Sclerotherapy

Why do I get these veins?

The veins in the legs have to return blood from the feet to the heart against gravity. There are two main systems of veins in the legs. The deep system lies within the muscles in the legs and carries the majority of the blood. As the muscles contract the veins are squeezed and blood moves up the veins. Valves attached to the walls of the veins prevent backward flow when the muscles relax. The second system is in the skin, not supported by muscles. As the blood moves up the deep system it is drawn from the superficial veins into the deep system. In healthy veins the valves close and blood only moves in one direction.

Approximately 50% of the population will at some point develop a problem with their veins. Where varicose veins and sometimes thread veins develop the valves in the veins do not close properly, blood is allowed to flow back on itself increasing the pressure in the vein system. This is called reflux. Reflux causes back pressure in the superficial veins which are not supported by muscle and can dilate. The problem develops, leading to varicose veins and thread veins.

For thread veins the best results are achieved if there is no underlying reflux. You will be assessed thoroughly for signs of underlying problems and advised accordingly.

Imagine your thread veins as a puddle on the floor. We might simply mop the puddle up. If the puddle is caused by a leak in the ceiling the puddle will return and may get worse. The Doppler or duplex ultrasound can look into the roof to determine what is causing the leak and how bad it is thus, giving us a better idea of how best to treat your veins. Generally it is better to treat the larger veins ( the leaking pipe) first.

Whilst the causes of varicose and thread veins are largely unknown, experts agree:

• They are usually inherited
• Hormonal changes for example with pregnancy and HRT may increase their likelihood.
• Trauma/ surgery to the legs can cause an eruption of thread veins.
• They become more prominent and numerous with increasing age.

Is there anything I can do to stop these veins appearing?

Unfortunately if you have this tendency there is very little that can be done to stop them appearing. Compression stockings may slow the progression but will not stop them completely. There is no evidence that any homeopathic remedies will either remove or stop them appearing.

Varicose veins and thread veins may be symptoms of an underlying problem. Whilst these symptoms can be treated there is no cure for preventing them occurring again in the future. There are steps you can take to help:

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Avoid standing or sitting for long periods, the veins need the squeeze of active muscles to move the blood.
• Wearing compression hosiery will improve the circulation in the legs and ease symptoms of ache or swelling
• Give up smoking