Ok, so there's this lady Linda who worked at Macys for like 30 years. She had these crazy looking veins all over her legs forever. Varicose veins - the big bulgy purple kind you can actually feel when you touch them. She just lived with it for years, wearing pants all the time, even when it was 90 degrees out. Wouldn't even wear shorts at summer barbecues.
Turns out that was a mistake. A big one actually.
Her legs hurt constantly. Couldn't sleep because of cramps. And when she finally went to see someone, her ankles had started turning brownish, which is apparently not great. But here's the wild part - the treatment to fix her varicose veins took like 45 minutes. She was back playing mahjong that same week. After putting it off for 15 years? Crazy stuff.
Point is, varicose veins are super super common and theres really no reason to just deal with them anymore like people used to. Treatment now is nothing like it was back in the day.
Alright heres the deal in plain English. So veins in the legs have these little valve things inside them. Picture them like tiny doors that only swing one direction. Blood goes up toward the heart, the door opens. Blood tries to fall back down cuz of gravity, door slams shut. Pretty smart setup honestly.
Here's where it goes wrong tho. Sometimes those little door valve things stop working good. Could be age, genetics, or standing on your feet for 30 years like Linda did. Whatever the reason, when those valves don't close right, the blood starts pooling in the veins instead of flowing back to the heart like it's supposed to.
That pooling stretches out the vein walls. They get bigger and bigger. Start twisting around. Eventually they’re bulging out under the skin, looking all gnarly and purple and rope-like. That’s a varicose vein right there.
Oh and btw spider veins are a different thing. People confuse them all the time but they’re not the same. Spider veins are those tiny little red or purple lines that spread out like a web pattern. Way smaller than varicose veins. Varicose veins are the big chunky ones you can actually feel with your fingers.
Honestly, sometimes it’s just luck of the draw. Varicose veins happen to some people and not others, and it’s not always because of anything they did wrong. But yeah theres definitely some stuff that makes a person more likely to get them.
If mom has varicose veins or grandma had them, then yeah, there’s a decent chance of getting them too. It’s just how genetics works sometimes. Linda? Her mom had them bad. Her older sister has them. Runs in families like that, and there’s not much anyone can do except know its probably coming.
Not fun to think about, but bodies wear out over time. Those valve things in veins have been working nonstop since birth. Opening closing opening closing every single second. After a few decades, they get tired and don't work as good. Just what happens with aging.
Standing in one spot all day makes legs suffer. Nurses deal with this a lot. Teachers too. Retail workers, hair stylists, factory workers. When there's no movement, the blood has a harder time getting back up to the heart. It just sits there pooling. The same thing happens with sitting at a desk all day. Legs need movement to keep blood flowing right.
Growing a human inside puts crazy pressure on the body. Blood volume goes way up during pregnancy. Hormones doing weird stuff. Literally a baby sitting on top of veins, squishing them. Lots of women notice varicose veins show up during pregnancy especially second or third time around. Sometimes they fade after. Sometimes not.
More body weight means more pressure pushing down on leg veins. They gotta work harder to push blood back up. It’s just physics, really. Not trying to lecture anyone here, just explaining why it matters for vein health.
Sometimes it's super obvious because there are big twisted veins bulging right there under the skin. Hard to miss, honestly. But there are other symptoms too that people don’t always connect to vein problems.
Legs that feel heavy and tired by the end of the day. Like wading through mud, kinda heavy. Aching that doesn’t quit even after resting. Ankles that puff up - you know when socks leave those deep red marks? Yeah thats not great. Itchy or burning skin on the legs. And those middle of the night leg cramps that have people jumping outta bed at 3 am cursing. Those are the worst.
The weird part is that some folks have really visible varicose veins but feel totally fine. Others have veins you can barely see, but tons of pain and discomfort. Bodies are strange like that. The point is, if legs are giving grief its worth checking out.
Ok, so most varicose veins aren't gonna kill anyone. Lets just get that out there. They’re annoying and uncomfortable and ugly, but usually not dangerous.
Usually, being the key word there.
Ignoring them for years and years tho, things can get worse. Skin around the ankles might start changing color - getting darker almost brownish. Or it gets thicker and leathery feeling. That’s blood pooling there way too long. Bad cases lead to ulcers, which are open sores super hard to heal and can get infected. Nobody wants that.
Blood clots are another thing to watch for. If a leg suddenly blows up with swelling outta nowhere and hurts like crazy dont mess around. Get to a doctor quick. Deep vein clots are serious stuff.
Here’s some good news. Back in the day, treating varicose veins was a whole big ordeal. This surgery is called vein stripping, where they literally pulled veins out through incisions. Hospital stay, general anesthesia, weeks of recovery, scars everywhere. Absolutely miserable by all accounts.
Good news is that's basically ancient history now. Modern varicose veins treatment is completely different. Quick procedures done right in the doctor's office, barely any pain, back to normal life in like a day or two. Night and day difference.
This is the big one for larger varicose veins nowadays. Here’s how it works - a tiny catheter goes into the problem vein. Then radiofrequency energy heats it up from the inside. Heat makes the vein walls collapse and seal shut. The body automatically starts routing blood through healthy veins instead. The sealed vein eventually gets absorbed and disappears.
