Vein problems such as varicose or spider veins are often just cosmetic concerns. However, when these issues continue to pop up on your skin, they may be signifying an underlying health issue known as chronic venous insufficiency, or CVI, which can be triggered by a number of causes.
At Vein Center Doctor, we can treat recurring varicose veins and spider veins by finding the cause of your chronic venous insufficiency. Residents in New York and New Jersey can erase the unsightly veins as well as the medical risks of venous issues like varicose veins. Book an appointment today and see why Vein Center Doctor is the trusted vein clinic in your area.
What Is Chronic Vein Insufficiency?
Vein insufficiency occurs for a number of reasons for patients: aging, weight gain, injuries, hormonal imbalance, and more. Your veins, arteries, and valves are parts of your cardiovascular system responsible for pumping blood throughout your body. Arteries pump blood towards other body parts, while your veins pump your blood back to the heart. Movement in both types of blood vessels are possible thanks to valves that can pump blood towards and from the heart.
But when your valves get weak or damaged, they can’t operate properly and result in blood leaking the opposite way. This can result in blood pooling in one vein section, which can then develop into either spider veins or varicose veins, which can be treated with a number of options.
For some cases of vein insufficiency such as those caused by pregnancy and traumatic injuries, the visible veins on the patient’s skin can fade after seeking treatment and won’t return unless you get pregnant again or sustain an injury that damages the structure of your blood vessel again. Vein insufficiency becomes chronic, however, when these venous issues continue to appear on your legs and other areas on your body even after treating previous spider veins and varicose veins.
Chronic venous insufficiency signifies an underlying condition that’s causing damage to a patient’s valves. To get effective results that completely erase your venous marks on your skin, you’ll have to find the cause of it. You’ll have to undergo several exams and tests to find the medical diagnosis for your condition and have it treated before seeking treatments to eliminate spider veins and varicose veins.
Common Causes of Chronic Venous Insufficiency
There are a number of potential causes that have led to weak or damaged veins or valves. Although venous marks are found commonly on a patient’s legs, these can also develop on other areas of your body. Some of the potential causes include:
- Weight Gain – some valves, like those on your legs, work twice as hard to overcome gravity and pump blood upwards to your heart. Increased weight can make it harder for blood to flow, resulting in valves working harder and wearing out faster.
- Stress – increases your blood pressure, which can result in your valves working faster. Stress has also been linked to weight gain.
- Pregnancy – pregnant women have increased blood volume, which increases blood pressure and causes smaller veins to swell. Pregnancy also changes a woman’s hormones and often leads to weight gain.
- Hormonal Imbalance – certain types of hormones can make veins dilate, which can affect the valves’ ability to prevent reverse blood flow in the opposite direction.
- Age – older adults are more susceptible to high blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, and weaker valves.
- Genetics – studies show that genetics plays a role in causing conditions like CVI or genetic cardiovascular diseases that can trigger CVI. If your family history includes varicose veins or CVI as one of their vascular conditions, it’s highly likely for you to develop this, too.
- Trauma – injuries can cause damage to internal areas of your body, including damage to the structure of your veins and deep vein thrombosis in areas impacted by the injury.
Holistic Vein Care: Why Seek CVI Treatment from Vein Center Doctor
At Vein Center Doctor, we can provide various treatments that can effectively treat varicose veins and spider veins. This can remove the appearance of colored spider veins and even treat the discomfort caused by varicose veins. But if you have chronic venous insufficiency, no matter how many treatments you get from us, those unsightly marks are likely to return after some time.
In case this happens, the more practical solution is to determine the cause of CVI rather than treating the appearance of your veins itself. Our skilled chronic venous insufficiency specialists can perform exams and conduct the necessary tests to determine potential causes and then help you treat this condition. Once this cause is addressed, you can seek our options for venous mark removal and see more effective results that are less likely to return.
Book your consultation with our chronic venous specialists today to learn more about what’s causing your condition.
Living with unwanted veins is a thing of the past, when you can simply schedule a free consultation with Vein Center Doctor and find your ideal solution today.
Symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency
At Vein Center Doctor, our specialists treat a variety of cosmetic and medical vein conditions for holistic health management. But when should a person visit our specialists at Vein Center Doctor?
