Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins. Any superficial vein may become varicosed, but the veins most commonly affected are those in your legs. That’s because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins of your lower body.

Varicose veins can cause aching pain and discomfort. Sometimes varicose veins lead to more-serious problems.

Varicose veins affect up to 40% of Pakistanis. Many people don’t like the visible appearance of varicose veins, but for others, some symptoms cause pain and discomfort. Either way, varicose veins are a sign of vein disease that requires treatment so that your body can circulate blood optimally.

Treatment may involve self-care measures or procedures by your doctor to close or remove diseased veins.

• Heavy Legs: People who live with varicose veins have often reported that one of the symptoms is heavy legs. A feeling as if you had weights on your ankles.
• Swelling: Swelling in the legs, ankles, or feet is a typical sign of vein disease. If you notice your shoes are feeling tighter or your legs appear swollen, you should get looked at by a doctor.
• Itching and Burning: Sometimes, this gets mistaken for dry skin, but pay attention to the area you are itching. If it’s near your visible veins, it could be linked to vein disease.
• Pain Relief When Legs are Elevated: If you have pain in your legs that tends to subside when you elevate your legs, for example, by propping your legs up on pillows when you sleep.
• Veins that are dark purple or blue in color
• Veins that appear twisted and bulging; they are often like cords on your legs
• Worsened pain after sitting or standing for a long time
• Skin discoloration around a varicose vein

Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but they’re smaller. Spider veins are found closer to the skin’s surface and are often red or blue.

Spider veins occur on the legs, but can also be found on the face. They vary in size and often look like a spider’s web.

Self-care — such as exercise, elevating your legs or wearing compression stockings — can help you ease the pain of varicose veins and may prevent them from getting worse. But if you’re concerned about how your veins look and feel and self-care measures haven’t stopped your condition from getting worse, see your doctor.

Weak or damaged valves can lead to varicose veins. Arteries carry blood from your heart to the rest of your tissues, and veins return blood from the rest of your body to your heart, so the blood can be recirculated. To return blood to your heart, the veins in your legs must work against gravity.

Muscle contractions in your lower legs act as pumps, and elastic vein walls help blood return to your heart. Tiny valves in your veins open as blood flows toward your heart then close to stop blood from flowing backward. If these valves are weak or damaged, blood can flow backward and pool in the vein, causing the veins to stretch or twist.

These factors increase your risk of developing varicose veins:

• Age. The risk of varicose veins increases with age. Aging causes wear and tear on the valves in your veins that help regulate blood flow. Eventually, that wear causes the valves to allow some blood to flow back into your veins where it collects instead of flowing up to your heart.
• Sex. Women are more likely to develop the condition. Hormonal changes during pregnancy, pre-menstruation or menopause may be a factor because female hormones tend to relax vein walls. Hormone treatments, such as birth control pills, may increase your risk of varicose veins.
• Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the volume of blood in your body increases. This change supports the growing fetus, but also can produce an unfortunate side effect — enlarged veins in your legs. Hormonal changes during pregnancy may also play a role.
• Family history. If other family members had varicose veins, there’s a greater chance you will too.
• Obesity. Being overweight puts added pressure on your veins.
• Standing or sitting for long periods of time. Your blood doesn’t flow as well if you’re in the same position for long periods.

Complications of varicose veins can include:

• Ulcers. Painful ulcers may form on the skin near varicose veins, particularly near the ankles. A discolored spot on the skin usually begins before an ulcer forms. See your doctor immediately if you suspect you’ve developed an ulcer if you see skin changes or discoloration around your ankles.
• Blood clots. Occasionally, veins deep within the legs become enlarged. In such cases, the affected leg may become painful and swell. Any persistent leg pain or swelling warrants medical attention because it may indicate a blood clot — a condition known medically as thrombophlebitis.
• Bleeding. Occasionally, veins very close to the skin may burst. Any bleeding requires medical attention.

