You realize that your legs are not okay as usual. There’s a roadmap of twisted nerves here and there. Now, you doubt if they are varicose veins.
But what if they are spider veins?
These two vascular disorders affect your body’s blood vessels. Varicose veins can result due to weakening in the blood vessels or from faulty valves. Spider veins affect your body’s smallest blood vessels.
Stats show that varicose veins can affect up to 35% of the American people.
If you are worried about which type of vascular disorder has affected your legs, fret not. You don’t have to jump through hoops to get it diagnosed. Visit the best vein treatment center and let the vein specialist handle it.
In most cases, ultrasound diagnosis is done to locate the accurate issues. This article will talk more about ultrasound diagnosis and advanced treatments for varicose and spider veins.
What are Varicose Veins and Spider Veins?
Varicose veins are large, raised, swollen blood vessels that appear twisted and turned and mostly develop in the legs. You can see them through the skin. Whereas spider veins are smaller in size. They come in various colors, including red, purple, and blue, visible to the naked eye and appear twisted and turned.
These vascular disorders mainly affect your legs. But in some cases, spider veins appear on your face. Rather than pondering the presence of varicose veins and spider veins, cut to the chase by visiting the Center for Vein Wellness and getting it diagnosed properly.
CAUSES VARICOSE VEINS AND SPIDER VEINS
Multiple causes can put you at risk for varicose and spider veins, including
Heredity,
Use of birth control pills,
History of blood clots,
Postmenopausal hormone replacement,
Hormonal influences with regards to pregnancy, puberty, and menopause.
Other causes include trauma or injury to the skin, previous vein surgery, and high exposure to UV rays.
The Importance of Ultrasound Diagnostics
The best part about varicose and spider veins diagnosis is that you don’t have to bite the bullet. The procedure is simple and painless. The vein specialist will physically examine your legs or the area with these veins and suggest an ultrasound test.
WHAT IS A VENOUS ULTRASOUND?
A venous ultrasound imaging is a noninvasive medical test that helps your doctor diagnose and treat medical conditions. It’s not only a safe and straightforward process but also painless.
WHAT DOES IT DO?
It takes pictures of the inside of your body using sound waves. This procedure, also called sonography, involves a small probe called a transducer placed directly on the skin using a gel.
High-frequency sound waves are sent via this probe and the gel into the body. This probe collects the sounds that bounce back. These sound waves are processed via a computer and an image is created.
You may ask, what’s the difference between an X-ray and an ultrasound?
Ultrasound doesn’t use radiation. Instead, it captures images in real-time; it can show the structure and movement of the body’s internal organs. It can even picture the blood flowing through blood vessels.
Venous ultrasound imaging gives clear pictures of the veins throughout the body.
Here, your doctor may recommend a Doppler ultrasound to diagnose varicose veins precisely.
It’s a unique ultrasound technique that detects moving blood cells or other moving structures and measures their direction and speed.
Doppler ultrasound lets the doctor see and evaluate
- Narrowing of vessels,
- Blockages to blood flow,
- Tumors and congenital vascular malformations,
- Low or absent of blood flow to various organs
Get the best ultrasound diagnostics at a vein treatment centre in Thousand Oaks.
Benefits of Ultrasound Imaging in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Varicose Veins
It can locate the affected area.
Unlike traditional methods that include physical examination and phlebography, which are less reliable, this method poses high accuracy. In fact, one of the main reasons for using ultrasound imaging is its ability to accurately locate and assess the condition of the affected veins.
Real-time images
Your medical treatments can’t be a shot in the dark. Ultrasound imaging can provide real-time images of your veins. Your health professional can quickly locate the affected veins and measure their size and shape.
Improved accuracy and safety
Ultrasound imaging has greatly improved the accuracy and safety of varicose vein treatment. It effectively directs the needle or laser fiber to the exact location it needs to reach, minimizes the chances of complications, and ensures that the treatment is accurately delivered to the intended area.
Real-time monitoring
It helps real-time monitoring when the patient is undergoing varicose and spider veins treatment. If the varicose veins aren’t responding to the treatment as expected, your health professional can adjust the dosage or technique to ensure the vein is entirely sealed off.
Get accurate ultrasound diagnostics for varicose and spider veins by professional hands at the varicose vein treatment center.
HOW SHOULD A PATIENT PREPARE FOR AN ULTRASOUND?
If going for an ultrasound, wearing comfortable, loose-fitting clothing is highly recommended. If you are wearing any clothing and jewelry in the area to be examined, remove them.
You may even need to change into a gown for this procedure.
Ultrasound Diagnosis and Advanced Treatments for Varicose and Spider Veins
Wearing compression stockings
This is the initial step for treating varicose and spider veins. Since the compression stockings exert gentle pressure on the legs, it pave the way for a more efficient blood movement by both the veins and leg muscles.
