Are you noticing the appearance of varicose veins? Frustrated with the discomfort they’re causing? At Advanced Life Clinic in Huntsville, AL, our sclerotherapy treatments can help you get rid of your uncomfortable and painful varicose veins. If you’re thinking about getting this treatment, here’s everything you need to know.
How Long Does It Take To Recover After Sclerotherapy?
Varicose veins are veins that have become dilated or enlarged. They’ll often appear raised and appear red or bluish-purple. This is a particularly common issue in women. Not only can these veins affect your appearance, but they are often painful too.
If you’re looking for a safe and effective way to treat your varicose or spider veins, then you might want to consider getting sclerotherapy. This is a non-invasive treatment which means that there is little downtime associated with the treatment. You can get back to almost all your regular life as soon you leave the clinic.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
Your veins might become enlarged or dilated if the valves in them aren’t working properly. Properly working veins have one-way valves that help all your blood flow in the right direction. If these valves don’t open properly, then blood will start gathering in these veins instead of continuing on its journey toward your heart.
This is what causes the veins to become enlarged. It’s most common to find them on your legs, but you can find them on other parts of your body as well. Several potential conditions could stop your veins’ valves from working properly.
Pregnancy
Bringing a new life into the world is an exciting thing. Unfortunately, there can be some uncomfortable side effects to pregnancy. When your uterus begins to press against the inferior vena cava, which is the large vein bringing blood from your feet and legs up to your heart, this can cause varicose veins.
While they are a harmless side-effect of pregnancy, they can cause a lot of discomfort. Though the situation often improves after the baby is born, if you still find yourself struggling with your varicose veins post-birth, it’s time to consider a treatment like this one.
Menopause
Women experience a lot of changes in their bodies throughout menopause. Women can start to experience menopausal symptoms at various ages, but most start to go through it around ages 40 to 50. Menopause is defined as having no menstrual period for a year.
Along with many other side effects, one of the things you may experience is the appearance of varicose veins. They may start to show up as hormonal changes affect the way that your circulatory system works. This treatment can help you manage this particular side effect and help you have a much more comfortable menopause.
Obesity
If you are overweight to the point of obesity, then you could be at risk for a variety of health problems. You may also be more likely to get varicose veins since the added weight means that more pressure is being put on your veins.
If you are struggling with varicose veins because of obesity, then this treatment can help you get rid of them. Making sure that you’re getting enough exercise and eating right can help you lose weight and lower your risk for other conditions like heart disease and diabetes.
Standing for Long Periods
When you stand for an excessively long time, this can make your veins overwork which, in turn, causes blood to pool in your veins. Unfortunately, sitting instead of standing for long periods of time may not be a solution for your varicose veins. That’s because the blood will still pool in your veins.
Many people have jobs that put them at risk of issues like varicose veins. For instance, working retail often requires staff to be on their feet all day. If you are struggling with varicose veins, then this treatment can help you get rid of them.
A Family History
Sometimes the cause of varicose veins is a simple matter of genetics. If you have a family history of varicose veins, then it’s likely that you’ll experience them at some point yourself. It’s also more likely that the above factors will trigger varicose veins.
Like all varicose veins, the ones triggered by your genetics can easily be treated by this treatment, allowing you to minimize pain and discomfort and feel better in your body.
What Are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins?
The most obvious and common symptom of varicose veins is the presence of enlarged, misshapen veins. You’re more likely to see them on your legs, but you can find them on other areas of your body including your face and anus.
You might also notice things like aching, pain, swelling, and discoloration around the areas where you have varicose veins. In some cases, varicose veins can become quite severe and cause significant bleeding or ulcers.
How Does Sclerotherapy Work?
How To Prepare for Treatment
Before we perform the treatment, we’ll want to hold a consultation with you to discuss if this is the right treatment option for you. We’ll also go over your family history to ensure this treatment is the safest one. Once we’ve determined that this is the perfect treatment to suit your needs, we’ll provide you with instructions on how you need to prepare over the coming days.
Leading up to your appointment, you’ll need to avoid certain medications including things like ibuprofen. That’s because they can thin your blood and put you at risk of bleeding. You should also avoid shaving your legs or applying lotion before you receive treatment to decrease your risk of irritation. Make sure you remember to tell us about any medical conditions that you have as well.
What Happens During Treatment?
When the day of your appointment arrives, we will do everything we can to ensure that your treatment is as comfortable and safe as possible. We’ll start by cleaning the areas where you’re going to be receiving the treatment to prevent any bacteria from entering the injection sites.
Once your skin is clean, we can start the treatment. Depending on how deep under your skin the varicose veins are, we might use an ultrasound to assist us in finding them. We’ll use a fine needle to inject a sclerosing agent. This agent will cause the walls of the vein it’s been injected into to seal shut, reducing the swelling and discomfort you’re experiencing.
What To Expect After Treatment
You can get back to your regular life as soon as treatment is done. There are just a few things that you’ll need to keep in mind over the next few days. We’ll provide you with full instructions.
One thing we’ll recommend is wearing compression socks during the day. You should continue to avoid medications like ibuprofen and aspirin as well as stay out in direct sunlight since your skin will be more sensitive. For this same reason, don’t stay in any extreme temperatures.
What Are the Benefits?
It’s Non-Invasive
There are several treatment options available for varicose veins, including surgery. However, surgery can be highly invasive, and you may not be comfortable with that. This is why this treatment could be a great alternative.
Because it’s non-invasive, not only do you not need to concern yourself over prolonged downtime and recovery after your treatment, but you’ll also feel relieved knowing there are far fewer risks associated with it.
It’s Effective
Safety and convenience are important when it comes to treatments for issues like varicose veins, but effectiveness is another important thing to consider. Luckily, you can count on this treatment being extremely effective.
Most patients need around 4 treatment sessions to see the results the one, but many patients find they’re happy after just 1. Once this treatment is performed, it’s also unlikely that you’ll need any other types of treatments to deal with your varicose veins.
Almost Anyone Can Be a Candidate
If you are not pregnant, breastfeeding, or have recently given birth, and you are unhappy with your varicose veins, then you could be a candidate to receive this treatment. A vascular specialist will inspect your symptoms to diagnose your issue and ensure this treatment is right for you.
Call Us Today
If you want to get rid of your varicose veins, sclerotherapy could be the perfect solution. The team at our clinic is ready to help you. Book an appointment today at Advanced Life Clinic in Huntsville, AL.
