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Varicose veins affect more than one-quarter of the American population. So it’s likely that you have them, or you know a few people who have them. It is also likely that you or your friends have shared some information about varicose veins and other venous disorders, some of which may not be true. Let’s discuss some myths about varicose veins.

Myths About Varicose Veins | Vein Specialist Los Angeles & Ventura, CA

Common Myths About Varicose Veins

It is important that you have accurate information about varicose veins for a proper self-diagnosis, and to know when to seek professional help. Here are a few common misconceptions about varicose veins to enhance your understanding of the condition:

1. Varicose veins occur because of crossing your legs

Crossing your legs is not one of the risk factors of varicose veins. In itself, it cannot weaken or damage your valves, which is what causes blood to pool in certain veins and cause them to bulge. A sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, on the other hand, are known risk factors.

2. Varicose veins are only a cosmetic concern

Bulging blue veins are undoubtedly unsightly, and likely to make you conscious about wearing attire that might reveal them. However, people with varicose veins eventually develop symptoms such as cramping, throbbing, dull achiness, and heaviness in the legs. Moreover, failure to treat varicose veins can lead to bigger problems including blood clots and leg ulcers. Early treatment helps to prevent any discomfort and higher treatment costs.

3. Varicose veins only occur in old age

Although aging is one of the risk factors of varicose veins, it can affect people of all ages depending on other factors such as genetics, obesity, or change in hormone levels due to pregnancy.

Treating Varicose Veins

There are also some misconceptions about the treatment of varicose veins. For instance, some people claim that the only way to treat them is through surgical stripping, some argue that the treatments are painful and expensive, and others say that there’s no point in treating them since they’ll return.

Fortunately for you, none of these claims are true. Today, there are many modern, non-invasive and painless treatments that help to detect all diseased veins – including those that are not visible on the surface of the skin – so the root of the problem is treated to prevent future recurrences. You only need to discuss with your vein specialist about the best treatment for your case.

Varicose Vein Consultation in Los Angeles & Ventura County

Please visit the Center for Vein Wellness or schedule a consultation with Dr. Shah to discuss your case and vein treatment options. We have multiple locations in Los Angeles and Ventura County.

When it comes to varicose vein removal, most procedures are safe when performed by an experienced specialist. Traditionally, physicians and surgeons relied on a surgical process known as vein stripping to remove troublesome veins. But this procedure is no longer recommended because there are safer and more effective alternatives with no downtime.

What Are The Safest Varicose Vein Removal Procedures? | Vein Specialist

Today, patients have several options for non-invasive treatments for the varicose vein removal, including:

Sclerotherapy

This is a painless procedure that involves the physician injecting a solution (sclerosant) into the varicose vein to cause it to collapse and divert blood flow to healthier veins. There are different types of sclerotherapy, as follows:

  • Liquid sclerotherapy – recommended to treat spider veins
  • Foam sclerotherapy – recommended for the treatment of larger veins because foam sclerosant travels further than the liquid solution. This is the most advanced and least invasive treatment for small to medium size varicose veins and/or spider veins
  • Ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy – used to treat large, deep veins that would typically require surgical treatment

Your body gradually destroys the collapsed vein, causing it to disappear in a few weeks. The procedure is painless and has no downtime.

Radiofrequency Ablation

This procedure requires the physician to transmit radio frequency energy (radio waves) through the vein wall. First the skin is numbed, and then the vein is cannulated with a needle, after which a catheter is introduced in the vein to heat it from the inside, destroying the vein wall. The doctor uses an ultrasound to help guide the catheter, usually from the knee towards the groin. The damaged vein is eventually reabsorbed by the body and disappears in few months.

Laser Ablation

The physician uses a similar process as with radiofrequency ablation, except using laser energy to deliver the heat. Ablation is recommended for the treatment of straight leg veins.

What to Expect

Although these treatments are generally safe and effective, you should discuss the best option with your vein specialist depending on your specific case. Things such as medications, allergies, chronic conditions, and pregnancy, among others can complicate your treatment and recovery if the physician is not aware of them beforehand. Please visit the Center for Vein Wellness or schedule a consultation with Dr. Shah to discuss your case and varicose vein treatment options.

For seemingly simple and straightforward procedures, it is surprising that not all varicose vein treatments are successful. These purple, bulging or ropey blood vessels may be unsightly, but they don’t necessarily cause pain or any serious symptoms. Unfortunately, this may cause some physicians to handle your case like any other without trying to identify the underlying problem, resulting in unsatisfactory results.

The Top 5 Mistakes in Varicose Vein Treatment | Los Angeles & Ventura

Here are some common mistakes in varicose vein treatment to watch out for to ensure that you get good results:

Incomplete Initial Examination

If your varicose veins don’t cause any pain, your physician may fail to perform proper and complete assessment of the troublesome veins. For instance, the physician may skip the use of ultrasound to examine the underlying veins, or delegate some of the assessments to other members of the staff who may not have the skills or knowledge to perform proper diagnosis.

Postponing the Treatment

Although the symptoms for varicose veins are not severe, you should keep in mind that they won’t go away by themselves. In fact, they will keep getting worse with time. So if you notice some aching, swelling, throbbing, or heaviness in the affected limb, it is important that you visit a vein specialist as soon as possible to prevent the problem from escalating.

Wrong Treatment

This is usually the result of improper diagnosis or visiting a physician who does not have experience handling such cases. There are two likely scenarios:

  • First, the physician may choose to perform an older treatment that he/she is more familiar with, such as surgical vein stripping or ligation, instead of less invasive treatments that are safer and more effective, such as thermal ablation or ultrasound guided sclerotherapy.
  • Second, the physician may choose the wrong treatment for your case, perhaps if you are concerned about the cost. For instance, although sclerotherapy is cheaper than other treatments, it is not recommended for treating large varicose veins because of the increased risk of soreness, hyperpigmentation, inflammation and recurrence.

Vein Treatment from Center for Vein Wellness

If you have vein problems, you should have them checked out by a physician with expertise in the field. A vein specialist is unlikely to make such mistakes, and will be current with the newest treatments to increase the chances of satisfactory results. Please visit the Center for Vein Wellness or schedule a consultation with Dr. Shah to discuss your case and varicose vein treatment options.