Posted on 14th April, 2023 at 1:32:27 AM
In India, over 10 million varicose vein cases are reported every year. Varicose vein medical ailment is estimated to affect the legs and feet of nearly 30% of adult Indians. Also, most obese people have a tendency to develop one or more varicose veins as they age. Based on verified statistics, women are known to be somewhat more probable of suffering from varicose veins as compared to their male counterparts.
What are Varicose Veins?
In the case of a healthy person, the valves of the veins make the used and de-oxygenated blood flow back to the heart from all body parts. These valves also prevent the blood from staying stagnant in one place or flowing backward in the undesired direction. But for patients who complain of varicose veins, the valves of the affected veins get damaged and hence restrict the blood flow back to the heart. This disturbs the circulatory system and causes the blood to pool around the impaired veins.
Varicose veins are those swollen and enlarged veins that are often seen bulging out from the skin surface of the legs. These twisted veins are bluish-purple in color and are truly an ugly sight. Varicose vein patients often complain of pain, itching, burning, and mild cramping in the affected area. You should never ignore any visible signs of varicose veins. Although not a very serious disorder, varicose veins may not require immediate treatment but genuine medical aid is vital to prevent the condition from getting worse. In some critical scenarios, the delays in treating the varicose veins can further lead to other several other acute health hazards like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) i.e. clots in the superficial veins, acute Venous Ulcers, and even Chronic Venous Insufficiency.
Why do Varicose Veins Re-appear?
By treating the varicose veins, patients not only get relief from the constant pain, and irritation, but also get rid of the unappealing sight of the varicose veins on their legs and feet. The traditional treatment procedure of vein surgery, where the affected veins were stripped off, is definitely less efficient and has a higher chance of making the varicose veins re-appear.
In the new era, with the invention of laser treatments for varicose veins, swollen varicose veins are accurately identified with the help of the duplex ultrasound procedure and these are then permanently closed. This forces the body to re-route the blood to other neighboring veins. Although the advanced laser treatment massively reduces the chances of varicose veins coming back, it does not guarantee a permanent cure. In medical terms, the varicose vein is a chronic ailment and the varicose veins may redevelop in the future for patients who were successfully treated in the past.
A patient who has once had varicose veins always remains at high risk of redeveloping them. It is not usually the same vein, but different veins may get affected by the malfunctioning valves, thus causing the varicose veins to reoccur. Some people are genetically more probable to develop varicose veins but all patients can reduce their chances of re-growing varicose veins by improving their lifestyle. Doing mild exercises every day, eating a balanced diet, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a BMI (Body Mass Index) score under 25, are known to reduce the risk of varicose veins.
Also, you must avoid sitting or standing for long periods at a stretch as this can cause extreme pressure on your veins and break down the valves. In an unfortunate incidence of the varicose veins recurring for you, you can still get them eliminated by the painless endovenous laser treatment. This laser treatment is minimally invasive and absolutely painless. It leaves no cuts or scar marks on the patient’s body and has a quick recovery time. Except for a few critical cases, patients are generally discharged on the same day. They can go back home and resume their daily activities without any difficulties or outside support.
The endovenous laser treatment procedure has very little post-operative care and the patients can even undertake long flights without the fear of DVT or blood clots that may cause a medical emergency. For a few patients, the vascular surgeon may suggest the use of compression stockings for a few days after the laser treatment.
