Leg Pain After Exercise: What Does It Mean?
There’s soreness, there’s injury, and then there’s pain due to an underlying health problem. This blog dissects the common causes of post-exercise leg pain to help you know when and where to get help.
Are Varicose Veins a Threat to My Health?
When your smooth, healthy skin starts to sport gnarly, knotted varicose veins, it’s normal to wonder if your health is in danger.
Wonder no more.
Here, our team of specialists at Advanced Vascular Solutions tells you exactly what you need to know about this common vein problem and when you should be concerned.
What even are varicose veins?
To understand what varicose veins are and where they come from, it’s best to begin by understanding how your vascular system works.
Your vascular system is primarily made up of arteries (vessels that carry blood away from your heart) and veins (vessels that carry blood toward your heart).
Compared to your arteries, your veins have a much harder job because they often have to work against the force of gravity to move blood in the right direction. For this reason, your veins come equipped with valves that open and close every time your heart beats.
Varicose veins appear when your veins are weak, and the valves within them stop working, causing blood to pool and the blue and purple bulges to appear on your legs, feet, and ankles.
What causes weak veins and valves? There’s a wide range of factors that can impact your veins, including hormonal changes, the inevitable effects of aging, excess weight, pressure from standing for long periods, and even restrictive clothing.
Other risk factors for varicose veins include:
- Family history of varicose veins
- Severe constipation
- Certain tumors
- Tobacco use
Women are also much more likely to get varicose veins than men. This is mainly because women experience more extreme hormonal changes, take hormonal birth control, and go through stressful physical changes during pregnancy.
When do they become a health threat?
Varicose veins sure look like a serious problem, but the good news is that they’re rarely a threat to your health. Only in the most severe cases can varicose veins cause blood clots. What’s more, they’re easy to treat.
What can I do about them?
There are a variety of self-care and conservative measures you can take to manage varicose vein symptoms. For instance, we may recommend that you:
- Wear compression stockings
- Exercise more frequently
- Elevate your legs when sitting or lying down
- Avoiding standing for long periods
However, the only permanent solution to your varicose vein problem lies within our office. We offer the best treatments and technologies that address varicose veins without surgery. Some of our most popular treatments include VenaSeal™ and radiofrequency ablation.
Both use minimally invasive techniques to seal off malfunctioning veins. Over time your body reroutes the flow of blood and processes the dormant veins, leaving you with clearer, smoother skin.
Want to learn more about varicose veins and how we can help you get rid of them? Call our friendly staff at 772-277-2964 or use our online booking tool to schedule an appointment at our Sebastian, Florida office today.
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