Varicose veins and spider veins most often develop on our legs and thighs as we grow older. Approximately 1 in 4 adults in the United States are affected by varicose veins. This type of vein condition can cause a patient to experience swelling, aching, and painful legs. When treating your veins, it’s important to avoid making the following mistakes:
-
Inadequate Evaluation of Veins:
First, do not self-diagnose. You should be properly seen and evaluated by a doctor. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) mimics the symptoms of varicose veins. DVT are blood clots that form deep in the vein and can cause serious problems. Thus, a self-diagnosis or delay in treatment can seriously affect your well-being.
-
Lack of Experience:
When scheduling a vein assessment, select a physician who does their own examinations and uses state-of-the-art ultrasound technology, otherwise known as a duplex ultrasound. This is important because an ultrasound will provide the best information about the blood flow inside the vessels. The duplex ultrasound is able to precisely measure the blood flow in the deeper veins and clearly shows connections of any underlying problem with what is seen on the surface. A physician who performs their own examinations will be able to give you the best course of action.
-
Specialty Physician:
It is important to see a physician that specializes in vein treatment. Often times when an individual doesn’t see a specialist the vein treatment may focus on treating the visible veins first. When you just treat the surface vein the problem is likely to return whereas if you treat the underlying vein problem you have a higher probability of success.
-
Wrong Treatment:
There are various vein treatments available today. This allows physicians to address and tailor the treatments to the specific needs of each patient. However, this also means an inexperienced physician might offer the wrong treatment for a specific condition, which in turn will not be as effective for the patient.
It’s important to get a proper diagnosis for your vein problems. The Vein Centre has all board certified vascular surgeons and have 100 years of combined vein expertise. Contact The Vein Centre, today! 615-269-9007.