Dr. Wojo. Healthy Living. Simplified.

Remember when your grandmother had those terrible sausage-like blue veins on her legs and would wear heavy stockings while complaining about the pain? As a child, you were convinced you would never have such terrible looking legs, but time has caught up with you and now your legs are suffering the same look. Fortunately, you have more options, both medically and surgically, to deal with varicose veins than your grandmother did.

What are varicose veins? Varicose veins are swollen, stretched out veins that are engorged in blood. More specifically, arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Veins are blood vessels that return the blood flow back to the heart.

Most varicose veins are found in the legs and this article will focus on those varicosities. Varicose veins can be found elsewhere in the body and another type of varicose vein is a hemorrhoid. This topic will be dealt with at a later date.

How do varicose veins form? In the lower extremity, blood is returned “uphill” by the veins. In order to prevent backflow of the blood, veins have valves. These valves act as a one-way dam. When these valves become weakened, they allow the blood to flow backward. This backflow of blood leads to damming up of the blood and the veins become swollen and congested.

Why do they form? There are a variety of reasons that varicose veins form. Humans may have a hereditary factor that contributes to their formation. The veins may be predisposed to having weakened valves. This, in combination with repetitive trauma, such as prolonged standing, may contribute to their formation. In addition, other factors such as obesity, aging, hormones and pregnancy may be some major contributing factors.

How common are varicose veins? They are fairly common and up to 60 percent of all Americans will develop a form of a varicose vein. Up to 50 percent of all women will develop varicosities some time in their life, and 41 percent of all women will have varicose veins by the age of 50.

How can I prevent varicose veins? You cannot change your heredity factors, but you can do a few simple things to help prevent the development of varicose veins. Exercise is important in helping develop excellent circulation and vein strength. Obesity is a major risk factor, so weight control and reduction are essential. Do not sit with the legs crossed, as this blocks return circulation, damaging the valves of the veins.

A job that requires standing for prolonged periods of time significantly contributes to the weakening of the valves in the veins. If you must stand for a long time, shift weight from leg to leg. Also, it is important to wear support stockings, but be careful that they are not too tight.

What medical and surgical treatments are available? Once varicose veins have developed and become unsightly and painful, a trip to the doctor’s office may be necessary. You may need to see a vascular surgeon or a specialist that deals with varicose veins.

Medical and surgical treatment may include the use of chemicals to dry up the veins and this is called sclerotherapy. The process involves injecting a chemical into the vein and it will cause the vein to swell and eventually close off. The vein becomes scarred and the circulation will be routed around this vein. This is generally not a problem, as the body develops additional blood supply called collateral circulation.

Recent treatments have also included the use of electricity and lasers to burn the vein, causing them to close. Some of these procedures are new and must be discussed with your doctor.
The old standby treatment has included the surgical removal of the large damaged veins. This procedure is very effective, but may require hospitalization and a prolonged period of rehabilitation.

What else can I do? As always, prevention is the best treatment. Take the time to exercise and be healthy. This will improve your chances of not being affected. In the event that you need medical and surgical treatment, be sure to find a specialist that is well versed in a variety of treatment options and has a proven record of successfully treated and satisfied patients.