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Most years, you look forward to the arrival of spring, when you can finally get out of those bulky winter clothes and opt for more revealing wear. This year, however, you’re not keen about baring your legs thanks to some varicose veins that have (quite literally) popped up.
If you’re hoping to just wait them out, vascular specialist Dr. Satjit Bhusri and the team here at Upper East Side Cardiology have some bad news — in most cases, once varicose veins form, they typically don’t go away on their own. (Though not always, and we get into that below.)
In the following, we cover a few important points we want you to understand when it comes to varicose veins.
Why you have varicose veins
First of all, if you have varicose veins in your legs, we want to emphasize that you’re not alone, not by a long shot. About one-third of adults have varicose veins and women outpace men by two to one when it comes to these ropey, twisting veins.
The primary reason why people develop varicose veins is due to weak valves in their leg veins. These blood vessels have to fight distance and gravity to deliver blood back up to your heart for oxygenation, so the veins in your legs feature tiny, one-way valves that close as blood passes through.
If the valves don’t close all the way, blood can pool in the vein, causing it to engorge. When this happens, the vein can swell to a point that it pushes toward the surface of your skin.
Are your varicose veins here to stay?
As we already mentioned, most varicose veins don’t go away on their own. Once the superficial vein engorges and rises to the surface, it takes up permanent residence in your leg and won’t fade away over time.
The one exception to this general rule of thumb are varicose veins that develop during pregnancy. Under these circumstances, these engorged veins should shrink back down in the weeks and months following delivery as total blood volume returns to normal.
Should you be concerned about varicose veins?
In most cases, varicose veins cause more of a cosmetic concern than a medical one, but we want you to view these veins as a wake-up call to improve circulation in your legs. Once you develop varicose vein, you may develop others unless you take steps to prevent them, such as:
- Beefing up your calf muscles
- Avoiding standing for long periods
- Wearing compression socks
- Maintaining a healthy weight
While you get to work on preventing future varicose veins, we can help hit the reset button by tackling your existing varicose veins.
Getting rid of varicose veins is easy
The good news is that you’re not without options, as Upper East Side Cardiology’s Vein Institute offers a wide range of treatments for varicose veins. From sclerotherapy to laser therapy, we have all the necessary tools to restore your confidence in bearing your legs this season.
If you have more questions about varicose veins or you’d like to review your treatment options, please contact our New York City office on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to set up an appointment. You can also call (212) 752-3464.