insideKENT Magazine Issue 67 - October 2017 | Page 116
HEALTH+WELLNESS
“I’M NOT
OVERWEIGHT SO
WHY DO I HAVE
VARICOSE VEINS?”
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT VARICOSE
VEINS IS THAT SLIM PEOPLE DON’T GET
THEM. THE DOCTORS AT COODEN
MEDICAL GROUP’S CANTERBURY CLINIC
EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS NOT THE CASE.
Dr Mo Faris
We normally associate varicose
veins with older, overweight
people. But being young, slim
and fit doesn’t mean you are
exempt – even Olympic athletes
have been affected!
Varicose veins are caused by
faulty valves. As you are probably
aware, arteries take fresh,
oxygenated blood around the
body, while veins bring it back to
the heart. Each vein has a series
of one-way valves which allow
blood to flow through them
towards the heart, but not
backwards away from the heart.
Sometimes however, these valves
don’t close as well as they should
and blood leaks back down the
veins. Over a period of time, the
vein wall loses its elasticity and
becomes distorted, often bulging
through the skin.
We don’t really know what causes
the valves in some people’s veins
to leak, but family history seems
to be one of the biggest risk
factors. If one of your parents has
varicose veins t hen don’t be too
surprised if you develop them
yourself and if both your parents
have them, you should be
even more surprised if you don’t
get them!
Unfortunately there isn’t much
you can do to prevent them – if
you are destined to get varicose
veins, then you will. You then
have a choice between putting
up with them or having them
treated. Varicose veins don’t
usually cause problems so if you
116
are unconcerned by their
appearance you may choose to
live with them. However some
people experience discomfort,
swelling and itching, particularly
at night, which can make life a
bit miserable.
The good news is that modern
treatment for varicose veins is
quick and very effective. Gone
are the days when you had to go
into hospital for a full-blown
operation only for them to
“reappear” at a later date. These
days we use cutting edge
technology such as lasers which
can pinpoint the offending vein
and destroy it from the inside,
never to be seen again. This
procedure, known as
Endovenous Laser Ablation or
EVLA for short, takes minutes and
there’s no need for a general
anaesthetic so you don’t have to
go into hospital. EVLA and other
minimally invasive treatments
are carried out in clinics by
specialist doctors – usually
Venous Surgeons and
Interventional Radiologists. They
will recommend the best
treatment for you and make sure
you know what to expect.
Finally, although we said that
being slim and fit doesn’t stop
varicose veins developing, being
a healthy weight plays a big part
in your recovery. In fact, part of
the recommended recovery plan
is walking as much as you can,
so after treatment you may find
that not only have your varicose
veins gone, but you are fitter and
slimmer too.
For more information take a look at www.coodenmedicalgroup.com
The Cooden Medical Group Canterbury Clinic
All Health Matters
Orchard Close Mews
Orchard Street
Canterbury
CT2 8AP
01227 903038
[email protected]
coodenmedicalgroup.com/clinics/canterbury
CoodenMedical
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