Varicose veins, also known as varicoses or varicosities, are a common and unsightly condition that occurs when damaged or poorly functioning venous valves restrict blood circulation in the legs. Doctors typically used surgical stripping to treat these problem veins, which involved the vein being physically removed from the leg via incisions in the groin and lower leg or ankle. However, since the mid-1950s, less risky and less invasive alternatives have been developed, some of which are available Honey Glow Health.

There are several different options available for treating varicose veins. If you’re unsure of the severity of your condition, contact Honey Glow Health, and our professionals will be able to determine whether treatment is going to be necessary depending on your symptoms, and the size and location of the problem veins. They will discuss the different treatment options and associated risks with you before deciding upon a method.

Initial treatment for varicose veins tends to be more conservative and involves the patient making some lifestyle changes.  At Honey Glow Health, we recommend the patient try the following before more aggressive methods are considered: 

– Don’t stand for extended periods.
– Maintain a healthy weight.
– Increase the level of exercise to improve circulation.
– Wear compression socks or stockings. These place sufficient pressure on your legs so that blood can flow more easily to your heart. They also decrease swelling.
– Elevate the legs when sleeping or resting.

If these measures don’t work, or if the veins are causing a lot of pain or impacting the patient’s overall health, we can perform a variety of minimally invasive procedures.

These treatments will cause the varicose veins to collapse, which with cause the blood to be safely diverted along other veins and the treated veins break down over time and are reabsorbed by the body.

Untreated varicose veins can result in significant complications, the severity of which will vary from person to person depending on the circumstances. Many people will experience continued symptoms of pain, fatigue and swelling of the legs or ankles. More serious medical problems can include:

– Hyperpigmentation: discoloration of the skin around the affected veins caused by chronic inflammation.

– Lipodermosclerosis: woody, hard tissue caused by long term inflammation in the skin and the fat underneath the skin.

– Venous leg ulcers: ulcers due to varicose veins are painful and are difficult to heal until the blood flow in the veins has been corrected.

– Spontaneous bleeding from the varicose veins can be significant and is painless. Caused when the skin over the vein becomes thin exposing it to potential injury.

– Superficial thrombophlebitis: an inflammation of a vein just below the surface of the skin due to decreased blood flow, damage to the vein and blood clotting.

– Deep vein thrombosis (DVT): a potentially life-threatening condition is often first noticed as a painful “pulling” sensation in the calf or the lower leg. Other symptoms are associated such as warmth, redness and swelling, the latter of which often extends above the knee.  Patients with a higher risk of developing DVT are those with one or more of the following:

– Are over 60 years of age
– Have had recent surgery
– Have a history of prior DVTs
– Have prolonged immobility or paralysis
– Have a blood clotting disorder
– Are obese
– Are pregnant or have recently given birth (post-partum)
– Have an infection

If you would like to find out more about varicose veins, their cause and treatment call Honey Glow Health or request an online appointment. We serve patients from Wilton CT, Norwalk CT, Westport CT, Weston CT, Ridgefield CT, New Canaan CT, Redding CT, and as well as Lewisboro NY, Pound Ridge NY, South Salem NY. We are conveniently located at 19647 WA-410, Bonney Lake, WA 98391. We serve patients from Bonney Lake WA, Orting WA, South Hill WA, Puyallup WA, South Prairie WA, and Sumner WA.