Varicose Veins

Intro

Varicose veins affect 20-25% of women and 15% of men.

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins, and are dark blue or purple in colour.  Veins in your legs and feet are the ones that are affected most commonly.  This is due to the fact that walking, standing upright, and other activities places considerable pressure in the veins in your lower body.  As you get older your veins often lose elasticity, which causes them to stretch. Blood pools in your veins, and your veins enlarge and become varicose.  Varicose veins are also common in pregnancy. 

Quite often, the only problem with varicose veins is that they appear unsightly.  But for some people, varicose veins can cause discomfort and pain.  Sometimes this can lead to more serious problems.  Varicose veins can also indicate a higher risk or circulatory system disorders.

Signs and Symptoms

The discomfort and pain caused by varicose veins may include any of the following:

- A heavy aching feeling in the legs

- A burning, and throbbing sensation

- Muscle cramping and swelling in your lower legs

- Itching around one or more of your veins

- Skin ulcers near your ankle – this is an indication of a severe form of vascular disease, and needs immediate medical attention.

Prolonged sitting or standing tends to make your legs feel worse.

Self-care

Self-help measures can ease the symptoms of varicose veins, and precent them from getting worse.  Some self-care treatments include:

- Exercising

- Losing weight

- Wearing loose-fitting clothes

- Elevating your legs

- Avoiding long periods of standing or sitting

- Regular massage

Wearing compression stockings is the best self-treatment to try before trying something more invasive. Compression stockings are worn all day. They steadily squeeze your legs, helping veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently.  Stockings come in many strengths, styles and colours. It is important to choose one you feel comfortable wearing.

It is vital that your compression stockings fit properly. Using a tape measure, you or your pharmacist can measure your legs to determine the right size for you. Compression stockings should have a strong fit.

Treatment

Less invasive techniques are now available to treat varicose veins.  If your condition is severe, and does not get better with self help treatments, your doctor may advise one of these varicose vein treatments:

- Sclerotherapy a solution is injected into the veins, that scars and closes them. In a few weeks, treated varicose veins should fade.  Sclerotherapy doesn't require anaesthesia and can be done in your doctor's office.

- Laser surgeries:  This works by sending strong bursts of light onto the vein, which makes the vein slowly fade and disappear. No incisions or needles are used.

- Catheter-assisted procedures: A thin tube (catheter) into an enlarged vein and heats the tip of the catheter. The catheter is then pulled out, and the heat causes the vein to collapse. This is usually done for larger varicose veins.

- Vein stripping: A long vein is removed through small incisions.

- Ambulatory phlebectomy: tiny skin punctures are made, to remove smaller varicose veins.  There is minimal scarring.

- Endoscopic vein surgery: This is an operation used in advanced cases, when leg ulcers are involved.  The surgery involves closing the varicose veins, and then removing them through small incisions

Natural Supplements

The following natural products can help in treating and preventing varicose veins:

Grape Seed is a powerful herbal antioxidant, and scavenges free radicals.  This helps in strengthening weak blood vessels.

Horsechestnut is an effective treatment for the relief of swelling, pain, tenseness, itching and leg fatigue, which is associated with varicose veins.

Bioflavonoids can also be used to treat varicose veins.  Bioflavonoids are nutrients that help maintain capillary and connective tissue strength

We recommend Good health Legzone and Paroven