There’s no way to completely prevent varicose veins. But improving your circulation and muscle tone may reduce your risk of developing varicose veins or getting additional ones. The same measures you can take to treat the discomfort from varicose veins at home can help prevent varicose veins, including:

• Exercising
• Watching your weight
• Eating a high-fiber, low-salt diet
• Avoiding high heels and tight hosiery
• Elevating your legs
• Changing your sitting or standing position regularly

To diagnose varicose veins, your doctor will do a physical exam, including looking at your legs while you’re standing to check for swelling. Your doctor may also ask you to describe any pain and aching in your legs.

You also may need an ultrasound test to see if the valves in your veins are functioning normally or if there’s any evidence of a blood clot. In this noninvasive test, the doctor runs a small hand-held device (transducer), about the size of a bar of soap, against your skin over the area of your body being examined. The transducer transmits images of the veins in your legs to a monitor, so your doctor can see them.

Self-care — such as exercising, losing weight, not wearing tight clothes, elevating your legs, and avoiding long periods of standing or sitting — can ease pain and prevent varicose veins from getting worse.

Self-care — such as exercising, losing weight, not wearing tight clothes, elevating your legs, and avoiding long periods of

At Care Life Clinic, our patients are provided with the expertise, compassion, and commitment to the care they deserve. If you have varicose veins in your legs, reach out to our team today to learn more about our treatment options.

Fortunately, treatment usually doesn’t mean a hospital stay or a long, uncomfortable recovery. Thanks to less invasive procedures, varicose veins can generally be treated in your specialist doctor’s office.

• Compression stockings

Wearing compression stockings all day is often the first approach to try before moving on to other treatments. They steadily squeeze your legs, helping veins and leg muscles move blood more efficiently. The amount of compression varies by type and brand. We have ‘Medical Grade’ USA made stockings which are individually fitted in our clinic for your size for maximum benefit and comfort.

• Sclerotherapy

In this procedure, your doctor injects small- and medium-sized varicose veins with a solution or foam that scars and closes those veins. In a few weeks, treated varicose veins should fade.
Although the same vein may need to be injected more than once, sclerotherapy is effective if done correctly. Sclerotherapy doesn’t require anesthesia and can be done in your doctor’s office.

• Foam sclerotherapy of large veins.

Injection of a large vein with a foam solution is also a possible treatment to close a vein and seal it. Sometimes this procedure is done using Ultrasound Guidance.

• Endovenous Laser Treatment [EVLT] – Catheter-assisted procedures using laser energy. 

In this treatment your doctor inserts a thin tube (catheter) into an enlarged (Varicose) vein and heats the tip of the catheter using laser energy. As the catheter is pulled out, the heat destroys the vein by causing it to collapse and seal shut. This procedure is the preferred treatment for larger varicose veins.

​​​​​​​Ambulatory Phlebectomy (fluh-BEK-tuh-me).

Your doctor removes smaller varicose veins through a series of tiny skin punctures. Only the parts of your leg that are being pricked are numbed in this outpatient procedure. Scarring is generally minimal.

There are some self-care measures you can take to decrease the discomfort that varicose veins can cause. These same measures can help prevent or slow the development of varicose veins, as well. They include:

• Exercise. Get moving. Walking is a great way to encourage blood circulation in your legs. Your doctor can recommend an appropriate activity level for you.
• Watch your weight and your diet. Shedding excess pounds takes unnecessary pressure off your veins. What you eat can help, too. Follow a low-salt diet to prevent swelling caused from water retention.
• Watch what you wear. Avoid high heels. Low-heeled shoes work calf muscles more, which is better for your veins. Don’t wear tight clothes around your waist, legs or groin because these garments can reduce blood flow.
• Elevate your legs. To improve the circulation in your legs, take several short breaks daily to elevate your legs above the level of your heart. For example, lie down with your legs resting on three or four pillows.
• Avoid long periods of sitting or standing. Make a point of changing your position frequently to encourage blood flow.

If left untreated, varicose veins can cause complications like venous ulcers, blood clots, or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). These conditions can become very painful and affect your quality of life, which is why it is important to receive treatment for vein disease.