As vein care specialists in New Orleans, we have to deal almost every day with the many incorrect ideas that people have about varicose veins and vein disease. Many of these misconceptions are left over from the way vein disease was treated decades ago in the “bad old days,” and many of them are new myths spread by the Internet. All of this misinformation makes it difficult for people to learn real facts about varicose veins, so in this article we’ll present a few of them.
10 facts about varicose veins that all New Orleans residents need to know
- Despite what you may have heard, varicose veins are NOT just a cosmetic problem that poses no health risks. The damage that varicose veins do to your immune system increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
- You can have varicose veins even if you can’t see them. The disease that causes them (chronic venous insufficiency or CVI) can be present and damaging your health for years before it displays visible symptoms. The only sure way to know whether you have them is to get a venous health screening.
- Varicose veins are far more common than you think. Over half of Americans over 50 have them, making them one of the most widespread health issues.
- Varicose veins DO run in families. If your mother, grandmother, or other close family members had them, you are more likely to have them yourself.
- Varicose veins DON’T “go away” or “get better on their own.” They get worse, often so much worse that the pain they cause can leave you disabled.
- Common side effects of varicose veins include chronic tiredness and weakness, swollen legs and ankles, changes in the color and texture of your skin, and leg ulcers http://aic.org.uk/cialis-generic/ that can become so infected that they bleed constantly and won’t heal. And these are just the superficial side effects. Beneath the surface, varicose veins are harming your health in more serious ways.
- Some of the risk factors for varicose veins are things you can’t do anything about, like your age and gender. But others – like smoking, obesity, and inactivity – are within your control. If you seek vein treatment in New Orleans, you can drastically reduce your risk of developing varicose veins.
- Varicose veins may be an indicator of another vein disease that is even more serious – deep vein thrombosis or DVT. This condition can cause pulmonary embolism or stroke, and kills over 300,000 Americans per year.
- Contrary to what your mother may have told you, you DON’T have to “just live with” varicose veins. With modern techniques, varicose veins can be removed permanently, using procedures that are fast, pain-free, and non-invasive.
The minimally-invasive treatments used to eliminate varicose veins are permanent, so that once yours are removed, they won’t come back. Also, your Louisiana vein doctor will work with you to help you make lifestyle changes that will help to prevent any new varicose veins from forming.
We are presenting these 10 facts in the hope that you won’t be misled by the things you may have heard from friends and relatives or from misinformation you found on the Internet. Yes, varicose veins are a serious disease, but no, you DON’T have to just “live with them.” Your local Covington varicose vein doctors can give you the information and treatments you need to rid yourself of them forever. So give us a calland let the experts at La Bella Vita Laser and Vein Center offices help to improve your health.
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