If you have spider veins or varicose veins, these could be a sign of venous insufficiency. Venous insufficiency affects some 40% of Americans and is typically accompanied by itching, swelling, pain, and restlessness of the legs.
At Progressive Spine & Sports Medicine in Ramsey, New Jersey, our vein specialist can diagnose your condition and provide radiofrequency ablation to resolve vein issues, relieving leg pain and discomfort and safeguarding your health.
If you have noticed your legs and ankles swelling and have ruled out edema (water retention), this could be an early sign of venous insufficiency. You could also be suffering from other symptoms, such as scaly, dark patches on your legs and ankles or heavy throbbing pain or constant aching in your legs. Finally, a frequent indicator of venous insufficiency is varicose veins.
Your blood flow should remain strong and steady through its entire circuit from your heart to your extremities and back again. Venous insufficiency is commonly caused when tiny valves inside your veins are compromised and stop working properly. When the valve is damaged, it slows the flow of blood back to the heart and allows it to pool in the vein. The result is a red or purple, ropy-looking vein that stands out from the leg and which may feel hot or sore.
If you have varicose veins, you could have increased risk for a blood clot. If the pooling blood creates a clot in the backed-up vein, then the clot breaks free and travels back to your lungs, you could experience a pulmonary embolism. Treating the varicose vein can reduce your risk for these dangerous health conditions and relieve heat, pain, and swelling in your legs.
Our vein specialist may recommend radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to close off the vein and reroute the blood flow. RFA treatment can be done safely and quickly in our office, and it involves a small catheter being inserted into the damaged vein and radio waves used to collapse the vein, forcing the blood to travel through nearby, healthy veins.
Our vein specialist will sit down with you and complete a full examination. They’ll also look at your as well as your family’s medical history. If you are otherwise healthy and have good veins in your legs through which we can reroute blood flow, you are probably a good candidate for RFA.
Tired of unsightly, painful varicose veins? Contact our office at 201-962-9199, or request a consultation online today.
