Who is more prone to get varicose veins?

For some people, varicose veins are troublesome because of the way they look. However, varicose veins can cause severe health problems if left untreated. There could be a possible link between varicose veins and blood clots in the deeper veins of your legs. Not everyone gets varicose veins and there are certain people who are more prone to get varicose veins. That is what this article is about…

Symptoms of varicose veins

So, how do you know you have varicose veins? If you have varicose veins, you may have one or more of the following signs and symptoms:

• Veins that are blue or purplish in colour
• Veins that appear bulging and twisted
• Veins that are like cords on your legs
• A heavy or achy feeling in your legs
• The cramping, burning and throbbing of muscles, as well as swelling in your lower legs
• An increase in pain in your legs after sitting or standing for a long time
• Itching around one of more of your varicose veins
• A discolouration of the skin around a varicose vein

You can have either varicose veins or spider veins. The latter are like varicose veins, but are smaller and are red or blue in colour. They tend to occur closer to the skin’s surface. Spider veins can occur on the legs but can also occur on the face. They resemble a spider’s web, which is why they are called spider veins.

Who gets varicose veins?

The most common misconception is that only the elderly suffer from varicose veins. This misconception is understandable, because as we get older, our veins and their valves get older too, thereby becoming weaker. However, what may be surprising is, that even a woman in her 20s can get varicose veins. Certain people are more prone to get varicose veins and they are:

• Men and women over 40 years: Several million men and women between the ages of 40 and 80 years have varicose veins. In women, female hormones are thought to play a role. However, women are not the only ones at risk, with men suffering from varicose veins too. However, the number of men suffering from varicose veins is almost half that of women.
• Women taking hormone medication: If a woman is on a birth control pill or on hormone replacement therapy, she is more likely to develop varicose veins. This is especially true during and after menopause.
• People with a strong family history of varicose veins: If you have a family history of varicose veins, you may suffer from them too. This is because valves that are leaky are often inherited.
• People who are significantly overweight or obese: If you are overweight, you are putting additional stress and strain on your vein valves and walls. This increases the chance that varicose veins will develop.
• Anyone with a history of a blood clot: If you have ever suffered from a blood clot in a vein, this could damage your vein and make it weaker, thereby resulting in varicose veins.
• Anyone with damage to a vein: If your vein has suffered from trauma, this could weaken the vein too, resulting in varicose veins.
• People with jobs that are sedentary: If you have a desk job that requires you to sit for long periods of time, this may lead to varicose veins. This is because the muscles of the legs play a vital role in pumping venous blood from your legs to your heart. If you sit for long periods of time, this prevents the muscles from helping blood move against gravity.
• Workers who stand for prolonged periods of time:If you are in a job that involves standing for long periods of time, such as being a restaurant worker, a flight attendant, a teacher, or a mail carrier, you may be putting extra stress on your veins. This may result in varicose veins.
• Women who are pregnant: During pregnancy, the weight of the foetus results on the veins in the lower abdomen. This can increase the amount of blood pooling in the legs. However, pregnancy-related varicose veins typically disappear once the baby is born.

While you may not be able to change your family history or your job, you can adopt certain behaviours to prevent varicose veins from forming. These behaviours include:

• Indulging in low-impact exercises, such as biking and swimming
• Wearing flat footwear instead of heels if you are a woman
• Propping your legs above your heart for about 10 to 15 minutes each day
• Wearing support stockings to prevent the pooling of blood in your veins
• Avoiding standing for long periods of time
• Making it a point to lose weight, if you are overweight

Varicose veins can result in certain complications, such as bleeding, thrombophlebitis, and chronic venous insufficiency. This is why you need to treat your varicose veins immediately. You need to consult the right vascular surgeon to treat your varicose veins. You can do no better than consult Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala, of the Flow Vascular Clinic,who is based in Hyderabad, India.

Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala is an expert in treating varicose veins with Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT). He has successfully treated thousands of patients with varicose veins, using EVLT. During this procedure, Dr. Sandhyala will first confirm all your weak veins using a Colour Doppler Ultrasound Scan. He will then determine the best place to insert a catheter.

He will then clean and numb the area using a local anesthetic. Once the area is numb, he will make a small incision and insert a catheter and guide-wire into your skin. He will pass a laser fiber through the catheter till it extends about 1 to 2 centimeters from the end after which it will be secured in place.

The laser energy will seal the faulty vein and the blood flow will be redirected to the healthy veins. This procedure takes about an hour to perform and is minimally invasive with very little pain. After this procedure, Dr. Sandhyala may perform an Ultrasound to confirm the success of this procedure. EVLT has minimal recovery time and most patients are encouraged to resume their day-to-day activities on the same day.

So, if you are suffering from varicose veins with painful and irritating symptoms, do not hesitate any longer. Do consult with Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala, and be completely and totally relieved of your symptoms with the best treatment possible!

For more information about varicose veins, as well as the treatment for DVT, or other vascular conditions, contact Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala at (+91) 9989649498 or 9959033037, or at [email protected] or visit our website at www.drabhilash.com