Varicose veins. Your mother suffered with them, and now you do too. Luckily, here at Heart and Vascular Care, PA in Orlando, FL, your cardiologist, Dr. Pradip Baiju, evaluates and treats these dysfunctional blood vessels, improving blood flow, personal appearance, and level of physical activity. With his help, you can receive permanent help for this uncomfortable condition!
What are varicose veins?
Veins are the non-elastic blood vessels which return de-oxygenated blood to the heart. Coursing throughout the body, veins contain small
valves which can become dysfunctional or incompetent, leading to the pooling of blood in the extremities.
These poorly functioning veins are called varicosities, or more commonly, varicose veins. They tend to run in families and particularly plague women (especially during pregnancy), people who stand for long periods of time, and those that are obese.
Because these blood vessels do not work well, they become deformed, twisted, and lumpy, showing through the skin of the feet and legs. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says that people with even mild varicose veins can experience symptoms such as:
- Itching
- Swelling (and impaired mobility)
- Veins that appear obvious and unattractive
- Discolored skin
- Pain or a feeling of heaviness
Treating varicose veins
Ultrasound imaging and/or simple visual inspection give your Orlando, FL, cardiologist sufficient information to diagnose and treat varicose veins. For many people, wearing compression stockings for a prescribed amount of time daily improves blood flow back to the heart, reducing swelling and pain. In addition, simply being more active and not crossing your legs when sitting reduces pooling of blood in legs, ankles, and feet.
More serious cases of varicose veins may require surgical interventions such as:
- Radiowave or laser ablation, an in-office procedure which destroys the incompetent veins and redirects blood flow to healthier vessels
- Stripping, or removal, of the great vein saphenous vein or other small veins
- Sclerotherapy, salt solution injections which effectively kill, or collapse, selected veins
Get help
The Society for Vascular Surgery reports that a full 25 percent of men and women in the United States suffer from varicose veins. Are you one of them? If so, please call Dr. Baiju of Heart and Vascular Care, PA. To arrange your consultation, please contact one of our three Orlando offices by dialing (407) 730-8970.