Takes maybe 45 minutes total. Patient is awake, but everything gets numbed so there's not much feeling. Walk right out after on your own two feet. Wellness and Pain does these at all three locations - Paramus NJ, Clifton NJ, and Ardsley NY. Dr Jonathan Arad and Dr Michelle Molina have done tons of them. Most people back doing normal stuff within a day or two.
Better for smaller varicose veins and spider veins. The doctor injects this special solution directly into the vein. It irritates the walls and makes them stick together and close up. Over a few weeks, the vein just fades away as the body absorbs it. Sessions run maybe 30 to 60 minutes. No real downtime after.
Moving around helps a ton. Walking, swimming, biking, whatever gets legs going. Calf muscles actually help pump blood back up when they're used, so exercise is like free medicine. Compression stockings work too, even though they’re annoying to put on. And putting feet up at the end of the day. Simple stuff, but it helps.
First thing is an ultrasound of the legs. Quick painless thing, takes like 10 minutes. Shows exactly what’s going on with the varicose veins - which ones are the problem, where the busted valves are, how bad things have gotten. Wellness and Pain uses this info to figure out the best plan for each person.
Then the actual procedure happens right there in the office. No hospital. No scary operating room. No being put under. Patient is awake, area gets numbed, doctor does their thing. Most people say its way less intense than expected. Maybe some pressure or warmth feelings but nothing crazy painful.
Afterward driving yourself home is totally fine which surprises people. Compression stockings get worn for a little while and walking around actually helps with healing. Most folks back to regular life within a day maybe two. Linda was at mahjong that same week. Pretty wild really.
Usually yeah. When varicose veins cause actual symptoms like pain and swelling and skin problems its considered medically necessary treatment. Most insurance plans cover it. Wellness and Pain takes most major insurance plus union plans which helps a lot of working folks in the area.
Now if someone just wants spider veins zapped for cosmetic reasons and theyre not actually causing problems, insurance probably wont pay for that. But symptomatic varicose veins? Usually covered. Worth checking what the specific plan says to be sure.
Totally prevent them? Ehh probably not especially if genetics aren’t cooperating. But definitely possible to lower the chances or at least make them less severe if they do show up.
Moving around during the day helps. Don’t just stand in one spot for hours or sit at a desk all day without getting up. Take little walks, do some calf raises, keep blood flowing. Exercise regularly. Watch weight. Cut back on salt cuz it makes the body hold water which puts pressure on veins. Ditch super high heels when possible. Wear compression stockings if on feet all day for work.
Does any of this guarantee no varicose veins ever? Nope. Some people do everything right and still get them because genetics gonna genetic. But healthy habits definitely stack the odds better.
Best to find doctors who actually specialize in vein stuff and do these procedures all the time. Not just some random clinic that does a little of everything.
Wellness and Pain has been treating varicose veins for years. Theyve got three locations - Paramus NJ, Clifton NJ, and Ardsley NY - so probably one nearby for folks in the Jersey or New York area. Everything from consultation to treatment to followup happens in one place which is nice. No running around to different offices. Dr Arad and Dr Molina are board certified and this is basically what they do every day.
To set something up call 844-566-2723 or shoot a text to 551-286-5464. They take most insurance including union plans.
Most of the time no not really. Theyre more annoying than anything - uncomfortable, ugly, kind of embarrassing maybe. But ignoring them for years can lead to skin problems and ulcers and stuff. Better to get them checked than just hope they go away. Spoiler - they wont go away on their own.
Nah. Once those valves stop working they dont magically fix themselves. The veins might look better or worse depending on the day but theyre not going anywhere. Compression stockings help with symptoms but wont make veins actually disappear. Only treatment does that.
Not long at all. Radiofrequency ablation is like 45 minutes give or take. Sclerotherapy runs maybe 30 to 60 minutes depending on how many veins need work. Nobody is blocked out for a whole day. Some people do it on lunch break basically.
The ones that get treated are done for good. Closed up permanently. But can new varicose veins form in different spots later? Yeah possibly, especially with genetic tendencies or jobs that require standing all day. Staying on top of healthy habits and following up with the doctor helps keep new ones from popping up.
Depends on the situation. Bigger veins usually get radiofrequency ablation. Smaller ones and spider veins do better with sclerotherapy. The ultrasound at the beginning helps figure out exactly what’s going on so the doctor can recommend the right approach for each person.
Way less than most people expect. Everything gets numbed so the actual procedure is pretty tolerable. Maybe some pressure or warmth but not real pain. Afterward there’s sometimes bruising or tenderness for a few days but nothing major. People are usually surprised by how not-bad the whole thing is.
Risk can be lowered but probably not eliminated 100% especially with family history. Exercise helps, healthy weight helps, not staying stuck in one position all day helps, compression stockings if needed. But sometimes varicose veins happen anyway no matter what. At least they’re easy to treat now.
Look, varicose veins suck. Nobody wants bulgy purple veins all over their legs. But they’re also incredibly common and way easier to treat now than ever before. There’s really no reason to just suffer with them for years like people did back in the day.
If legs hurt all the time or they’re being hidden under pants even in summer, or night cramps are driving everyone crazy, just go get it looked at. A quick ultrasound tells exactly what’s going on. Takes like 10 minutes. No big commitment, just information.
Linda waited 15 years to do something about her varicose veins. Fifteen years of pain and long pants in August. The procedure took 45 minutes, and she was back to normal in two days. Don’t wait 15 years. Legs deserve better than that.
