VeinDirectory.org

Facial Veins: Which Factors Play a Role?

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:16:55 PST

Small, visible veins are called spider veins. Spider veins are most common on the legs but are also frequently seen on the face. They most often appear on the cheeks and nose. They are seen as a red or purple web-like patterns on the surface of the skin. Many patients do not like the appearance of spider veins on their face and choose from a variety of different treatments to remove them. The Anatomy of Facial Veins Spider veins are dilated capillaries supplied by an arteriole. Facial telangi...

Spring into Action: Now is the perfect time of year to make your varicose and spider veins disappear

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:40:35 PST

Over the past decade, there have been major advances in the way venous disease is diagnosed and treated. If you are one of the 50 million Americans with varicose or spider veins, it is now easier than ever to receive minimally invasive, in-office treatments that will allow you to have a happier, healthier life. Gone are the days of hospital-based procedures, prolonged recovery times and painful stripping operations. Unfortunately, many patients and physicians are still unaware that simple optio...

Vein Education 101

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:37:01 PST

Before receiving varicose and spider vein treatment, it is common for patients to have questions. We have compiled the following information to make your decision to receive treatment as stress-free and comfortable as possible. What are varicose veins? Varicose veins occur when the valves in the leg veins no longer function, causing blood to pool in the legs. Are varicose veins just a cosmetic issue? No. In fact, varicose veins can cause pain and discomfort in many people. If left untreated, ...

What Is Chronic Venous Insufficiency?

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:41:07 PST

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a vascular condition in which the veins in the lower extremities have difficulty sending blood from the legs back through the heart. The result can evolve into a myriad of potential medical issues and physical symptoms. The Anatomy of Veins Every person’s body is a map of veins and arteries. Our arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from the heart through the rest of the body. Our veins then carry oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart to be replenished ...

Exercise: A Remedy for Varicose Veins?

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:45:50 PST

Varicose veins are gnarled, raised blood vessels that are most often seen in the legs. They are not only unsightly but can also cause a feeling of heaviness, aching, burning, throbbing and tingling in the legs. About one-half of the U.S. adult population has some degree of varicose veins. There are several medical procedures available to treat varicose veins, including sclerotherapy, endovenous laser treatment, radiofrequency ablation and surgery. Some of these treatments are invasive and somet...

Spider Veins vs. Varicose Veins: What's the Difference?

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 09:41:20 PST

Spider veins and varicose veins are very different in appearance but are similar in their basic characteristics. An estimated 30-60 percent of the adult population develops varicosities during their lifetime. More women than men develop spider veins or varicose veins. Advancing age influences both sexes to develop problem veins. There are many reasons why a person develops spider veins or varicose veins, but some factors include being female, genetics, careers involving long hours of standing, ...

Anatomy of a Vein Center: What to Assess When Seeking Care for Your Veins

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:25:42 PST

More than 80 million people have varicose veins or spider veins. These conditions are often hereditary, but hormonal factors including puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and the use of birth control pills can also play a role. Additional external factors may include age, leg injury, obesity, lack of exercise, and prolonged sitting or standing. Spider veins are small clusters of red, blue or purple veins that are commonly found on the calves, thighs and ankles. These annoying, unattractive vein...

Vascular Conditions and Pregnancy: How Pregnancy Increases the Risk for Varicose Veins

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:57:43 PST

Varicose veins are a very common condition in the United States and affect about 25 percent of women. The process of valve failure is almost entirely hereditary. However, certain conditions such as hormonal changes and pregnancy can play a unique role in the appearance of varicose veins in women of childbearing ages. Pregnant women frequently develop new onset varicose veins as the pregnancy progresses. Not only does pregnancy increase the volume of blood in a woman’s body, the enlarging ...

Are Veins a Minor Annoyance or a Much Deeper Issue?

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:20:05 PST

Your legs take you everywhere, and the mosaic patterns of red capillaries and various shades of blue veins may have been with you for so long that you have accepted them as a feature of your legs. Maybe you associate your leg veins with memories of running after your two year old or the countless hours of pacing you did in your living room as you waited for your teen to get home at night. More likely, spider veins could simply be a sign that your genetic disposition is catching up with you. What...

