How to treat varicose veins

To see Spiderman weaving thick webs in action in theater with your favorite popcorn is one thing, to have his nets crawling over your legs due to unnecessary pressure on your leg's blood vessels is quite another. If you feel like you are already a candidate for the next installment of Spiderman with your legs' display of ugly veins which should have been concealed along with your other body organs, you must be suffering from varicose veins.

Simply put, the cause of varicose veins is pressure in excessive form to your legs. Any prolonged leg activity such as sitting and standing can actually make you more inclined to having those nasty varicose veins. The strain on the legs makes the blood find it hard to climb back up to your heart from your feet when your legs are under extreme pressure. This causes the buildup of your blood vessels, which are termed as a varicose vein when it starts to manifest itself in your legs.

It is quite a good thing that many treatment options are available for those who are plagued with the unsightly aftereffects of having a varicose vein. Varicose vein treatment options vary from person to person and from situation to situation. Here are a few basic steps you could follow as you fight back in your quest to restoring your legs to its old flawless glory.

Have it checked

Only an expert's verdict can really give you the most accurate treatment option that will work for you. If you want, have more than one opinion. Varicose veins can easily be seen, and you have a variety of options to choose from. Don't forget to inform your doctor of how much you are willing to shell out to extinguish those nasty veins on your legs.

Weigh your options carefully

Depending on diagnosis of doctor and available budget in your hand, some of the more popular varicose vein treatment options include varicose vein laser treatment, varicose vein removal, sclerotherapy to treat varicose vein and a host of varicose vein products such as varicose vein cream. A combination of one or more of these treatment options should be sufficient enough to eliminate the things that have been congesting your legs' blood vessels and keep everything in its normal and dynamic position. In every treatment option, there are pros and cons so make sure you have them all weighed out before you do them.

1) Laser treatment - Laser treatment involves beaming light on to the affected areas that will collapse the vein. It may take more than a single treatment to eradicate the problem, especially if varicose veins are quite severe. The procedure involves passing a tube through affected vein and then a beaming light from the laser is passes through, which will disintegrate the vein.

This procedure is less invasive than some of the other ways of treating varicose veins. Normally, a patient can back to normality within a few hours after treatment has been completed.

• Cost – A single session of laser treatment will cost around $400. But depending on the severity of the problem, the price may be subject to change.

• Side effects – Considering the procedure is not very invasive, the side effects are minimal. There is a slight risk of minor burns, skin discoloration. If the worst comes worst, the problem can actually get worse and result in a deep vein (blood clot).

2) Sclerotherapy – This procedure involves injecting the affected area with a solution that will dissolve the veins, and, therefore, allow normal blood flow. The number of injections will be dependent on how badly affected the area is. This procedure requires a bit longer recovery time than laser and the patient should refrain from any activity that may worsen the discomfort that is caused following a sclerotherapy procedure.

•  Cost - The cost of a sclerotherapy session will depend on the severity of the varicose veins, but $250 is probably around the average price that one can expect to pay for a single session.

•  Side effects - There are no major side effects of sclerotherapy; at least, not severe enough to do any irreparable damage. However, there are some minor side effects in some people that can cause discomfort.

3) Creams

Treating varicose veins with cream is also a possibility, but how effective they are is open to question. There are a lot of creams that make promises that are unattainable because the best most of them will do is hide the problem rather than actually treating the cause and getting rid of it.

Aim for prevention and non-recurrence

If you are like most people, you would not want to have another episode with varicose veins again. It is a lot of trouble to treat, even if help is readily available in the market. The best way to keep from having to undertake these treatments is to not have varicose vein attacks in the future. This can only be done by giving your legs the right pampering and acknowledge that it is also one of your vital body parts which need your tender loving care.