuts the wall through heat)

Not all varicose veins pose a health threat, but because proper blood circulation aids the body’s flow of nutrients and oxygen to the heart, brain and other organs, it’s essential to get a medical consultation to discuss the severity of your venous condition and your treatment options.

Village Heart and Vein Center
At Village Heart & Vein Center, Bryan Carter specializes in venous issues and leg health, taking great pride in getting to know his patients on an individual level. He is supported by a full-service cardiology practice. Mr. Carter is a previous Army combat medic who obtained his Masters in Physician Assistant studies with a thesis in Venous Disease and Treatment. Mr. Carter has been treating vein problems since October 2002 and was one of the first Physician Assistants to perform thermal ablation—a treatment that soon made traditional vein stripping extinct. Bryan has personally trained physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners throughout Florida and Georgia and is an active member of the American College of Phlebology. He is also one of only a few to be inducted into the American Venous Forum.

To find out more, please visit their website at www.villageheartandvein.com, or call their office to schedule your appointment at, (352) 674-2080.

Village Heart and Vein Center
8575 NE 138th Lane
Lady Lake , FL 32159
(352)-674-2080

Toll Free: 1-855-432-7848 (Heart 4 U)