Chronic venous disease is a common yet painful disorder that ruins veins in the legs and causes ulcers as well as chronic pain. Vein pressure can increase due to blood clots, injury, surgery, and weight gain; symptoms include swelling, changes in skin color, dilated veins, and venous ulcers. Fortunately, several treatments for this disease are available; specific treatments are often chosen due to the size of the diseased vein.
Elevation and Exercise
Some people with chronic venous disease can find relief by elevating their legs for 30 minutes multiple times a day. Exercises—particularly those using the feet and ankles—can also be effective treatment methods. These simple treatments can reduce swelling and increase blood flow. Those who have more severe venous disease, however, will not likely be able to solve their problems with such simple remedies and will need help from medical professionals.
Sclerotherapy
To call this a “tried and true” treatment method is an understatement since it has been around since the time of the ancient Egyptians. This simple, relatively painless procedure involves injecting saline or a similar mixture into diseased veins in order to close them up and eventually cause the blood flow to be rerouted to healthier veins. Closed veins do not have to be extracted surgically because they simply re-absorb into the body.
Endovenous Laser Treatment
Those who need to seal off larger diseased veins may need endovenous laser treatment. This procedure is minimally invasive and requires no anesthesia, although doctors might provide mild sedation for patients’ comfort levels. During this type of procedure, the doctor inserts a laser fiber into the varicose vein and pulls it through, closing the vein with heat. As with sclerotherapy, the body’s blood will reroute through healthier veins.
VNUS ClosureFast Procedure
This venous disease treatment option is similar to endovenous laser treatment and can even use an endovenous laser as part of the treatment. The difference between the two procedures lies largely in the wavelength frequency used during treatment. The higher the frequency, the less pain and bruising usually results from the treatment; VNUS ClosureFast procedures generally use lasers that boast frequencies greater than 1319nm. Like laser treatment, this is an alternative to vein-stripping, which was popular for many years before this less barbaric treatment method was invented.
Some fairly simple methods of preventing venuous disease are exercising and eating well. Since many vein problems occur due to lack of proper circulation in the veins due to long periods of sitting or standing, exercising regularly can help prevent venous disease. Beyond the obvious benefits of eating well, a good diet can prevent weight gain, which can increase a person’s chances of suffering from chronic venous disease.