Even though your varicose veins might not pose any medical problems, you may want them removed to improve the appearance of your legs. A common treatment for removing varicose veins is injections. This is a fairly quick procedure that can be done in a doctor's office. Here's some information on how it works.
How Injections Eliminate Varicose Veins
Injections are effective because the substance that's delivered to your veins causes them to close off. This happens because the liquid or foam irritates the vein lining causing it to scar, clot off, and stop blood flow. Blood flow is then directed through other veins and the treated veins are gradually absorbed by your body. While the injections are quick, the results from them can take several weeks to be seen since the process of scar formation and absorption takes time.
What To Expect When You Have The Injections
You can have multiple injections on a single visit. You may even need to make multiple visits for follow up injections to get the results you want. Your doctor will probably numb the area to be treated so you don't have discomfort from the needle, but you may still experience some leg cramping during the procedure. The treatment shouldn't be painful or difficult to tolerate.
When You Can Resume Full Activities
When the injections are complete, you'll have a compression bandage applied and you'll wear compression socks for several days after the procedure. You might have some itching in your legs, but pain and discomfort should be minimal. Your doctor will let you know how soon you can resume your usual activities since it varies according to your individual situation. However, you can expect to need someone to drive you around for the first day and you may need to limit strenuous activity for several days. You may also be told to avoid hot baths for a few days until clots and scars have formed.
If you're bothered by varicose veins because they itch, make your legs feel heavy, or affect the appearance of your legs, you should talk to your doctor about a treatment that will help. Injections are popular because they are quick, safe, and effective, but your doctor might have other treatments to try as well. One thing to keep in mind is that a treated vein won't return, but other varicose veins may continue to develop. If they do, you can have repeat injections as needed in the future to keep varicose veins under control.
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