Most people know what varicose veins look like and can easily identify them at first sight. However, few people have an understanding of just what causes this condition and what can be done about it. This can be just as true among those who suffer from varicose veins as it is among those who do not.
The spidery veins, swollen ankles, and skin discoloration that accompany varicose veins are just visible signs of a defect in the veins that allows blood that has already flowed through a vein to flow backwards and pool. The result of this pooling is that the veins are enlarged. This is the cause of the distinctive “spider veins” that so often accompany varicose veins.
The main cause of varicose veins is heredity. If your mother had varicose veins, you are more likely to have them as well. However, other causes include pregnancy, obesity, excessive standing, and Thrombophlebitis (swelling that is caused by a blood clot.) Aside from the obvious visible symptoms, pain and tenderness can also occur. In some cases, the pain is bad enough to limit a person’s ability to stand for extended periods of time which can, of course, affect their ability to work.
Fortunately, there are many treatment options available for varicose veins. They range from simple non-medical interventions such as elevating your legs or wearing special compression stockings to surgical procedures such as stripping, ambulatory phlebectomy, and cryosurgery. Between these two extremes are several non-surgical medical treatments that provide effective and long lasting relief from varicose veins without the risks involved in surgery.
The most popular of these non-surgical treatments are sclerotherapy and endovenous thermal ablation. The former is an injection treatment while the latter is a laser-based therapy, and both are used to cause affected veins to shrink or contract.
Dr. David Loiterman has been treating varicose veins in the Chicago area for over two decades. He employs state of the art techniques and is widely respected among Chicago doctors. He is committed to regarding each patient as an individual, and he goes out of his way to create a course of treatment that is specifically tailored to each person.