Turn Over a New Leaf! Don’t Let Those Annoying Veins Linger Any Longer

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 12:07:57 PST

Over the past decade, there have been major advances in the way that venous disease is diagnosed and treated. In fact, more than 50 million Americans will suffer in silence with varicose veins or spider veins. However, it is now easier than ever to receive minimally invasive, in-office treatment options, which will allow you to finally move forward with a happier, healthier life. The Difference between Spider Veins and Varicose Veins Spider veins are very small veins that are evident on the sur...

Characteristics of Pain after Endovenous Laser Ablation

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:52:49 PST

Background: Post-operative pain following endovenous laser treatment (EVLT) is reported as a common side effect in numerous studies, yet limited data is available regarding what factors influence its incidence or severity. Our objective was to determine the influence of patient and treatment factors on pain following EVLT. Methods: On the day of EVLT, patients were given a pain log (0-10) to complete for 21 days following the treatment. We analyzed results for both peak pain and mean pain for t...

Rapid healing of chronic venous ulcers following ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:51:24 PST

P A Hertzman* and R Owens- Abstract Objective: To measure the short-term response of venous ulcers in patients treated with ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy (UGFS) at a two-week clinic in Honduras. Methods: Nine females (ages 25-86; mean 48.1 years) with 13 venous ulcers and saphenofemoral junction reflux were treated with UGFS (polidocanol 3% foam; 1–4 injections; 2–11 cc; Mean Volume 5.4 cc). The dimensions of each ulcer and of the great saphenous vein (GSV) were measured be...

What are the treatment options?

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:54:45 PST

If you have been diagnosed with varicose veins, your physician may refer you to an interventional radiologist or vascular specialist for treatment. Treatment options for varicose veins that are performed by these specialists include endovascular venous laser treatment (ELVT), sclerotherapy, vein stripping, or bypass surgery. An interventional radiologist, a physician trained to use x rays and other imaging techniques to see inside the body, may perform some of these procedures. Interventional r...

Are You at Risk for Varicose Veins? Warning Signs

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 10:41:59 PST

Varicose veins are blood vessels that are abnormally dilated. Weakened blood vessel walls and incompetent valves within the vein cause this disorder, which appear like clusters of purple or blue veins. Smaller discolored capillaries can form less severe spider veins, which are tiny, thin vessels seen close to the skin’s surface. Some patients exhibit a combination of spider veins and varicose veins. Either way, they are unsightly and no one wants problem veins showing on their lower extre...

What Are the Health Risks of Varicose Veins?

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:44:48 PST

Many people believe that varicose veins are just a vanity issue, and they don’t look into laser vein removal because the aesthetic doesn’t really bother them. However, there are some very serious health risks to varicose veins. Causes of Varicose Veins When the valves in veins do not close correctly some of the blood being pumped back to the heart backs up and flows back down into the leg. This wrong-way blood flow, also known as “reflux,” causes an increase in pres...

Compression Stockings: How Can They Help?

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 12:10:28 PST

Compression stockings are strong elastic stockings, which are worn for a variety of medical reasons. They apply graduated pressure from the ankle upward to improve circulation. Blood and fluids must work against gravity to travel back up the leg to the heart. Compression stockings lend assistance to the circulatory and lymphatic systems to help improve the efficiency of this process. Therapeutic compression stockings are available in knee-high and full-leg lengths. There are over-the-counter st...

You Can Get Rid of Facial Spider Veins

Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:41:13 PST

Have you overdone your time in the sun? If you have gotten one too many sunburns or have lighter skin, you may suffer from facial spider veins. These tiny webs of blue, red or purple blood vessels in your face are sometimes referred to as “broken capillaries,” though they’re simply enlarged, not broken. Either way, spider veins on your face are unsightly and difficult to cover up. How did they get there and what can you do to get rid of them? What Causes Spider Veins? Spider ...

