Are you suffering from ugly or painful varicose veins? According to Healthline.com, as many as half of all Americans over the age of 50 have varicose veins. If you are concerned you may have symptoms developing, or are looking for treatment options, read on.

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins, typically appearing on the legs or feet. They can often appear dark purple or blue and can feel like a tightened cord under the skin.

As Dr. Angelo Chachas, a specialist at MountainStar General Surgery in varicose vein disorders, explains, "Varicose veins are caused by leaky valves inside the veins of your leg." Healthy valves don't allow blood to flow backward down the leg when standing.

However, when the valve is broken, blood can "flow backward down your leg and into small veins just under the skin (causing) these smaller veins to stretch out and become painful and dilated."

What are symptoms of varicose veins?

Although varicose veins or spider veins (a milder variation) may simply be cosmetic concerns for some, health issues can arise, including aching pain, itching, heaviness and restless legs.

If left untreated, they can become "prone to bleeding or clotting, causing a painful condition called superficial thrombophelbitis. Long-term untreated varicose veins can also cause skin discoloration, leg swelling or open sores on the lower leg."

There are a number of causes and risk factors for varicose veins. Age, pregnancy, sex, family history and obesity can increase your chances of developing varicose veins.

People, particularly women, over the age of 50 are prone to seeing these symptoms as their vein walls stretch and the valves weaken with age. Additionally, pregnant women often get varicose veins because their circulation changes to support the fetus. When a woman is pregnant, blood flow decreases between the legs and the pelvis, which can create enlarged veins in the legs. Fortunately, most pregnant women see their symptoms improve without treatment within a year after delivery.

How do you treat them?

Sometimes self-care can ease symptoms and prevent varicose veins from getting worse. Be sure to exercise regularly and try elevating your legs or wearing compression socks. However, if pain persists, there are a couple effective treatment plans available to heal painful varicose veins.

In the past decade, treatments have improved immensely. Now, veins can be repaired through a minimally invasive technique involving thermal heat to close the damaged vein. A small catheter is inserted into the vein and "delivers radiofrequency energy to the vein walls, causing it to heat, collapse and seal shut." This effectively restricts the blood inside the vein from leaking backward down the leg.

However, MountainStar General Surgery also offers a new, less invasive procedure called Venaseal. Unlike the traditional methods above, Venaseal seals off the damaged vein with medical super glue. This treatment is equally effective but is less painful and results in almost no downtime for recovery. Typically, patients see noticeable improvements in symptoms after 1-2 weeks and can resume normal activities immediately.

Both procedures can be performed under local, regional, or general anesthesia within 45-60 minutes. Current data has shown that these treatments have 97 percent vein occlusion a year after treatment, so you can rest assured your symptoms (and their cause) are gone for good.

Varicose veins are not only unsightly, but they can cause real pain and more severe medical conditions down the road. If you're suffering from varicose veins, be sure to consult your doctor and look for treatments like those offered at the MountainStar General Surgery Vein Clinic. With just an hour of your time, you can put yourself on the road to swift recovery.

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