| Understanding the cause, symptoms and treatment of varicose veins is critical to the process of treating the problem. The staff at Centers for Advanced Vein Care Montana (CAVC) believes that patient education is the first step in helping them seek and obtain professional treatment for their problem. Given this fact, it is extremely important that the patient understand the facts regarding varicose and spider veins. In general, varicose veins are typically swollen veins that present in the legs, ankles and feet of a patient. A condition called venous reflux, or alternatively, venous insufficiency, whereby blood that circulates through the lower limbs fails to properly return to the heart, but rather pools up in the distended and bulging veins.
It is conservatively estimated that over 25 million people living in America suffer from venous insufficiency. Common symptoms of venous insufficiency include: 1) swollen ankles; 2) swollen calves; 3) pain in the legs; 4) fatigue in the legs; 5) skin discoloration; 6) presentation of leg ulcers; 7) burning skin; and 8) itching skin. At CAVC, Dr. Orcutt, a board certified vascular surgeon, provides varicose vein surgery to correct these issues and problems.
Although varicose and spider veins occur at varying ages and irrespective of gender, both gender and age are risk factors associated with the development of venous reflux and venous insufficiency. Estimates of the prevalence of venous insufficiency are that over 70% of American women and over 40% of men experience symptoms created by varicose veins by the time they reach age sixty. Additionally, women who have had more than one pregnancy and individuals who suffer from obesity, have an increased risk of experiencing symptoms from varicose veins. Moreover, absent treatment or varicose veins removal, the vein disease will progressively worsen.
What are the symptoms of a varicose veinproblem? Varicose veins present as swollen vessels, usually blue or purple in color and typically bulge above the surface of the skin. Also, quite often, these bulging vessels appear to be twisted or “rope-like” and may be accompanied by swollen tissue that is adjacent to the vessels. Although these “rope-like” vessels can be found anywhere on the leg (from the ankle to the groin), the most common place to find these twisted vessels is on the inside of the thigh or on the back of the calf or knee.
Following are common symptoms that may significantly impact the quality of life of a person suffering from vein disease:
1. Throbbing pain;
2. Deep aching in the patients leg;
3. A feeling of heaviness in the legs;
4. Re-occurring muscle cramping in the legs;
5. Fatigued legs;
6. Restless legs;
7. Severe swelling in the ankle region of the leg; and
8. Skin ulceration.
Many of these symptoms may cause a drastic curtailment of a person’s daily activities and may force them to miss work. Additionally, many people who suffer with these symptoms complain of not being able to walk, stand or sit for long periods of time without experiencing pain or exhaustion. Additionally, although not common, in severe cases, symptomology of varicose veins can be indicative of serious circulatory issues that may produce blood clots or skin ulcers, thus, needing immediate medical attention.
Varicose veins treatment begins by determining whether venous insufficiency is the direct cause of the patient’s varicose veins and spider veins. Upon examination, your physician will feel your legs with his/her fingertipsfor the purpose of detecting swollen veins that are too deep to be visible to the naked eye. During this examination, the physician will pay attention to areas of the leg whereby significant pain or tenderness may be present. Significant pain or tenderness may indicate a blood clot or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). After the physician personally assesses the problem, the next step will be for the doctor or his staff to perform an ultrasound examination for the purpose of obtaining a clear and detailed image of the circulatory system in the leg. This test will provide a detailed image of the blood flow in the leg and provide the physician an illustration of the speed and direction of the blood flow through the veins. The ultrasound exam will be the definitive test as to whether the patient suffers from venous reflux and is indicated for medical treatment of vein disease.
If in fact it is determined that the patient is suffering from venous reflux, the physician will typically question whether the patient has previously or is currently wearing compression stockings and for how long they have been wearing these stockings. |
