If your varicose veins do not cause discomfort then treatment is probably not required. Many people will fall into this category. Often people require treatment for cosmetic reasons or if complications occur.

Treatment when needed or required will depend on the state of your general health. The size, position and severity of the varicose veins are also taken into account. Your doctor will be able to advise the best treatment for you. Some of the non-surgical treatments are detailed below:

Compression stockings are probably used the most. They are specially designed to squeeze your legs which helps improve the circulation.

Compression stockings are available in a variety of different sizes and pressures and are available in different colours.

Compression stockings must fit correctly otherwise they will not be effective. They are usually replaced every three to six months.

Stockings should be put on as soon as you get up in the morning and they should be removed upon going to bed.

Sclerotherapy is usually suitable for people who have small to medium-sized varicose veins as is available in two forms, liquid and foam. Both involve the chemical being injected in the veins. The process for both is similar but foam may be used on larger veins.

Although both treatments have been proven to be effective, the foam can cause side effects, including:

blood clots in other leg veins, headaches, fainting, and temporary vision problems.

Your doctor will advise you whether foam sclerotherapy is a suitable form of treatment for you. The idea of the treatment is to destroy the main surface vein which is feeding the varicose vein. This will usually either the long saphenous vein on the inside of your thigh or the short saphenous vein on the back of your calf.

Ultrasound imaging is used during the procedure to check that all the veins have been filled with foam. After the treatment, your leg will be bandaged and fitted into a compression stocking as described above.

After treatment the varicose veins should start to fade within a few weeks the reason being that the stronger veins take over the role of the damaged veins as these are no longer filled with blood.

It is possible that treatment may be required more than once before the veins fade. It should also be noted that it is not always permanent and therefore the vein may reappear. Both treatments are usually carried out under local anaesthetic.

Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT) is another non-surgical option for treating varicose veins and involves passing a probe into a vein to heat it up and seal it from within.

The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic, takes between 30-45 minutes per leg and is done as a day-case procedure. The procedure does not suit all people but about 70% of people who have not had previous varicose vein surgery can be treated this way. For those that have had previous surgery this percentage reduces to about 30%.

It is important that whether you have had EVLT or Sclerotherapy to continue with your usual daily activities and indeed remain active.

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Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: varicose veins, treating varicose veins, treating varicose veins without surgery