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EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED & FOCUSED ON VENOUS DISEASE

Month: November 2017

When dealing with unsightly varicose or spider veins or the more serious venous ulcers and blood clots, you need the help of a skilled physician, preferably one with specialized training to ensure you get proper diagnosis and treatment.

What to Look in a Physician When Treating Varicose Veins

What to Look in a Physician

If you are considering varicose vein treatment, here are a few key qualities you can use to identify a great vein doctor:

1. Education and Certification

This is one of the first things that you should find out when choosing a vein doctor to ensure that you get the care you need. A doctor who is board-certified in Phlebology will give you peace of mind knowing that your diagnosis and treatment will be both safe and effective. These certifications prove that the physician has received the necessary training and is qualified to deliver high quality care for a wide range of vascular diseases, including varicose veins.

2. Experience

It helps if you know how successful the physician has been in previous, similar procedures. There are several treatment options for varicose veins, and you may not necessarily be a good candidate for all of them. If your physician is only comfortable performing one type of treatment that is not necessarily the most effective for your specific case, then you will be keeping yourself from receiving the best care possible – yet you’ll probably end up paying the same.

3. Good Communication

To receive the best treatment for any condition, you need to be open with your physician. It is important that you feel comfortable enough with your vein doctor to reveal essential information about your health, family history, and lifestyle truthfully. Working with a friendly physician and team increases the likelihood of making honest and pleasant conversations when receiving your treatment.

4. Convenience

Keep in mind that varicose treatments are usually administered in a series of appointments over several months. So you need to find a skilled vein specialist near you to make your treatments convenient.

Why Choose the Center for Vein Wellness?

Finding the right physician to treat your case of varicose veins requires a bit of research to find a vein specialist with the right combination of education, experience, and compassion to deliver the highest quality of care you deserve.

Dr. Shah of the Center for Vein Wellness has the training, credentials, and experience, backed by numerous testimonials from patients who he has successfully treated.

While many vein centers only provide cosmetic treatment as a general solution for varicose veins, we understand that no two cases of vein disease are the same. Dr. Shah goes the extra mile to also identify the underlying causes of your vein issues and utilize the latest treatment options to reduce health risks associated with your vein problem, making it less likely to appear again in future.

The Center for Vein Wellness is dedicated to creating a personalized treatment plan for every patient who visits our practice. When you consult with Dr. Shah in any of our locations, you can be assured of receiving the most effective treatment and recommendations based on your specific case, helping you reach the best possible outcome.

The blood vessels are flexible, hollow tubes, through which blood flows to every part of the body (arteries) and back to the heart (veins), making up the circulatory system. While arteries depend on the beating heart to maintain blood flow, the veins rely on muscle contraction and valves to return blood to the heart and prevent back flow, respectively. Let’s discuss tips on keeping your veins healthy.

Venous disease can damage the valves inside your veins, preventing them from closing completely. This in turn allows blood to flow backward, resulting in various vein disorders that are not only unsightly and embarrassing, but also painful – sometimes to the extent of making it difficult to walk or stand.

In some cases, the appearance of vein disorders indicates the presence of dangerous blood clots or other serious health issues. So it is important that you keep your veins healthy.

Keeping Veins Healthy

Here are some ways to keep your veins healthy:

1. Proper nutrition

Your diet influences every aspect of your health. There are certain foods that promote healthy blood circulation and strengthen your veins, such as:

  • Vitamin C – strawberries, oranges, kale, broccoli, kiwi, guava, and red peppers are rich in vitamin C, which promotes the body’s ability to generate collagen and elastin proteins that keep vein and artery walls strong and flexible. Strong veins walls ensure steady blood flow towards the heart, and reduce the risk of veins expanding and allowing blood to pool and form varicose veins.
  • Vitamin E – leafy green vegetables, fish, papaya, squash, plant oils, nuts, and other foods rich in vitamin E help prevent your blood platelets from adhering together to form blood clots. Blood clots in your veins are one of the main causes of venous disorders.
  • Bioflavonoids – these substances are known to give vegetables and fruits their color, including berries, grape seeds, beets, papaya, mango, red cabbage, and spinach. They are also incredible antioxidants that help reduce inflammation associated with varicose veins and rebuild collagen proteins that promote the strength and pliability of blood vessel walls.

