Venous insufficiency is a condition in which veins aren’t properly returning blood upwards from the leg to the heart. The underlying reason blood doesn’t move effectively is due to malfunctioning valves in the veins; ordinarily they should only allow proper, upward, one-way flow.
When they malfunction, valves allow wrong-way, downward flow, called superficial venous insufficiency or “reflux”. This reflux, over time, leads to increased pressure in these stretchy veins. With time and gravity, veins with reflux stretch out, become twisty and may bulge on the surface of the skin. These are known as varicose veins.
The most common causes of superficial venous insufficiency are:
• Heredity: probably not the gift you wanted from mom and dad. This is the factor that explains why varicose veins are found in both men and women.
• Pregnancy: The factors of extra flow and extra hormones that help support the pregnancy, along with a baby growing in the pelvis that may block efficient flow out of the legs…all contribute to added stress on vein valves. Ultimately, valves may fail.
If you suspect that you have venous insufficiency, you should consult with a vein clinic where an evaluation can be conducted to get to the bottom of your condition. There are several symptoms of superficial venous insufficiency, and you may not have them all. However, the most obvious symptoms are:
- Heavy legs
- Tired legs
- Leg cramps
- Restless legs
- Intermittent swelling
Due to the effects of gravity and reflux, these symptoms are typically worse in the evening, especially after prolonged standing/sitting. Jobs that require people to stand still (working retail sales, hair stylists, bank tellers, teachers) are prone to having patients become symptomatic after a long day of work.
There are several treatments for superficial venous insufficiency. During your consultation, we will be happy to explain everything about the different cost-effective treatments that are available and help you decide the best treatment for your unique situation. Some of the most common treatments are:
• Endovenous Laser Ablation
• ClariVein®
• VenaSeal®
Superficial venous insufficiency is an extremely common problem and can be successfully treated using safe, effective, comfortable and affordable state-of-the-art techniques that are provided at Rosen Vein Care.
Conveniently located for patients in Chicago and the North Shore region of the Chicagoland suburbs, Rosen Vein Care is happy to provide effective and affordable solutions for varicose veins and spider veins.
As a board-certified vein specialist, Dr. Rosen prides himself on making sure every patient has a comfortable and relaxing experience. If you have spent years agonizing over annoying, symptomatic varicose and spider veins, technology has finally caught up to your problem. The future of minimally-invasive, maximally comfortable vein treatments has arrived.
Schedule your consultation with Dr. Rosen today!
