Treating your varicose veins: right treatment, right time, right place?

Whilst for some, varicose veins are more a cosmetic concern, for others they represent a progressive vascular disease that, if left untreated, can lead to more severe health issues. Finding a varicose vein treatment that works for you, at a time that’s convenient and in a place that feels safe, reassuring and trustworthy may take a bit of research.  

We’re here to help you jumpstart your research and have compiled some information around why varicose veins form, the key things you should think about when looking at treatment and how to make the right decision for you. Keep reading to learn more about taking the next step.

What are varicose veins?

To keep it simple, they’re the (sometimes) twisted, enlarged veins that have become weakened in your legs over time, causing the valves in your veins to struggle with pumping blood back up and around your body.  

This decrease in blood pumping can cause blood to pool and veins to swell – insert varicose veins.  

But what happens over time with your varicose veins?

Varicose veins typically start as a minor issue, with patients noticing small, spider-like veins or slightly bulging veins. Over time, without proper intervention, varicose veins can sometimes get worse, leading to symptoms such as:

1. Increased Pain and Discomfort: Initially, varicose veins may cause a dull ache or heavy feeling in the legs. As it progresses, the pain can become more intense, often accompanied by throbbing or cramping.

2. Swelling and Inflammation: Progressive varicose veins can cause significant swelling in the lower legs and ankles. This is because of the increased pressure and fluid buildup in the tissues.

3. Skin Changes: The skin over and around varicose veins can become dry, itchy, and discoloured. In advanced stages, it may develop eczema, ulcers, or skin infections due to poor circulation.

4. Complications: For the unlucky few, if varicose veins are left untreated, complications such as blood clots (deep vein thrombosis) and chronic venous insufficiency can become a concern, requiring more immediate treatment.  

Why is early intervention of varicose veins so important and what are your treatment options?

Given the progressive nature of varicose veins, early diagnosis and treatment can be crucial. Active management and early treatment can help not only alleviate existing symptoms, but also prevent complications and improve your overall quality of life and confidence.  

For people who are less impacted by their symptoms, lifestyle changes and the use of compression socks can be somewhat helpful in managing their varicose veins. But with such incredible minimally-invasive techniques available for the treatment of varicose veins, its hard to ignore the options that can give you relief from your veins.  

Long-gone are the days of vein stripping, with the newer gold-standard treatment options now paving the way for quick and effective walk-in-walk-out treatments.  

Depending on your individual needs, you may require radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or foam sclerotherapy (or a combo of both) to effectively treat your veins. Learn more about these treatments

Both treatments have excellent clinical outcomes – have a listen to what our patients have to say about their experiences:  

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Is private healthcare the right choice for you?

At UK Vein Clinic we know that choosing private healthcare can be a big decision for some. That’s why it’s important to feel informed about your decision to make sure it’s the right one for you.  

Rapid access to specialists

The progressive nature of varicose veins often means that symptoms become gradually worse and harder to manage. Whether it’s the physical symptoms or the knock to your confidence, getting rapid access to treatment can help you get the help you need in a timely manner. Choosing a private healthcare provider like UK Vein Clinic means you can get booked in and seen by specialists within 1-4 weeks, and at a time that works for you.  

Our clinical team consists of vascular experts who not only drive innovation in vascular medicine across the UK, but also provide their expertise to the NHS directly – we only work with the best of the best.  

State-of-the-art treatment options

Working outside the strict parameters of public sector, private healthcare can provide alternative treatment options that have been proven to be clinically safe and highly effective in the treatment of varicose veins. Long gone are the days of vein stripping, with newer gold-standard techniques paving the way for excellent clinical outcomes, all performed by the UKs leading vascular experts.  

Personalised care

Tailored treatment plans, specialised care and an active aftercare service are just some of the many benefits to picking a private health provider. Making the decision to get treatment for varicose veins might fill you with fear or a tinge of anxiety, but that’s why our dedicated team of patient care advisors, clinicians, and aftercare specialists are at hand to help you at every single step of your treatment journey – you’ll never be alone. At UK Vein Clinic, we have a dedicated team of advisors that are always just one phone call or email away, with no question too silly!

Comprehensive follow ups

Your experience doesn’t end with us as soon as you step off the treatment table. Dedicated to your healing journey, comprehensive follow ups via telephone and in person ensures you get the care you need at every step with effective monitoring of your progress. Understanding what’s happening, what’s normal or not so normal is important for getting the best treatment outcomes and experience and can sometimes be more comprehensive in private healthcare.  

Now what?

That’s a lot of food for thought, right? There’s a couple of different things to consider when looking at treating your varicose veins, but we hope that this overview provides you with some answers and clarity on what is most important to you at this stage of your journey. It’s not always a linear one, but an important take away is that varicose veins are progressive and getting treatment early might help you get back to feeling your best, but also avoid any more serious complications.  

If you’re in need of more information, or if you’re ready to kickstart your vein-free life, then get in touch today.

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