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EXCLUSIVELY DEVOTED & FOCUSED ON VENOUS DISEASE

Month: January 2018

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.

Healthy veins rely on muscle contraction and valves to keep blood flowing forward – and against gravity – in your legs. But when these valves weaken, blood can begin to flow backwards and pool in the veins that are close to the surface of the skin, resulting in varicose veins.

Professions with Higher Risk for Varicose Veins | Vein Specialist Ventura

There are certain risk factors for varicose veins, including genetics, weight gain, gender, age, and prolonged standing or sitting. This means that people who work in professions that require them to spend a lot of time behind a desk or on their feet are at risk of developing varicose veins.

Some high-risk professions include:

1. Nursing

Nurses spend hours on their feet, care for one patient after the other. Moving around is not necessarily bad as it engages the leg muscles, which helps to push blood in the veins. But since they spend more time in a stationary position than in motion, the veins in their legs are forced to work hard against gravity, causing them to wear out faster than normal. This increases the risk of varicose veins.

2. Food and beverage service industry

From chefs to waiters to bartenders, these occupations require you to spend a lot of time on your feet either preparing meals/drinks or attending to patrons, with minimal movement especially during off-peak hours.

3. Office work

Any kind of work that requires you to sit at your desk for extended periods puts you at risk of developing varicose veins.

4. Hairdressing

Hair stylists and barbers spend a lot of time on their feet with minimal movement, which translates to minimal leg muscle movement and high risk of varicose veins.

5. Teaching

Teachers have one of the most sedentary lifestyles because they’re either sitting or standing, often beyond work hours when reviewing their students’ work, which puts them at considerable risk for varicose veins.

How to Avoid Varicose Veins

Although it is not possible to completely eliminate the risk of varicose veins, you can slow down their progression by taking a few precautionary steps, such as scheduling regular breaks to walk around, maintaining healthy weight, and wearing custom compression stockings as advised by your vein specialist.

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.

Vein specialists usually operate in a vein center that is independent from other medical fields, and only deals with cases involving vein disorders, such as varicose veins, spider veins, deep thrombosis, and chronic venous insufficiency, among others.

Vein Center vs Hospital | Los Angeles & Ventura County Vein Specialist

When faced with a specific health problem that requires specialized care, your general physician is likely to refer you to a specialist in that field for proper diagnosis and treatment. Similarly, when suffering from a venous disorder, you can always consult a general practitioner for temporary relief. But to address the root of the problem, you need to visit a specialist who has the expertise to ensure your complete recovery.

What to Expect From a Vein Center

These facilities focus solely on the diagnosis and treatment of problems related to the veins. The physician usually goes through extra training and certification to perform advanced vein procedures such as sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, ultrasound-guided ablation, and wound care, among others.

Although you can also find highly skilled physicians who specialize in certain, relevant areas and have experience treating vein conditions in a hospital, you are likely to encounter one of two situations: either the medical professional handles a wide range of issues on a daily basis, and cannot adequately keep up with the newest treatments in vein conditions, or the physician focus on only one area of specialty, like ambulatory phlebectomy, which may not necessarily be the best treatment for your case.

On the other hand, a vein specialist handles cases involving problematic veins on a daily basis. Visiting a vein center gives you the best chance of having your problem diagnosed correctly and treated using the newest procedures for the most satisfactory results.

Moreover, certified vein specialists are dedicated to pursuing continuing education to maintain their membership. This means that they regularly review and update their equipment, procedures, and patient care tactics for your benefit.

Center for Vein Wellness 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.