Many people are under the misconception that varicose veins are a purely cosmetic condition. While this can be true for some patients, painful symptoms are also common, especially as the condition advances without treatment or management through lifestyle changes. If you experience painful symptoms, then it’s worth removing the affected veins to improve your quality of life.
At Vein Care, we provide non-surgical, minimally invasive treatments in Melbourne that quickly alleviate painful symptoms associated with varicose veins. Below we take an in-depth look at what causes these symptoms and the different treatments available to you.
What Are Varicose Veins?
To understand why we experience varicose vein pain and discomfort, it’s important to know what causes them. Varicose veins are enlarged, swollen, twisted veins typically found in the lower limbs. Veins are responsible for circulating oxygen-depleted blood back up towards the heart.
When certain veins can no longer circulate all the blood back towards the heart, blood begins to pool in the veins, resulting in varicose veins. These are distinctive from spider veins, which are small, fine, red and purple lines beneath the surface of the skin. Spider veins can appear on legs as well as arms, face and other areas of the body. Unlike varicose veins, painful symptoms are less frequent with spider veins.
Pain and Discomfort Caused by Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are identifiable by the appearance of bulging blue or dark purple veins, most commonly on your legs. Painful side effects include:
- Aching and sore varicose veins in legs
- Increased pain after long periods of standing or sitting still
- Chronic feeling of heaviness in the legs
- Burning, cramping, throbbing and swelling in the area
- Fatigue or difficulty performing certain tasks
- Redness, discolouration and/or itching around affected veins
- Skin hardening and ulcers in a single area
The severity and exact symptoms associated with varicose veins varies depending on each unique case. It’s a good idea to have your varicose veins assessed by a medical professional to ensure you get tailored advice on management and treatment options based on your health and history.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
Any superficial veins throughout the body have the potential to develop into varicose veins, however, the condition most commonly affects legs. Veins rely on muscle contractions to pump blood back to the heart. Since legs are further away from the heart, and there is increased pressure and gravitational forces working against veins in your legs, they must work harder to circulate blood back up the body. Other common risk factors include:
- A family history of varicose veins
- A job that requires you to stand or sit for extended periods of time
- Smoking and poor nutrition
- Hormonal changes such as menopause or pregnancy
- Excess body weight, which places added pressure on veins in the lower limbs.
Sore varicose veins in legs are more common as we grow older. This is because our skin naturally loses elasticity, muscle density decreases and veins weaken, all of which makes it harder for our circulatory system to work effectively.
When Does Varicose Vein Pain Occur?
There are typically three stages of varicose veins. In the early stage, you may notice visibly bulging veins with little to no other symptoms. In the moderate stage, symptoms such as pain occur or intensify, and complications can arise. In the advanced stage, symptoms can further increase in severity with notable skin changes and heightened health risks.
How to Ease the Pain of Varicose Veins
If you’re experiencing painful varicose veins, there are few ways you can reduce the severity of the symptoms while worsening the advancement of the condition. This includes:
- Wearing special compression stockings to boost circulation
- Reducing swelling by maintaining a low-salt diet
- Drinking plenty of water to reduce the viscosity of blood
- Elevating legs above your hips while you are sitting to increase blood flow
- Avoiding smoking, which can affect circulatory system function
- Reducing weight to limit pressure to veins in your lower body
- Avoiding high heels and clothes that are tight around the waist
- Reducing the amount of time you spend sitting and standing in one spot. This can be as simple as moving around every 30 minutes.
While these lifestyle changes can alleviate some symptoms, it’s more beneficial in the long term to seek treatment to remove varicose veins that are causing pain, heaviness, itching and aching. Based on your unique case, your vein doctor can provide tailored treatments and advice on how to ease the pain of varicose veins.
The Importance of Seeking Vein Care Treatment
Varicose veins don’t always respond to lifestyle changes and home remedies. In these cases, there’s a range of treatment options available to suit your circumstances. This includes:
- Sclerotherapy and Microsclerotherapy: This treatment involves injecting a special solution into the affected vein to collapse the vein wall. Your immune system then naturally dissolves it while blood is redirected to flow through healthier veins.
- Ultrasound-Guided Sclerotherapy: An ultrasound is used for a more accurate, advanced version of sclerotherapy. This is sometimes needed for veins that are harder to locate or where there are multiple varicose veins in a single area.
- Endovenous Laser Therapy: This laser procedure works by heating up affected veins, causing them to shrink and close. An advanced laser treatment, this is ideal for larger varicose veins where injections are less efficient at stimulating vein collapse.
- Cyanoacrylate Vein Glue: A special type of glue is injected into varicose veins under ultrasound guidance. This causes the vein to collapse before sealing it off and redirecting blood flow to healthier veins.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy: Recommended for more severe, visibly bulging varicose veins, this treatment removes affected veins by making tiny incisions and removing varicose veins with a special hook. The incisions are so small that stitches aren’t required.
These are all fast and typically painless same-day procedures, taking between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to complete. Side effects are mild in the vast majority of cases, so you can quickly return to regular activities.
Post Procedure Care Tips
Depending on the treatment you receive, you may experience some mild discomfort and tenderness. Side effects usually subside quickly, lasting no longer than a few days. Full results are usually visible within 2 to 6 weeks, but this once again depends on the individual case and treatment used. Your vein doctor will recommend tailored post-procedure care tips and schedule a follow up appointment to ensure you receive the desired result.
After getting a varicose vein treatment, you can usually resume most normal activity on the same day with certain limitations. You can go straight back to work, for example, but should avoid strenuous exercise like running and weight lifting for at least 3 days. Depending on the circumstances, your vein doctor may also recommend wearing compression stockings for up to 3 weeks to maximise results. In some cases, often when treating older patients, long-term use of compression stockings may be recommended to limit the likelihood of recurrence or future vein issues.
Will I Experience Nerve Pain After Varicose Vein Surgery?
While some patients may experience mild nerve pain after varicose vein surgery, these side effects will typically go away on their own. If symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the extremities persist, they can be addressed through light exercise, nutritional changes and, in severe cases, surgical procedures. Keep in mind that modern procedures like sclerotherapy and vein glue have a low risk of nerve damage.
Which Varicose Vein Treatment is Right for Me?
The right treatment for you depends on a range of factors. During your initial consultation, your vein doctors will assess the specific factors of your case. Some key considerations and suitability factors for each treatment option includes:
- Your age, medical history and general health
- The size and location of your varicose veins
- What specific symptoms you are experiencing
- Your budget and expectations around costs
- Desired results for treatment
- Your tolerance for each of treatments and medicines
- Your preferences.
When you visit Vein Care in Melbourne, our specialists will create a tailored treatment plan including the best in-office procedure for your circumstances as well as any recommended lifestyle changes.
Enquire Today About Tailored Varicose Vein Treatments in Melbourne
To learn more about the full range of treatments available to address painful and uncomfortable varicose veins, book an appointment with Vein Care in Melbourne. Whether sclerotherapy, vein glue or endovenous laser therapy is best for your needs, our specialist vein doctor will work with you to provide a treatment that alleviates painful symptoms. Call us on 1300 730 100 or contact us online to make an appointment.
