Veins in the legs that become swollen and dark in color are known as varicose veins. Sometimes you will not have any problems with them and sometimes they will be painful and at risk of causing infection. When this is the case you will need to see a vascular doctor in NYC. If you do have problems with them, they are likely to give you these symptoms.
- Ache – This can get worse when you walk a lot so resting will help
- Swollen – This can be the entire leg, but is always going to be the ankles and you need to keep a check on this. It is also possible that blood will pool there so that needs to be reviewed regularly.
- Throbbing- This sensation can be felt throughout the leg
- Leg cramps –These are going to be very inconvenient as they will mainly happen at night so will cause you to be tired the next day as well.
- Skin discoloration – Near to the varicose veins, you will find that the skin becomes thin and can change color.
You could find that you are worse in the summer and if you work in an industry that requires you to stand a lot, you could have additional problems. This is another time when the legs begin to cramp. If you can take a break and sit somewhere, ideally with your legs raised, it should bring you some relief. If taking a break does help, you may not be too severe; but, if it is not making a difference, you should look for varicose vein treatment NYC.
Reasons for needing to visit the vein doctor
The main reason for going to the vascular doctor in NYC is going to be because your veins will need to be treated. The damage may not be reversible, but the condition can be treated. The veins have valves in them and as blood flows in a valve closed behind it. The blood is pushed to the next part of the vein where another valve opens, lets the blood in and then closes to make sure it stays in the new chamber.
When the valves stop doing this, a varicose vein will be formed and varicose vein treatment NYC may be required. The blood will enter the chamber, but the valve will not close behind it. There is no way to keep the blood in that chamber, so it will fall back down to the previous one. That one will then have too much blood in it and will become swollen and over time become varicose.
Why this happens
Some people will have one reason why this happens, and others will have a selection. The main ones will be:
- Sitting and standing a lot will damage the valves
- Gender – There does not seem to be a real answer that vein doctors can give as to why, but it is women who suffer the most.
- Hereditary – Some families seem to be prone to suffering from this condition.
- Age related – There is no hard and fast age that these begin, but the majority of sufferers are going to be over 50 years of age.
- Pregnancy – The extra weight during this time is going to put pressure on the valves and if there are a few pregnancies then the valves will give way altogether.
- Blood clot – This can be even of there has just been one earlier in life and when this is the case you should speak to a vascular doctor in NYC.
- Unusual blood vessels – This could be one of a number of conditions that are caused.
- Tumor in the pelvis – If you are concerned that this is why the varicose veins have appeared, you should take medical advice.
If it is one of the last three reasons, the vein doctors are going to have to work on the veins as well as any other condition that arises. It does not mean that there are going to be more complications from the valves themselves, but they could save a lot of problems by alerting the vascular doctor in NYC to the fact that there needs to be other medical departments involved. While they are not a good thing to have, they could lead to you being treated for another condition early. For this reason, it is best to have vein doctors examine them.
Get vein doctors to deal with your varicose veins
Once there has been the all clear from the vascular doctor in NYC, the next step is to look at treatment. This can range from totally non-invasive to the higher end where the veins will be taken out totally. The first thing that will be recommended most times will be compression stockings. This is going to last for around 6 months, but just because they may not work it does not mean that there is nothing else that can be done.
It will be best to have a long and frank discussion with the vein doctors as they will want you to have a say in the path they will take. Clearly it will be best to take their advice, but you can always state your preferred treatment.
- Endovenous laser ablation – Here a laser is used, and it is the heat that it emits that causes the vein to close in on itself. Once this has happened the vein cannot be used anymore but the veins doctors should inform patients that this will not be an issue as another vein will take up the displaced blood. This is going to be carried out in the surgery room of your vein doctors and you can go home after a little rest. As long as you are sensible, it should not have an impact on your life.
