Have your legs been tired, heavy, achy, swollen, crampy, or throbbing? There are many reasons that cause these symptoms every now and then. However, if your legs are bothering you for more than a month, it may indicate underlying varicose veins, even if there are no visible veins on the surface.
Venous insufficiency is the condition in which blood flow from your legs back to your heart is reduced. Not all varicose veins bulge on the surface, and many men and women may experience pain and discomfort without a visible indicator of the problem. In other cases, people may not experience any symptoms but have very visible varicose veins.
Prevention and At-Home Treatment Options
If your symptoms are minimal or mild, conservative methods should be tried first to see if they help reduce your symptoms including:
- Avoid sitting or standing for extended periods of time
- Wear compression socks or stockings
- Avoid tight-fitting clothing around the waist, groin, and legs
- Exercise regularly to improve circulation
- Lose weight (if overweight)
If you are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms, New York Skin & Vein Center offers several pain-free, in-office treatment options.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a highly effective procedure used to treat small varicose veins and spider veins. During the procedure, an FDA approved medication is injected into the vein to make it collapse and close it off. This reroutes the blood to normal veins. Sclerotherapy is a popular choice for treating small veins because it is minimally invasive and can treat large areas in a short time.
Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy
Ultrasound-Guided Foam Sclerotherapy is a fast, minimally invasive treatment for treating veins close to the skin’s surface. An ultrasound is used to find the problem vein, often located in a hard-to-treat area. This procedure is highly effective in reducing the physical symptoms of vein disease and improving cosmetic appearance.