2. Wear loose fitting clothes

Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing help to improve blood flow and general range of motion, which are essential for vein health.

3. Exercise

A sedentary lifestyle and weight gain are responsible for a wide range of health problems, including venous disorders. For vein health, you don’t necessarily need to join a gym. Instead, try to walk for at least 20-minutes, a couple of times a week, or take the stairs instead of the lift or elevator whenever possible.

Studies show that moderately overweight women are 50% more likely to get varicose veins than those of healthy weight. Regular physical activity can help to burn excess fat and prevent additional weight gain, which will in turn make you less likely to develop varicose veins.

When to Visit a Vein Specialist

If you feel that you have abnormal veins – varicose veins, spider veins, or other venous disorder – that are affecting your health and self-image, you should visit a vein specialist near you for proper diagnosis and treatment, which may include self-care, minimally invasive treatments, or surgery.

Visit the Center for Vein Wellness to schedule a consultation with Dr. Shah.

Venous insufficiency, also known as chronic venous stasis or chronic venous insufficiency, is a circulatory problem where blood flow from the veins of the legs back to the heart is hindered.

Veins rely on muscle contraction and valves to maintain blood flow in one-direction toward the heart. Venous insufficiency arises when the valves in the veins of your leg fail, allowing blood to pool in the legs.

Venous Insufficiency

Causes of Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)

Venous insufficiency affects about 20% of adults. It can also be caused by deep vein thrombosis – a blood clot that forms in a deep vein in the legs – that causes blockage, or damaged valves due to high blood pressure in the inner leg veins.

Over time, CVI may result in the following symptoms in the legs:

  • Varicose veins
  • Swelling in the ankles
  • Itching
  • Skin sores
  • Cramping
  • Aching or feeling of heaviness
  • Changes in skin color

When the valves fail to facilitate blood flow in the legs against gravity, the blood may not only pool, but also flow in reverse – venous reflux.

Some of the risk factors of valve failure of venous reflux include:

  • Family history of DVT (or blood clots) or varicose veins
  • Vein wall weakness – causing valves to expand so valve closure is not effective
  • Lack of enough physical activity
  • Overweight
  • Pregnancy
  • Swelling of a superficial vein (phlebitis)
  • Muscle weakness, trauma, or leg injury
  • Prolonged standing or sitting – resulting in high blood pressure

Diagnosis and Treatment

When you visit the Center for Vein Wellness, Dr. Shah will work with you to diagnose the source of the problem and develop the most effective treatment plan for your case.

Dr. Shah will perform a health history check and physical examination of your leg veins to access their health. You can expect:

  • Questions about your symptoms and risk factors – like family history, blood clot, leg injury, recent surgery
  • A physical examination of your legs for abnormal veins, tender or swollen areas, and changes in skin color
  • A duplex ultrasound – a noninvasive imaging test that uses sound waves to scan your vein structures and blood flow. It can help to locate the source of a vein problem

Depending on the results of the diagnostic tests, Dr. Shah will devise a personalized treatment plan that involves medical and surgical interventions, as well as recommendations on:

  • Diet and lifestyle
  • Ways to prevent prolonged sitting or standing
  • Structured exercise to strengthen calf muscle action, like walking
  • Elevating your feet above the thighs when sitting and above the heart when lying down 3-4 times to reduce swelling

Compression stockings are also recommended for managing venous insufficiency. These medical stockings are tighter at the ankles than the top of the legs, and help to relieve pain and minimize swelling. They can also help to treat venous skin ulcers.

Urgency of Treatment for Venous Insufficiency

Regardless of the cause, defective valves often cause increased blood pressure in the leg, resulting in venous hypertension – high blood pressure in the vein. This is what causes varicose veins and other symptoms to appear. The sooner you get the condition diagnosed and treated, the sooner you can enjoy your daily activities.