Sclerotherapy is a treatment method that is used to remove varicose and spider veins. It has been in use for many years and is still one of the most widely employed therapies for dealing with these veins. There are very few risks associated with it, and it has a high success rate.
Spider and varicose veins develop as a result of venous insufficiency. This means the blood is not flowing through the vessels as smoothly as it should. As a result, the blood can begin to pool and back up in the veins and cause them to enlarge. When this happens, they often become visible through the skin. While both conditions can negatively affect appearance, varicose veins can also cause symptoms that make daily living difficult at times. Spider veins seldom cause any issues that are not related to appearance.
Varicose veins almost always develop in the legs. They usually form because faulty valves in the veins allow the blood to flow backwards due to the pull of gravity. These devices are there to act as one-way valves that only allow the blood to flow in one direction, which is toward the heart and lungs. When the valves fail and the blood does not flow properly, the pooling that results puts pressure against the walls of the veins, and they become varicose.
These veins are usually blue when they are seen through the skin. Due to their size, they can also cause the skin to bulge out and further harm the appearance. Many individuals want to have them treated for the sake of their appearance even if they are having no symptoms.
Some of the symptoms varicose veins can produce include aching, itching, numbness, tingling and burning. They can also cause the legs to swell, especially around the ankles and in the lower parts of the legs.
Spider veins form in smaller vessels. They can appear on the legs, face and chest. They appear as fine lines that often weave together like the strands of a spider web. While they seldom produce symptoms, they can harm a person’s self-confidence because of the way they look.
If you have spider or varicose veins and are looking for a safe and effective treatment that allows you to return to normal living without the need for downtime, we encourage you to learn more about sclerotherapy. It is done by injecting a special solution into the veins that are to be removed. The solution will thicken the blood inside and cause the walls to stick together and collapse. The tissue that remains of the veins is then absorbed by the body and will gradually disappear from view over time.
At Cardiology Consultants of Southwest Florida, sclerotherapy is performed in the comfort of our office in Fort Myers. During a consultation with us, our specialist can evaluate your veins and give you more detail on the kind of results you can expect from sclerotherapy. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to learn more!
