5 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Vein Clinic
Posted: Monday, April 7, 2014 | Revised: April 2, 2014
As a general rule, you should always compose ahead of time a set of your most pressing questions whenever you visit a healthcare provider. This will help prevent your forgetting something important and, considering how pressed for time most healthcare providers are, it will increase the chances of getting the information that is most essential for your unique needs.
Here are some key questions to pose:
- “How can one best avoid or diminish the chances of getting varicose, reticular and spider veins?” The response you receive may include:
- Switch to a high-fiber, low-salt diet
- Avoid wearing overly-tight clothing/shoes and high heels
- Avoid excessive sitting/standing
- Bring your legs above heart level when resting
- Avoid cross-legged sitting
- Overcome being overweight/obese when possible
- Exercise with regularity
- Avoid too much sunlight (often leads to facial spider veins)
- “What symptoms should one be on the look-out for regarding bad veins?” Your Michigan Vein Doctors may respond with:
- Bulging, sometimes gnarled dark blue/purple veins; in clusters, if spider veins
- Unpleasant heaviness, achiness or itching
- Throbbing, burning or cramping muscular sensations
- Noticeable swelling (especially of the legs/ankles)
- Skin ulcers/sores (if the result of serious venous insufficiency/reflux, immediate medical attention needs to be sought)
- Restless leg syndrome
- “What causes/prompts dysfunctional veins?” Here is what your Vein Clinic may allude to:
- Pregnancies. Not only does the fetus increase the amount of blood mothers have circulating in their bodies, but the increased weight and hormonal changes present also exert more pressure, especially on the extremities.
- Age. Older folks, simply put, are more vulnerable.
- Sexual orientation. Women are more susceptible to varicose and spider veins.
- Genetics. These ugly veins seem to run in some families.
- Excessive standing and sitting (especially cross-legged).
- Being obese/over-weight.
- “What are the serious potential complications of bad veins?” Experienced Vascular Surgeons may respond with:
- Painful, unsightly ulcers (usually the result of too much fluid building up—a potentially serious medical problem).
- Clotting blood. This is perhaps one of the most serious (because it can be lethal) repercussions of varicose veins—possibly leading to Thrombophlebitis.
- Infection (especially if fluids start leaking).
- Bleeding (whether internal or external, this needs to be examined by a physician.
- Fear of people seeing these ugly veins; avoiding wearing swim suits, shorts or dresses/skirts.
- “What treatments may Michigan Vein Treatment suggest?” Some possibilities include:
- Compression stockings. The best are prescribed and monitored by a physician.
- Laser surgery. This involves the use of lasers to close off veins.
- Sclerotherapy. Special chemicals are injected which help close off the vein permanently.
- Catheter-assisted techniques. A thin tube is inserted which is then heated; this helps close off bad veins.
- Vein stripping. This involves removing vein pieces through small incisions.
- Endoscopic vein surgery. A special procedure involving tiny cameras inserted into the leg which allows a surgeon to close off and remove bad veins; primarily used for patients experiencing bad ulcers, etc.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy. Tiny punctures to the skin are used to remove small sections of bad veins.
Conclusion
It pays to ask the right questions from your Vein Clinic. By doing so, misunderstandings may be addressed, correct information can be imparted or received, and perhaps less stress may be felt from all the diagnostic and treatment options.