You may have varicose veins / swollen leg veins for decades and they have not troubled you at all apart from the odd funny stares you get when you are out in shorts. Then out of nowhere, the swollen veins become hardened and extremely painful and tender to touch. The area around the swollen veins … Continue reading
Last week, I receive a list of questions from a journalist working for a local healthcare magazine. Since her questions are very relevant and will probably be asked by a lot of people who has veins problems, I shall post my answers here. What is vericose vein (typo from source)? Please explain. Varicose veins are … Continue reading
There are many ways to treat varicose veins. But they are all base on the premise that the distended vein is bad and should be removed completely or closed up. The former is achieved by surgically stripping the vein off whereas the later is done either by laser or injection sclerotherapy. So it is natural … Continue reading
This is a fairly controversial topic. There are no scientific studies to prove or disprove this hypothesis. However I personally think that wearing too much high heels can make your varicose veins worse. When you are wearing heels >4 cm high, your use much less calf muscle when you are walking. Since calf muscle pumping … Continue reading
I am frequently asked by my patients whether frequent exercises will aggravate or cause varicose veins. The answer is no. On the contrary, walking and running is actually better for the health of your veins. The reason is that during walking and running, our calf muscles are actively pumping blood back to the heart. This … Continue reading
For those who are prone due to genetic predisposition, I don’t think varicose veins can be prevented totally. However, by following a few simple tips, we can delay or slow down the onset as well as its progressions. Don’t stand or sit for prolonged period of time. If you are sitting for a long time, … Continue reading
THE TREATMENT OF VARICOSE VEINS: AN INVESTIGATION OF PATIENT PREFERENCES AND EXPECTATIONS. Phlebology. 2010;25(2):54-65. Shepherd AC, Gohel MS, Lim CS, Hamish M, Davies AH. Imperial Vascular Unit, Imperial College, London, UK. This study investigates factors that are considered important by patients when they are contemplating treatment. A total 110 patients were asked to answer questions … Continue reading
Do large ugly veins on your legs and hands trouble you? How do you tell whether those veins are normal or are they diseased veins? You have heard of terms like varicose veins, spider veins, reticular veins and hemangioma and you are not sure which one you have. Let me start by saying that not … Continue reading
If you are suffering from varicose veins, chances are that you may be confused about the treatment because some doctors have advised you to consider Stripping surgery whereas others are advocating Endovenous Laser Treatment. Fortunately for you this is really not a difficult decision at all. Endovenous Laser Treatment has been around for close to … Continue reading
In my daily practice in The Vein Clinic, I probably get asked this question about 4-5 times a day. Most people tend to think of varicose veins as a purely cosmetic problem with no medical relevance. They will usually not seek treatment unless it has developed significant complication like bleeding or leg ulceration. Another reason … Continue reading