VEIN HOPES? YOU BET!

Here in Maine, summer’s just around the corner.

But for some of us, the season is a mixed blessing. Along with rising temperatures come rising hemlines—on women’s shorts, skirts, bathing suits, and more. And these are hard to carry off if you’re not feeling good about the appearance of your legs. Especially if you have spider veins, swelling, or varicose veins.

Did you know that “venous” (i.e., vein) diseases like these afflict more than 25 million Americans? Women have a higher incidence than men and are more likely to develop symptoms sooner. The risk factors include:

Heredity. Seventy percent of patients with varicose veins have parents with varicose veins.

Pregnancy. Eighty percent of women develop varicose veins in their first trimester.

Obesity. Being significantly overweight is hard on your veins (and everything else).

Standing. People who are on their feet a lot—such as teachers, law enforcement officers, cashiers, and bank tellers—are at greater risk.

How do these syndromes develop? Venous diseases typically affect the veins of the lower legs. In health, the calf muscles help keep blood from pooling in the legs by pumping it upward toward the head. If these muscles aren’t used enough (or cannot work because of a neuromuscular disease), the veins alone won’t be able to return blood efficiently. This can cause leg swelling. Over time, the veins can stretch (causing the unattractive worm-like structures we associate with varicose veins). When this happens, the valves in the veins that are designed to keep blood from pooling can stretch as well, with the result that blood flows backward (downward) rather than upward. Venous diseases can also result from direct injury to the veins or an obstruction such a clot.

What symptoms should you look for? Vein disease can show up as leg pain, achiness, leg fatigue, swelling, and heaviness (not to mention the results you see on the surface).

What can be done? Here’s the good news. Vein diseases are nothing new. Physicians were trying to remove varicose veins as long ago as 30 BC. For many years, veins were cut, pulled out, or “stripped” in prolonged surgical procedures. Fortunately, those days are over, thanks to the development of what are known as “endovenous” (meaning “within the vein”) procedures.

Today’s endovenous procedures are outpatient treatments that require no surgery. This results in a much shorter recovery time. Radio-frequency endovenous ablation was the first such procedure, approved by the FDA in 1999. In 2002, endovenous laser treatment came on the scene. Both are done with local anesthesia. The older procedure has a slightly higher risk of blood clots. The newer one, according to a recent study, provides more complete and lasting results.

Want to get more out of summer? This year, I invite you to contact my office, arrange a free consultation, and begin the journey to healthier, more comfortable legs. Together we can raise your expectations—so you can raise your hemlines with confidence!

Lynette J. Weeman, D.O., F.A.C.C.

Maine Cardiology Associates

777-5300 | mainecardiology.com

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