- Sclerotherapy – This follows the same sort of process as endothermal ablation only here it is foam that is used rather than heat. Again, the veins are sealed, and the blood will find an alternative route back to the heart. This is another procedure that does not require a hospital visit. The vascular doctor in NYC will do this in their office and you can go home the same day. Again, there should be little that you cannot do within reason.
- Ligation and stripping – This is a more serious procedure and surgery will be needed to put things right. Vein doctors will explain what is going to happen and also what the follow up procedures are, including rest time. You will have to go to hospital and will have to be under anesthetic, and then spend at least a night in hospital. You need to be careful when you go home. If there is someone who can be with you to allow you to take it easy for a few days, it is going to be advised. You will need to arrange to have time off work as there are very few things that you could do without risking damaging what the vein doctors have done.
While there are items that enter the body, the first two procedures will be classed as minimally invasive and you will be awake while they are being carried out. With ligation and stripping, you will need to go to the hospital and be put out for the job to be done. It is important to find out the costs of the treatment as not all insurance companies will pick up the bill for all procedures. If it is not considered to be medically necessary, they may not pay all or in fact anything towards it. If the vein doctors can explain to them that there is a medical reason why you are undergoing this treatment you could see it covered.
Prevention
While it is true that prevention is better than cure, it is not always possible to prevent varicose veins forming. Certain aspects can be dealt with, but there are others where you will have no control. Vascular doctors in NYC will explain to you what you can do to limit the development of varicose veins, but you also have to accept that there are certain things they cannot deal with. You cannot control your gender or stop the years rolling by, but some things can be done to give you some relieve.
- Mobility – If you move around when you have been standing for a long time or sit when you have been on your feet all day, you can find that the blood will flow much better and the valves could suffer less damage.
- Lifting the legs – Even the shortest period of time sitting with legs raised will help to protect the veins. Just place them on a cushion or pillow and stay there for a while and the circulation should be closer to normal than it would be.
- Exercising – As weight is an issue, keeping active will both keep the blood flowing and hopefully the pounds off. When the blood is going in the right direction, the valves should stay stronger and the blood will not end up falling back down to the ankles. You may want to discuss the type and length of time you will spend exercising with the vein doctors.
Types of varicose veins
As with many conditions, not all cases of varicose veins are going to be the same and because of this they will have to be treated differently. The ones that could be the most problematic will be trunk veins and these are the ones that a vascular doctor in NYC will be called upon to deal with. They are located near to the top layer of skin and are very easy to see. There is also very little space between each vein that is affected. In some cases, they seem to be joined to each other and are red in color.
Less problematic will be the veins that are known as spider veins. The medical term is telangiectasia and can be seen on the face as often as they will be seen on the legs. They are not as big a problem as trunk veins and many people do not even have any treatment unless they become bigger and cause more of a problem. If this happens it will be time to visit vein doctors. The first type of treatment will be compression stockings and vein doctors will be open and honest in telling you that there is a chance that the six months you spend wearing them may not do any good.
A Doppler investigation will be carried out to work out what is wrong with your blood circulation. The stockings need to fit tightly on the legs and it is this tightness that forces the blood the way it should go. Pain should be limited and although this will not cure the varicose veins, it should help until other vein treatment NYC can be carried out. Long term use will not be recommended unless there is a good reason not to do other procedures. Class 1 or Class 2 stockings will be selected, and as expected Class 1 is for low level varicose veins and Class 2 for the worse ones.
If you find that this has not been enough, then make an appointment with a vascular doctor in NYC and they will talk you through the options.
After treatment by vascular doctors in NYC
If you undergo the less invasive procedures with the vascular doctor in NYC, you could have to have a series of treatments. The veins will eventually shut for good and while they will not come back it does not mean that there will not be others that form. Without a major lifestyle change at an early age, vein doctors will tell you that veins can keep on being damaged. If you have surgery, the veins that are damaged and treated will be gone for good after the one treatment. The issue here is still the same – you could find others get to a stage where they need to be treated. If you have any doubts at all, make an appointment with a vascular doctor in NYC.