In Fort Worth, no one’s a fan of moles. They burrow under your yard and leave their telltale raised paths where they have burrowed beneath.
Kind of like varicose veins on your legs.
At Fort Worth Vein Center, Dr. Oswalt treats varicose veins with two forms of thermal ablation, endovenous laser ablation and radiofrequency ablation. Both of these minimally invasive options work quite effectively for removing varicose veins.
Although varicose veins aren’t typically a sign of more significant health issue, they are obnoxious to see coursing about on our calves. Since we’re in a brand-new year, let’s spend this first blog of 2022 giving you some strategies for helping prevent or minimize the development of varicose veins on your legs.
- Wear compression stockings — You’ve seen us discuss hosiery in other blogs. Compression hosiery squeezes your veins and stops excess blood from flowing backward. If you already have a varicose vein, it won’t get rid of it, but compression hose will help any pain and swelling. If you don’t have a developed varicose vein, wearing these can help prevent one.
- Get moving — Standing or sitting for long periods of time increases the amount of blood that pools in your already compromised veins. Exercising not only promotes healthy circulation in the veins, but it also prevents peripheral arterial disease (or poor circulation in the arteries).
- Drop some pounds — As you would assume, extra simply places extra downward pressure on your legs and the veins inside them. Losing weight can help prevent varicose veins by reducing that added pressure.
- Don’t smoke — The toxic chemicals in cigarettes can seriously damage the venous system to say nothing of its effects on your arteries. Studies have repeatedly shown that cigarette smoking thickens the blood and reduces oxygen, slowing blood flow.
- When they hurt, see us — Varicose veins are mainly a cosmetic concern, but they can become a physical one. Dr. Oswalt feels it’s a good idea to remove varicose veins if they make your legs feel heavy, achy, swollen, or itchy. That’s when the simple ablation procedures noted above can remove the veins in question.
If you have varicose veins that you want to address, call Dr. Oswalt at Ft. Worth Vein Center, (817) 536-9600, to make an appointment.
