Vein Treatments: Options for Every Stage of Vein Problems

Venous insufficiency is a condition that happens when the vein walls and valves weaken. This causes your blood to flow backwards and pool in the vein, which can cause it to stretch and twist. The weakened walls and valves can also lead to the formation of a painful ulcer near your ankle. Treatments for varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) include self-care treatments, compression stockings, and surgeries and procedures. Center For Advanced Vein Care will recommend the best treatment for you based on the symptoms you have and your risk factors.

You can help prevent or reduce the severity of varicose veins by making lifestyle changes. Maintaining a healthy weight, wearing loose clothing around your waist and legs, and elevating your legs often can help improve circulation. Avoiding salt and avoiding high-heeled shoes that put pressure on the legs can prevent fluid retention and swelling that may lead to varicose veins. You should also avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time and instead move around frequently. Exercise is especially important, as it can strengthen the leg muscles and increase circulation.

Many people with varicose veins find that they feel pain, itching and heaviness in their legs. These symptoms are caused by weakened vein walls and improperly functioning one-way valves. The weakened valves allow blood to reverse toward the feet when you stand, which puts increased pressure on the veins. This causes them to elongate and bulge, which gives them the appearance of blue, purple or red rope-like lines. The veins can be found just below the surface of the skin, and they often develop in clusters.

A healthcare professional can diagnose varicose veins by examining your legs and observing their color and swollen appearance. They may suggest a venous Doppler ultrasound of the leg, a safe and painless test that uses sound waves to measure blood flow through your veins and check for clots.

Varicose veins cannot be cured, but you can improve your symptoms and quality of life with treatment. Some treatments target and remove damaged veins so that blood doesn’t flow through them anymore, and others improve your veins’ ability to pump blood effectively.

The most common way to treat varicose veins is with self-care and compression therapy. Compression therapy can be a simple as wearing elastic stockings or wraps on your legs. For more severe varicose veins, your doctor may suggest a procedure called endothermal ablation, in which heat is used to seal the diseased vein. Another surgical procedure, ambulatory phlebectomy, removes larger varicose veins through tiny skin incisions. This technique is relatively new, but it is very effective in eliminating the symptoms of varicose veins and has a low rate of complications. Lastly, some medications and herbal supplements may help to relieve the symptoms of varicose veins. These include horse chestnut extract, a compound that has been shown to improve vein function, and heparin, a medication that can help blood clots form less easily.

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