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Medical Professionals |
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| Varicose Veins: More than a cosmetic problem
Written by Keith Nichols, MD
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 | Q: What are varicose veins, and what causes them to form?
A: Nearly 70 million Americans, or one in four adults, have varicose veins or spider veins. Resembling elongated worms, varicose veins are green or blue in color and appear to bulge on the surface of the skin. They are often the result of an underlying disorder of the circulatory system called venous insufficiency. Spider veins, a form of varicose vein disease, are the small red, blue or purple veins that appear flat on the skin’s surface; they are often the first sign of venous insufficiency and affect nearly half of all adult women. |
The most universally accepted theory as to what causes varicose veins is that weakened valves in the leg veins allow blood to flow backwards through the valves—a phenomenon called reflux, similar to gastric reflux of the stomach, in which the stomach contents flow backward into the esophagus. Likewise, the leaking vein valves create reverse blood flow, increasing pressure within the veins and causing them to bulge.
Q: Are there certain risk factors for varicose and spider veins?
A: Genetics play a major role in the development of varicose veins. If your mother or father experienced bulging veins, then you are at increased risk for developing them. Hormones also have a role, affecting women twice as often as men. Female hormones allow the vein walls to dilate, increasing the risk of reflux.
Pregnancy is another risk factor for varicose veins. Some vein experts compare being pregnant to having a “cork” in the abdomen; the uterus sits on the body’s largest vein—the vena cava—thus restricting blood flow from the legs to the heart and increasing pressure in the leg veins.
Q: What problems can varicose veins cause?
A: Vein disease is more than a cosmetic problem. Varicose and spider veins not only cause embarrassment, they can also cause leg pain (most often at night), restless leg syndrome (a condition in which the legs feel fidgety during sleep), discoloration of the skin and swelling of the legs and thighs.
More serious problems can include massive bleeding from the varicose veins, inflammation of superficial veins (those close to the skin’s surface) with accompanying redness and pain (called superficial thrombophlebitis), skin ulcers that won’t heal, blood clots in the deep veins (deep venous thrombosis) and potentially deadly blood clots that can travel to the lungs.
 Q: What are the treatment options?
A: The first step is to have a physical exam. For patients with varicose veins, doctors can perform a specialized scan called a venous Duplex scan to analyze the “plumbing” of the patient’s leg veins and determine whether the valves are leaking.
Spider veins are often treated with either sclerotherapy, which involves injecting medication into the veins via small needles, or lasers. Several types of lasers are used to treat spider veins on the legs; however, sclerotherapy usually has a higher success rate.
Many treatments are now available as alternatives to traditional vein stripping, a procedure in which the diseased portion of the vein is removed and the vein is then tied off, or ligated. Some of these alternatives include echo-guided foam sclerotherapy—an outpatient procedure that usually takes only 30 minutes—and the VNUS Closure, a minimally invasive procedure that promises minimal discomfort.
 Most insurance companies cover the VNUS Closure, which has about a 96-percent success rate, and patients are generally allowed to return to work the next day.
Veins, like the heart and arteries, are an integral part of the circulatory system. And while varicose and spider veins can pose a health problem for many people, with appropriate medical care and treatment the health and the appearance of the legs can be improved.
| | VEIN, VEIN GO AWAY!
At Genesis, we recognize that the venous system, like the heart and arteries, is an important part of the circulatory system. You deserve to be treated by a specialist in vein diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Keith Nichols is the only physician in the Tidewater region who is board certified in phlebology - the diagnosis and treatment of leg veins. He is Tidewater’s most experienced physician with the VNUS closure procedure - a minimally invasive alternative to vein stripping.
All vein treatment is done in the office, avoiding expensive and time consuming hospital care.
Covered by most medical insurance. | | | Two Convenient Locations
401 North Great Neck Rd.,Suite 121,Virginia Beach
1500 Breezeport Way, Suite 100, Suffolk
757-686-9747
www.genesisvein.com
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