Varicose veins are thick, dark and often painful veins that appear on the legs or feet. The condition affects women more than men and may require surgical treatment, especially if the condition is causing pain. There are a number of risk factors for varicose veins. Some of them can be controlled while others cannot. In addition to being female, other uncontrollable risk factors include defective valves, genetics and age. Older women are more likely to develop the condition as the veins in their legs lose elasticity. Pregnancy, a history of blood clots and long periods of sitting or standing can also put a person at higher risk of varicose veins.
Some people with Varicose Veins in Oakbrook are able to relieve their symptoms by wearing prescription compression stockings. Support stockings work by putting pressure on the veins and muscles in the legs to improve blood flow. They are very effective for mild cases of varicose veins. For more severe conditions where engorged veins are causing pain and compression stockings don’t provide any comfort, sclerotherapy is a fast and relatively easy out-patient procedure that can shrink the veins and improve the appearance of the legs.
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution into the affected veins. The treatment causes the vein to collapse and blood to reroute through other veins. The procedure is painless and typically done in a physician’s office without anesthesia. If you and your doctor decide that this procedure is right for you, expect it take less than an hour. After your procedure, you may need to wear a compression stocking on the treated leg for a few days. You may need more than one treatment over the course of several months to complete eliminate the appearance of varicose veins.
Some patients can be treated successfully with less invasive laser therapy. Laser treatments use light to close the veins and make them less visible under the skin. Like sclerotherapy, this treatment is done on an outpatient basis and doesn’t require anesthesia.
