Ibd Sufferers: You Can End the Struggle

Are you planning on attending a Halloween party this year? Are you dressing up as a long-robed wizard, a mummy, or any other costume designed to hide the varicose veins on your legs? If what you really want is a Halloween costume that shows off your limbs, but those unsightly blue lines are holding you back, check out these procedures for nixing varicose veins and go ahead and order that French maid, Superwoman, or cheerleader costume.

Understanding Varicose Veins

Your first step in getting rid of your varicose veins is to understand why and how they pop up. The veins in your legs and feet have valves that work to move the blood from your lower extremities back up to your heart. However, since these valves have to work against gravity and push your blood "uphill", they sometimes get weak or worn out.

Once this happens, not all of the blood is directed out through the valves. Instead, some of it pools up inside the veins, causing them to bulge and resulting in the blue, worm-like lines that have you feeling embarrassed to show your legs.

Getting Great Legs Before Halloween

So how do you get rid of your varicose veins before you're forced to dress up in the most boring costume at the party? You visit a clinic. Don't worry -- while you may have heard some scary stories about varicose vein removal from a time when stripping was the common treatment procedure, medical science has come a long way in the recent past. Now, there are far easier, less invasive methods of getting rid of varicose veins.

Laser Treatment. For this treatment, you'll be administered a local anesthesia and the doctor will insert a thin tube into your skin. He or she will then feed a tiny laser fiber through this tube and into your vein. Once in place, a laser pulse is administered and the fiber heats up the vein from the inside, thus destroying it. Your deep venous system takes over the work of the now non-functioning vein as your body begins to absorb it.

Will getting rid of these veins interfere with your body's ability to circulate blood? No. Varicose veins are just superficial veins; they don't do their job well and they actually interfere with the functioning of your deep venous system, or primary veins.

Foam Sclerotherapy. The concept behind this treatment is similar to laser treatment. Varicose veins are injected with a foaming agent designed to make the walls of the veins swell. As the vein walls swell, they stick together and are rendered useless. Veins in your deep venous system then take over the damaged vein's job and your body gets to work absorbing the evidence. 

It's important to note that the time it takes your varicose veins to be absorbed back into your body varies by individual. You can expect the visibility of the veins to start to diminish within a few days after one of the above procedures, but it could take several weeks for complete absorption. If Halloween is just around the corner and you don't have weeks to spare, then your best bet is to seek a procedure called ambulatory phlebectory.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy. During this procedure, a numbing agent will be administered along the length of each varicose vein to be removed. Next, tiny incisions will be made at each end of the vein through which your surgeon will insert a sterilized hook and use it to pull the vein out of your leg.

The incisions are so small that you'll require nothing more than a few bandages after treatment. You'll be prescribed a pain medication to take care of any soreness after surgery, and you'll be able to resume your normal activities within 1-3 days.

While a bit more invasive than laser treatment or foam sclerotherapy, ambulatory phlebectormy provides the immediate removal of your varicose veins so you don't need to wait for your body to absorb them.

If you want to wear a loin cloth or a short skirt on Halloween this year, don't let varicose veins hold you back. Visit a varicose vein treatment center and discuss which varicose vein removal method can have your legs looking good before the bewitching holiday arrives.

You can also click here for additional info on varicose vein treatment.