Varicose Veins are found in about 19% of men and 36% of women in the United States alone. Unfortunately, those that are affected – don’t realize how serious they can be or if they even have them.

Varicose Vs. Spider Veins

The first misunderstanding about Varicose veins is that people commonly use the words “Varicose” and “Spider” veins interchangeably. However, they are very different. Varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins near the surface of the skin that have a blue appearance. Spider Veins are much smaller and can look like spider webs. Varicose Veins are commonly found in the legs and ankles. They can also be found in the esophagus and rectal area.

Do I Have Varicose Veins?

• Do your experience swelling in your legs?
• Has your skin started making sudden changes?
  • Dry, thinned skin
  • Color changes
  • Scaling
  • Inflammation
• Do you experience open sores or bleeding after a minor injury?
• Do you feel calf pain after you sit or stand for long periods of time?
• Do your legs feel heavy?
• Read more symptoms here.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms more than 4 times per week, preventative care is needed. We recommend making an appointment with your physician to get these symptoms diagnosed.

At Home Treatments

To ease the symptoms and pain of Varicose veins:

• Wear compression stockings. You can find these at any medical supply store. You can contact your doctor for prescription compression stockings if you are on your feet a lot. If you are working a job that requires you to stand several hours a day, compression stockings can help delay or prevent future varicose veins.
• Prop up your legs. Keeping your feet and legs elevated whenever possible helps reduce the constant fluid pressure on your lower legs.
• Avoid long periods of sitting or standing and limit crossing your legs at the knee.
• Get plenty of exercise.

Are Varicose Veins Serious?

Varicose veins without proper treatment can result in chronic issues. If you have symptoms of Varicose veins, we recommend seeing a doctor to analyze the proper diagnosis for you. The at home treatments listed above are great for those who have very early on pain. However, once you start feeling unpleasant pain more often — you should seek your physicians guidance immediatly. Most patients we see about Varicose veins say that they knew they had them, but didn’t know how painful they were until the pain was unbearable. At Northwest Alabama Leg Pain Specialists, we perform a non-surgical procedure that is typically used to correct damaged veins called ablation. With this procedure, a catheter is used to destroy the affected veins so that the blood is rerouted through other veins. The destroyed vein tissue is then absorbed by the body. Those patients we previously mentioned who waited to come in until last minute – they always say they wish they would have came in sooner.