Venous insufficiencies can produce symptoms like:
- A feeling of heaviness, tiredness, and fatigue
- Leg cramps
- Tingling and itching sensations
- Pain from standing
- Leg swelling
- Changes in skin color and condition on legs and ankles
- Ulcers on the skin
If you’re experiencing chronic venous insufficiency, you may experience these symptoms long after seeking treatment for your spider veins or varicose veins. Contact Vein Center Doctor to seek healthcare and world-class skincare service.
This suggests that while your previous treatment has successfully sealed off the damaged vein and absorbed it back into the body, there’s an underlying condition that could continue to develop venous issues. This will need to be treated before any future venous treatments can achieve the long-lasting results you want.
Vein Center Doctor’s Treatments for Chronic Venous Insufficiency
To determine if you have CVI, the team led by Dr. Sood takes into account your medical history, performs the needed physical examinations, and processes imaging like x-rays and other measures to confirm your condition. A venous ultrasound may be conducted to assess the blood flow, the valves, and sizes of the veins. Depending on the cause, some of the methods to avoid triggering chronic venous insufficiency includes:
- Lifestyle changes
- Weight loss programs
- Stress management techniques
- Self-care remedies to ease certain symptoms
- Medication
- Assistive devices like compression stockings
Once the medical diagnosis of your chronic venous insufficiency is found, this will be treated before any of the following treatments for spider veins and varicose veins can be performed. At Vein Center Doctor, our effective treatments are the more practical and less-invasive surgical options compared to more drastic procedures like vascular surgery.
Sclerotherapy
The most popular treatment for spider veins and varicose veins is sclerotherapy. A special thickening solution is injected directly into the affected veins using a catheter, forcing the veins to close and the blood to redirect into healthier veins. The old vein turns into scar tissue that your body will eventually absorb, causing it to fade.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation uses radiofrequency energy to heat the damaged and unhealthy blood vessels, causing scar tissue to form and close up the vein. Your blood flow will be naturally redirected to other veins while your body absorbs the scar tissue.
Endovenous Laser Treatment
Endovenous laser treatment is usually the laser therapy of choice for spider vein and varicose vein treatment. Using laser technology, an ultrasound guides the laser fiber that heats and closes up any unhealthy blood vessels.
VenaSeal
Like our other treatments, VenaSeal requires no anesthesia with its minimally-invasive process. An FDA-approved “vein glue” is injected into the affected vein to act as a safe adhesive. This closes the vein and allows your body to eventually re-absorb it while your blood flow is redirected to other veins.
Compression Therapy
Compression therapy is usually a home remedy coupled with the other mentioned procedures to help speed up the recovery period of your body absorbing the scar tissue and improving results. Compression socks or stockings can improve the blood flow in the area and cause the scar tissue to heal quicker.
Vein Center Doctor: Treat Chronic Venous Insufficiency in New Jersey and New York
Even the best venous treatments are rendered ineffective when faced with a condition that causes chronic vein insufficiency that can cause more instances of varicose veins and spider veins. With the help of Dr. Sood and his highly-trained team of vein specialists, you can be rid of these venous marks for good.
Once you’ve had the cause treated, our clinic houses experienced vein specialists that have dealt with various cardiovascular conditions. We can provide you with a comfortable experience with our minimally invasive and effective practices to erase those unsightly spider veins and varicose veins. Schedule a consultation with us for more information on CVI and start your journey to vein-free and pain-free skin.
Find exactly what you need to get rid of your vein-related problems. Dr. Sood and the rest of our team at Vein Center Doctor are ready to help: schedule your free consultation today.
FAQs About Chronic Venous Insufficiency
Q: What causes chronic venous insufficiency?
A: Common causes of CVI include heredity, pregnancy and being overweight, as well as other physical symptoms. Issues such as blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, and leg trauma may also cause CVI from affecting the structure of your veins. Smoking, high blood pressure and lack of exercise can also be culprits behind CVI.
Q: Can chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) be dangerous?
A: Left untreated, CVI’s seriousness can get more severe and cause patients symptoms like pain in the swollen vein, inflammation, and swelling. Although it’s common to see venous marks on your legs, thighs, and feet, these can also appear in other areas around your body.
Q: What can I do to prevent chronic venous insufficiency?
A: Preventing CVI or any other venous condition can be done by maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising, avoiding prolonged sitting and standing (stasis), and avoiding smoking. However, you can’t prevent certain causes like injuries and traumatic accidents. If you’re experiencing any form of CVI or venous conditions like spider veins and varicose veins, our team can provide you with a custom treatment plan including recommended lifestyle changes to keep your body healthy.