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Varicose Veins: Aesthetic or Health Concern?

Varicose veins look like dark red or purple lines twisting across your skin. Varicose veins are most commonly found on your lower body and are often increasingly present as you age. Many people find their varicose veins unsightly and embarrassing, but not many know they could pose a health risk. Turns out, your varicose veins have the potential to negatively impact your entire body. 

At Memphis Vein Center, we have the expertise you can trust when it comes to your vein health. Our experienced care team, under the leadership of board-certified interventional cardiologist/ vascular specialist Kishore Arcot, MD, FACC, FSCAI, FSVM, RPVI, treats new and existing patients from the Memphis, Tennessee area. Here's what Dr. Arcot wants patients to know about varicose veins.

Unsightly spider webs

Your veins carry blood around your entire body, from your fingers to your toes. Over the course of a lifetime, pressure can build up along your veins and cause visible bulging or deformation to occur. Pregnant people, and people who've been pregnant, have an increased risk of varicose veins, due to the greater volume of blood present in the body during pregnancy.

The red or purple bulges of varicose veins on your legs can appear unsightly. The distortion in appearance is due to areas of increased pressure along your lower body veins, and the dark color is due to the presence of pooling, slow-moving blood. The valves that control your blood flow can weaken, so that blood collects in one spot instead of moving smoothly and regularly through your veins.

While some people's varicose veins remain benign, varicose veins can also put you at increased health risks. If you have varicose veins, you have a higher risk of other bleeding issues, blood clots, ulcerated ankles, and lower body pain and swelling.

Treatment options to support your veins

If you're worried about your varicose veins, you're not alone. More than one-quarter of all adults in the United States will be impacted by varicose veins at some point. The care team at Memphis Vein Center is here to help. 

In addition to conservative approaches, including lifestyle changes like exercise and weight loss, we also provide a range of in-office treatment options from our state-of-the-art offices.

Dr. Arcot offers microphlebectomy, an outpatient procedure, that removes varicose veins through small incisions in your skin. 

He also offers minimally invasive endovenous laser ablation therapy (EVLT) that can treat your varicose veins non-surgically with targeted laser energy, causing your veins to reroute to healthier areas.

Several types of other nonsurgical treatments involve using injectables to either support or reroute your veins. Many nonsurgical “leg makeover” treatments can be completed in just a short session of less than an hour.

You don't have to live with your bulging spider veins. Contact Memphis Vein Center today to learn what professional treatment could do for your health, wellness, and aesthetic goals.

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