Bringing Specialty Care to Central America: A Mission to Treat Vein Disease in Honduras

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 11:11:34 PST

Bringing specialty care to Central America: A mission to treat vein disease in HondurasBy Primepares G. Pal, M.D. and Jacqueline S. Pal, C.N.P. We were awakened early by the sound of roosters and the chatter of local tourists on the beach out-side our hotel in Tela, Honduras. Our group of about 35 physicians, nurses, and support personnel had arrived the previous night, following a two-hour bus ride from the tiny San Pedro Sula airport. While eating our breakfast of red beans and scrambled eggs...

Treatment of Spider Veins of the Leg

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:42:25 PST

Treatment of Spider Veins of the LegBy Primepares G. Pal, M.D., Jacqueline S. Pal, CNP, and Connie Milder, R.N.Spider vein telangiectasias and small reticular veins of the legs are a common cosmetic problem affecting about 40% of women and about 15% of men in the United States. Superficial venous pathol-ogy of the lower extremities can be classified as either small or large vessel disease. Small vessel disease is comprised of spider veins, or telangiectasias, and reticular veins. Spider veins ar...

Varicose veins: In-Office Treatment Advances with Technology

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:30:33 PST

Varicose veins: In-Office Treatment Advances with TechnologyBy Primepares G. Pal, MD and Jacqueline S. Pal, CNPAn estimated 80 million people in the United States suffer from some form of venous disorder. Between 25 million and 50 million Americans with venous disorder will have varicose veins, making varicose veins more common than arterial disease. Patients may complain of leg fatigue or heaviness, pain and achiness, burning, throbbing, leg swelling, night cramping, and restless legs. In som...

Don't Be Afraid to Flash a Little Leg, Get Rid of Varicose Veins

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:56:20 PST

In the United States, 80 million people have some occurrence of varicose veins. Varicose veins are those veins that are chronically engorged and filled with backed-up blood. How does this happen? Every vein has a valve to prevent the back flow of blood. If the valve malfunctions or the vein wall is weakened, blood backs up and pools in the vein and causes the bluish-purple bulging appearance associated with varicose veins. Varicose veins can also cause physical symptoms such as throbbing, heavi...

10 Things You Should Know About Veins

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 09:31:23 PST

Everyone asks: “How do I know if my veins can be fixed?” “How can I avoid getting spider veins?” and “Do varicose veins indicate other health problems?” Here are our top answers to your questions and tips to keeping your veins healthy. You can protect healthy veins by being active. Walking and cycling are particularly good exercises for patients with spider or varicose veins. The repetitive contraction of the calf muscle (known as the cal...

Varicose Veins: Not Just a Cosmetic Concern

Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:19:11 PST

Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency are major public health issues. This serious disease is often overlooked as a cosmetic problem alone. The disease affects roughly 33 percent of all men and women aged 18-64. Despite the significant impact that varicose veins have on the general public’s quality of life, many patients are poorly informed and often do not seek medical advice until the disease reaches severe levels. “If they go untreated, progression of the d...

Varicose Vein Treatments: Sclerotherapy Techniques

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:44:26 PST

Sclerotherapy is an injection of a saline solution (sclerosant) directly into a varicose vein. It is intended to create internal scarring and cause the vein to close. This is usually a stand-alone treatment for spider veins and small varicose veins. It can also be used as adjunct therapy following traditional varicose vein surgery or stripping and ligation. The Procedure Normally done in a physician's office, this procedure takes less than 30 minutes to complete, depending upon the number of v...

Incorporating Phlebology into a Vascular Surgery Practice

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:12:36 PST

Most young surgeons learn quickly that surgical practiceas an attending surgeon is quite different from the practicethey were exposed to as residents. While many of us wereexposed to many complex arterial reconstructions, very fewtraining programs give much exposure to proper care ofwounds. In particular, care for wounds caused by venousinsufficiency syndromes are in many cases ignored, as theydo not threaten life or limb, as arterial lesions can. A busyclinical practice quickly reinforces that ...