Just to make things clear right from the start, if you are reading this article, we DON’T think you’re a dummy. It is more likely, in fact, that you are a smart person who cares about your health and wants to get the facts about health issues that concern you. Furthermore, if you’re reading this particular article, chances are you have spider veins or varicose veins and want to understand more of the facts about vein disease treatment, because these issues concern you personally.
Well, you’ve come to the right place. We chose the title of this article to appeal to readers of the excellent “For Dummies” books published by John Wiley & Sons. These books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide because as their subtitle “A Reference for the Rest of Us” suggests, they find a way to present everyday people with clearly written, easy-to-understand information about complicated topics. We’re writing this article in “For Dummies” style because at La Bella Vita Laser and Vein Center, we understand your desire to cut through the misinformation and the jargon and just “get the facts.” So here they are.
Let’s start at the beginning – what exactly IS vein disease?
The term “vein disease” refers to a number of malfunctions of your circulatory system that occur as the result of aging, genetics, accidents, medications, or lifestyle choices. These malfunctions damage the delicate network of blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood back to your heart and lungs for renewal. And because your circulatory system is the mechanism that supplies your body with oxygen and nutrients, anything that impairs its normal functioning is serious.
Some types of vein disease have visible symptoms. For example, the symptoms of a disease called chronic venous insufficiency(CVI) appear as varicose veins and spider veins. Other types of vein disease may have no visible symptoms but can be much more dangerous. For example, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has no overt symptoms, but causes over 300,000 deaths per year.
How do Louisiana vein doctors diagnose and treat vein disease?
Because diseases of the veins “hide” beneath the surface of the skin, diagnosis requires specialized equipment such as Doppler ultrasound, which allows vein doctors to look beneath the surface of the skin and actually visualize the blood as it flows through your veins. Ultrasound is non-invasive, so when it is used in a venous health screening to detect disease, the whole process is painless.
If the screening detects the presence of vein disease, the procedures used to treat it are equally painless – they can be performed in the comfort of our vein clinic in Covington, with no need for hospitals, general anesthesia, or deep incisions. Instead, most modern vein treatments are minimally-invasive, which means that the doctor inserts a tiny needle or catheter into the diseased veins to treat or close them. This process is so fast and gentle that some patients actually have their varicose veins removed on their lunch hour, and then return to work.
Aren’t varicose veins and other vein disease “just a cosmetic issue?”
Not at all. Yes, varicose veins and the smaller spider veins are unattractive, so removing them has a cosmetic “payoff” for patients. But the primary reason a New Orleans vein specialist will recommend varicose vein removal is to eliminate the vein disease that causes them, and which – if left untreated – can cause your legs to become so painfully swollen, tired, and weak that you can no longer walk.
So how do I find out more about vein disease, and whether I have it?
This is actually the easiest part of our short “Vein Disease Treatment for Dummies” course. All you need to do to find out more is pick up your telephone and give us a call to schedule a venous health screening for yourself. We’ll assess your vein health and if you have vein disease, we’ll recommend the most effective treatment options to eliminate it. If you don’t have vein disease but our tests indicate you have a high risk of developing it, we’ll work with you to find ways to reduce your risk and keep you healthy. So don’t delay – call one of the best New Orleans vein treatment centers today.
