Tag Archives: Vein Screening

The Importance of Vein Screenings

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Midwest Vein Care of St. Louis offers a variety of treatment options for vein disorders.  If you suffer from spider or varicose veins and are unhappy with your appearance or are living with pain, itching or discomfort, please know that solutions are available.

Our office provides effective pre-screenings of the legs so that we can:

  • Clarify if special treatment is needed
  • Set up a treatment plan
  • Detect if there is a deeper health issue to address

Let’s discuss the three main conditions of the legs…

Spider Veins are small, dilated blood vessels, which form near the surface of the skin. These unsightly veins appear as if a child has taken a pen to your skin and scribbled.  Spider veins also have a lack of oxygen, which can cause them to itch and burn. As the condition worsens, a cluster of spider veins often results in pain and swelling of the leg.

Varicose Veins are the enlarged and torturous veins seen on legs. The condition is caused by a valve defect, which allows blood to flow backwards. Not only are varicose veins even more unsightly than spider veins, they are also intensely more painful. If standing pain worsens and the condition is allowed to persist, the veins can lead to severe side effects such as leg swelling, venous eczema, skin thickening, and ulceration.

Deep Vein Thrombosis is a blood clot that occurs in one or more deep veins in your body. Varicose veins are often confused with deep vein thrombosis, but it’s important to know the difference. Deep vein thrombosis can cause massive swelling of the leg without the visible pen effect of spider veins or the bulge of varicose. If you’re not sure of the difference, it’s important you have a vein screening so we can put your mind at ease.

What’s Next?
At Midwest Vein Care, we offer multiple safe and effective treatment techniques for vein disorders. You don’t have to continue living with pain, discomfort, and unsightliness in your legs. Our many services include injections with sclerotherapy, laser removal, retractions with phlebectomy, and others.

Spider and varicose veins can exist in different severity.
Vein screenings allow us to determine the severity of your condition and discuss the best options.

Midwest Vein Care offers free vein pre-screenings of the legs in physicians’ offices all around the St. Louis area. We also conduct more in-depth screenings in our office.

We hope you’ll join us for our free Vein Health Event on August 14th to learn more about the importance of vein screenings.  You are also welcome to call our office to schedule a consultation at your convenience.

Do You Have Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI)?

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Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI) is an abnormal flow of blood through the veins.
How do you know if you have CVI? Watch out for these SEVEN WARNING SIGNS:

1. Do You See Spider or Varicose Veins?
Spider veins and varicose veins are usually visible to the naked eye. Are your veins reddish or purple? Are they bulging? If so, this could indicate abnormal blood flow.

2. Do You Regularly Experience Leg Pain or Discomfort?
Chronic Venous Insufficiency causes the following symptoms—especially after prolonged standing or sitting:

  • Aching
  • Heaviness
  • Throbbing
  • Burning
  • Itching
  • Cramping
  • Tingling
  • Stinging
  • Numbness

If you frequently experience one or more of these symptoms, you should consult a vein specialist.

3. Do You Have Swollen Legs or Ankles?
CVI can cause swelling in the legs and ankles after prolonged sitting or standing. Aggravation often occurs later in the day. There are multiple health issues that cause the swelling of legs and ankles, but you should consult a vein specialist to rule out the possibility of Chronic Vein Insufficiency.

4. Are Your Legs Restless or Cramping?
If you have uncomfortable tingling sensations in your legs, especially late in the evening or upon going to bed, it could be caused by CVI. Patients who suffer from Chronic Venous Insufficiency are often compelled to move their legs, finding their legs uncomfortable at rest.

A correlation between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and CVI is not yet firmly established, but some research has tied them together. You may consider having a comprehensive vein screening at Midwest Vein Care before you begin taking medicines for RLS.

5. Do Your Legs Feel Tired or Heavy?
CVI can cause sudden fatigue in the legs after small amounts of activity or after standing for only a few minutes. The fatigue caused by CVI is often coupled with an overall lack of energy.

6. Do You See Discoloration and Scaring of the Skin on Your Legs?
If you have rashes, redness, or inflammation, especially around the lower legs and ankles, you may actually have venous stasis dermatitis. Untreated vein disease can turn into hyperpigmentation that causes brown or dark stains on your legs. A more serious condition is lipodermatosclerosis, characterized by the skin and soft tissue around the lower legs and ankles scaring so severely that skin looks and feels like leather.

The sooner you receive treatment for Chronic Vein Insufficiency the better.
At Midwest Vein Care, we can spot and treat vein disease before it worsens.

7. Do You Have Open Sores or Ulcers on Your Lower Legs or Ankles?
Severe CVI that is left untreated for a prolonged time can lead to open wounds known as venous stasis ulcers. Venous stasis ulcers can be slow to heal, sometimes taking months or even years.

For more information on Chronic Venous Insufficiency
or to schedule a consultation with a vein specialist, contact Midwest Vein Care today.