Treatment options available for those with varicose veins

If you have a question or would like additional information, write to Shirley McIntosh, Resource Center on Aging, 2803 Wrightsboro Road, Suite 51, Augusta, GA 30909.

Web posted July 7, 1998

By Shirley McIntosh
Special Columnist

Q: What are varicose veins, and what causes them?

A: They are something about 25 million people in the United States alone would like to get rid of.

Varicose veins may simply be unsightly to one victim, while to the next person they're extremely painful and debilitating.

While having varicose veins is never exactly good news, treatment options have improved greatly.Understanding varicose veins is a lesson in the marvelous design of the human body. You already know that the heart pumps blood throughout the body using a network of arteries. Veins have the job of returning blood to the heart.

Have you ever wondered how veins in your legs manage to defy gravity and get blood to go up? The trick is the constant pressure supplied by the heart, in effect pushing blood throughout the whole system.

In the lower extremities, this works because of one key component: tiny one-way valves inside leg veins that open up to allow upward blood flow but close to prevent blood from flowing back down.

As we age, this engineering marvel can run afoul of certain problems, one of which is veins that have lost their spring. Instead of being taut and elastic, older veins can become stretched and somewhat ballooned out.

When this happens, those little one-way valves aren't big enough to close the gap. As a result, blood can flow backwards, pooling in lower veins, which then grow even larger, becoming visible as bumpy and tangled blue veins (in fact, the word "varicose" comes from the Latin root word varix, which means "twisted").

Before the veins actually become visible to the eye, you may have throbbing aches in your leg muscles, especially after standing for long periods. Itching and swelling are also early indicators of varicose veins.

Any or all of these indicate an immediate need to check in with your doctor.

Treatments will usually begin conservatively: apart from medical treatment, your doctor may suggest that you avoid standing for long periods, elevate your legs periodically, alter your footwear (high heels will be out) and lose a few pounds.

You may also be told to exercise more. Getting your legs moving is a great aid to good circulation. Properly fitted compression stockings can also be a great aid. They can promote better circulation by helping to offset the pull of gravity.

Medical treatment can range from the injections of "sclerotherapy" (ask your doctor) to outpatient surgery that is minimally invasive: unsightly and inefficient varicose veins are removed through small incisions. The refined and advanced procedures in your doctor's arsenal can make your legs feel (and look) like a million bucks!

Or at least several hundred thousand.