The degree of compression can vary depending on the type and brand of stockings. Also, prescription-strength stockings are available for pharmacies and may be covered by insurance policies.
Lifestyle changes
Are you looking for varicose or spider vein natural treatment or at-home treatment?
Self-care greatly contributes to the healing of these venous disorders. Some changes you can include in your life include
Good skin hygiene: Give your legs the royal spa treatment they deserve. In simple words, keep it clean and healthy.
Shed some pounds: If your weight doesn’t stand at the right number, it’s a problem. Because those extra pounds you are carrying can stress your veins. And your legs carry your whole body weight, right? So, try to get fit.
Standing or sitting in the same place for longer periods without taking a break is a big risk. So, try avoiding it.
Avoid wearing high heels because they are vein villains. Instead, switch to lower heels, which help tone calf muscles and improve blood flow through the veins.
While seated, resting, or sleeping, don’t forget to elevate your legs.
You don’t need a gym for leg day. Simple leg exercises can help your muscles work and improve blood flow.
Avoid crossing your legs at your knees or ankles.
Surgeries or other procedures
If the self-care and lifestyle changes don’t work, it means the varicose veins are severe and need surgical or other procedures to treat them.
Sclerotherapy
It’s a procedure that helps eliminate the pain and discomfort of varicose and spider veins. In some cases, patients use this procedure to improve their appearance.
In the sclerotherapy procedure, a saline solution or foam is injected directly into the vein. This injected chemical irritates and scars the vein’s inside and makes it collapse, thus causing it to disappear in 3 to 6 weeks. For larger veins, it can even take 5 to 6 months to disappear.
This procedure is almost painless. All you can feel are small needle pricks when your doctor injects the solution. Sometimes, you may experience temporary muscle cramping. After the procedure, you must wear medical-grade compression stockings for a few weeks. This procedure even prevents complications such as ulcers or vein bleeding.
Since this procedure is simple and inexpensive, it can be performed in an outpatient setting.
Endovenous laser ablation
It’s a procedure where the doctor inserts a small laser fiber into the vein by making a small cut near the vein and putting in a small catheter.
Then, a device at the catheter’s tip heats up the inside of the vessel, and then laser light pulses are sent into the veins, making them collapse. This procedure is also minimally invasive and safe, and it’s done as an outpatient under local anesthesia.
Radiofrequency occlusion
Just like a laser is used to close the damaged veins, here radiofrequency energy is used on the vein wall, making it heat, collapse, and shut it. Similar to sclerotherapy or endovenous laser ablation, it can be done in an outpatient or office setting, sometimes under local anesthesia.
Surgical procedures:
Some surgical procedures include stripping, which involves the removal of a long segment of the vein, and ligation, which involves tying off a vein.
Traditionally, vein stripping and ligation include tying veins shut and removing them via minor cuts in your skin. It takes 2 to 3 hours to complete the procedure. The recovery period is only 1 or 2 weeks.
Ambulatory phlebectomy
Here, your doctor will remove smaller varicose veins via a series of tiny skin punctures. Only the parts of the leg that are treated are numbed for the outpatient procedure.
Visit the top spider veins Clinic in Beverly Hills and get specialized spider vein treatment.
WHAT HAPPENS IF VARICOSE VEINS AND SPIDER VEINS ARE NOT TREATED?
In most cases, if the varicose and spider veins are left untreated, they don’t cause any health problems. But larger varicose veins can cause aches and discomfort, especially if you have been sitting or standing for longer periods.
In some cases, varicose veins can lead to more serious health problems, including sores or skin ulcers, superficial thrombophlebitis, bleeding, and deep vein thrombosis if left untreated. So, visit a vein care center and get it diagnosed and treated to avoid unnecessary problems.
Final Words
Varicose and spider veins are common vascular conditions that affect millions of individuals worldwide. It has caused not only cosmetic concerns but also a range of uncomfortable symptoms and potential health risks.
But today, with the evolution of diagnostic techniques and treatment options for varicose and spider veins, people suffering from these disorders find hope and relief. Because accurate detection has always been a problem.
People dealing with varicose veins have valves that keep blood flowing back to the heart damaged, and identifying them wasn’t a piece of cake. Today, venous ultrasound can identify damaged valves and abnormal blood flow accurately. Most of the treatment options are affordable.
Some insurance companies can cover the treatment costs for varicose veins but not for spider veins, as they are less complicated and harmless. However, it’s best to check with your insurance company before considering treatment options for varicose and spider veins.
If you are dealing with varicose and spider veins or doubt if you have, get it diagnosed correctly at the centerforveinwellness.com
