Your legs and problems with veins :

If your job means you spend a lot of time on your feet you'll know that your legs and feet can really feel the strain by the end of the day.  And if you're really unlucky the strain will lead to varicose veins and swollen feet and ankles.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins occur when faulty valves cause gravity and back pressure to interfere with blood flow.  Although they tend to run in families, pregnancy, being on the Pill, being overweight, eating a low-fibre diet that leads to constipation can also frequently act as triggers.  The two main treatment options are surgical stripping, which involves drawing out the vein and sealing the ends, and sclerotherapy, in which a chemical is injected into the vein.  This closes and solidifies it and its contents, forcing the blood to flow through other veins.

Stripping varicose veins

For stripping severe varicose veins, a general anaesthetic is required and probably a couple of days in hospital.  The surgeon makes an incision in the groin and the ankle and then threads a flexible wire through the vein and draws it out stripping it away from the connective tissue. Afterwards your leg is bandaged. You will experience some numbness and pain for 24 to 36 hours after the operation and you will be encouraged to walk as soon as possible.  The bandages are removed after a week and the wounds heal within 10 to 14 days

A simpler method of stripping, called avulsion, can be used either on its own or in combination with the traditional method for less severe veins. The doctor makes tiny punctures in the skin through which he pulls the vein in sections, using an instrument shaped a bit like a crochet hook.  The procedure is done under local anaesthetic and takes just one hour per leg in skilled hands. Your leg is then bandaged and you can go home straight away and should be well enough to return to work the next day. There is very little discomfort and there are no stitches. Plus, because the puncture marks are so small they will very soon become invisible.

Sclerotherapy

Sclerotherapy is less fashionable these days since it was discovered that in nine out of ten cases the veins re-open within five years. However it may still be used for veins that appear below the knee or possibly as an adjunct to surgery. Each treatment takes around an hour and you will probably need two to three sessions.  The injections are done under local anaesthetic and they maybe uncomfortable.  You will probably have to wear bandages for three to four weeks and walk as much as you possibly can to restore the muscle pump to full efficiency and widen the alternative blood flow route.

Thread or spider veins caused by fragility of tiny blood vessels often appear on our faces and legs as we get older.  Like varicose veins they can be inherited.  However, exposure to too much sun, extreme changes of temperature, alcohol, hot spicy food, the Pill and changes in hormone balance can also contribute significantly to their cause.  Facial thread veins are usually treated by electrolysis, which seals off the blood vessel to prevent blood flowing through it. Treatment lasts about five minutes and although you will not see any immediate improvement, over the next few weeks you should begin to do so.  For leg veins, microscleroptherapy, a mini-version of the injections treatment, is most effective.  Treatment takes 20 to 40 minutes and you may need several sessions.

Information on leg veins and varicose veins.