Varicose veins are a common problem that affects more than half of all American women and 40% of American men. While these unsightly blue and purple lines rarely cause serious complications, they can be unattractive and sometimes painful, leading many to seek varicose vein removal options. The good news is there are plenty of good choices available today.

What Causes Them?

There are many factors that can contribute to these bulging, twisting lines that lead many Floridians to seek South Florida varicose vein treatment. A genetic predisposition to the problem, the aging process, pregnancy and hormone changes and obesity can all increase the risk of developing varicose veins. The veins usually appear on the legs because this is where it becomes most challenging to carry blood all the way back up to the heart. The pressure that results from the sheer force of gravity in this part of the body can make these veins more susceptible to disfiguration.

Why Should they be Treated?

Many people will opt for South Florida varicose vein treatment for aesthetic reasons. However, there are other factors that may lead people to the doctor's office as well. In some cases, varicose veins can become uncomfortable, leading to heaviness, achiness, swelling, numbness or rash. There is also a slight risk of blood clots and infections from varicose veins, and some people experience ulcers or sore in the skin tissue around the vein. For these reasons, it is a good idea to talk to a doctor about possibilities in treatment and whether they are the right choice for the individual patient.

What are the Choices?

There are many good choices in South Florida varicose vein treatment today, offering doctors and patients the opportunity to customize a treatment that will be the safest and most effective. These options include injections into the veins to make them disappear; a process known as sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is probably the most common type of varicose vein treatment used today. Other choices include using laser light therapy to slowly fade the veins until they finally disappear. This process can cause some discomfort during the procedure, but is preferred over incisions and injections by many patients.

Larger veins may require traditional surgical methods to remove, but the procedures used today are much safer and require less recovery time than treatments of the past. Some will still require a general anesthesia, but many are now done with a local or an epidural. No matter what type of treatment is used, most patients find they are back to normal activities within days or weeks after the procedure is complete. Some treatments include the use of a small video camera that allows the doctor to see inside the vein for most accurate results.

Some treatments, like laser surgery, may require more than one session to achieve the desired results. In other cases, a combination of treatments might be used for a most effective outcome. Because South Florida varicose vein treatment is such a common practice, a patient should be able to find a doctor who is well experienced with the various procedures and can offer the most effective results. With a bit of time and financial investment, patients can say goodbye to those unsightly, bulging lines once and for all and enjoy more pain-free days once those varicose veins are history.