"The Know" is an informational resource concerning vein treatment options. It contains valuable information for prospective patients, physicians as well as those in the vein treatment industry. We will be regularly posting educational articles, video logs and other pertinent information. We encourage your feedback and welcome any suggestions that you feel may improve the blog.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
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Compression Stockings
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Compression stockings are great tools for preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis
(DVT) and varicose veins on long-haul flights and in patients with the early
stages of venous disease. However, recent research shows that the stockings
are not in fact aiding much for stroke patients who are at high risk of
developing DVT.
Forbes health said, "Compression stockings are used in the majority of
stroke units. In this study, we have shown conclusively that compression
stockings do not work for stroke patients. National guidelines need to be
revised and we need further research to establish effective treatments in
this important group of patients," study author Martin Dennis, of the
University of Edinburgh in Scotland, said in a news release."
Stroke patients do not have significantly higher chances of developing blood
clots, but many physicians thought that compression stockings would decrease
any risks they had. Many opted for stockings because they did not want more
invasive treatments and prevention methods. The guidelines for the
stockings may be changing after this research.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
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Ultrasounds to Find Vein Issues
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For better vein health physicians always reccomend preventative measures
like yoga, excercise, not sitting and standing for prolonged periods as well
as limiting long haul flights. But another thing we can take into
consideration for vein health is ultrasounds if we do see problems
emerging. For people with swelling in their ankles, pain, ropy veins and
other discomfort it is a wise choice to get an ultrasound to see what the
vein health issues are.
An ABC news affiliate said, "He used technology relatively new in his field
-- an ultrasound -- to actually see into Linda's legs and find her problem
veins."We're able to image the veins in a way that we've never been able to
see them before," Dr. Gueldner says.Gueldner says targeting the veins with
the ultrasound helps him work more quickly because he knows just where the
problem areas are."
If patients couple the use of ultrasounds with better vein health care, the
chances and risk factors are greatly decreased. However if the varicose
veins do pop up over time, there are a number of available treatments for
invasive and non-invasive removal.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
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Fly Safer
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If you haven't heard already airlines are cutting back: charging people for
spacious exit row seats and removing first class cabins. Airlines all over
the world are feeling the cost-reduction necessity, but this may be causing
frequent flier health risks. For jet-setters who can't afford the luxuries
of business and first class, or simply can't pay for the extra leg room,
crammed cattle-class seems to be the go. Which has the ability to result in
detrimental side effects to your vein health.
Flying safe is key to preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and other vein
health issues like varicose veins. This means wearing compression
stockings, walking continuously throughout the cabins and perhaps even
avoiding the continuous long-haul flights if possible. Much easier said
that done especially for people traveling for business. So as airlines cut
back our luxuries, don't fall victim to venous disease, instead do your best
to fly safer and avoid the pain of gnarled varicose veins and DVT.
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
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Vanity in Veins
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Varicose veins and spider veins plague millions of Americans, people suffer
from gnarled ropy unattractive veins. These uncomfortable and sometimes
painful veins cause more than just physical pain for the victims, often
times men and women with varicose veins suffer from serious emotional
scarring. Whether or not you flaunted your legs in your twenties, having
gnarled veins at fifty is quite the blow to self-esteem and appearance. Many
women find it a struggle to put on bathing suits while men are cautious
about wearing shorts and swim trunks. There is much vanity to varicose
veins, which is why removal and stripping treatments have gained much
popularity among the baby boomer population.
A personal recount of a women with varicose veins says, "I was very aware
when I was playing tennis" of how her legs looked - this from a woman who's
on the courts a couple of times a week. The final blow came when a friend
(who needs friends like this?) pointed to her leg and said, "Hey, you've got
a worm crawling up your leg!" Katros went off and wept."
She is among the other tens of millions of people dealing with both the
aesthetic and vanity pain coupled with the physicial torment and achiness
that varicose veins induce. For those of you suffering, removal treatments
come in a sundry of options: from laser removal to invasive stripping and
even radiofrequency, the treatments are available and affordable.
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
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Treatment for Perforating Veins
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Perforating veins are said to be one of the primary causes of varicose
veins. Over 20 million Americans suffer from varicose veins, and often
patients opt for invasive stripping removal methods or even radiofrequency
procedures. But a Houston based vascular surgeon is making advances in
treating such problems.
Marketwire said in the press release, "In Dr. Skellenger's experience with
primary varicose veins, he has found incompetent perforating veins to become
significant after endovenous laser treatment of the saphenous vein. The
reduction in the higher saphenous vein pressure following this treatment
allows lower pressure perforators to reflux back to the superficial system.
Incompetent perforators are quite often a major source of venous
hypertension and may cause venous stasis ulceration in addition to varicose
veins."
Depending on the type of venous disease at hand, there are a sundry of
available removal treatments from laser to surgical stripping.
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Thursday, May 21, 2009
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Free Vein Scans
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The new trend in medicine has been to raise awareness for diseases and
treatments. Over the past few months clinics have been offering free scans
for various ailments like heart disease and colon cancer. Now a vein health
(vascular) clinic will be offering free vein scans tonight. Patients
dealing with symptoms of venous disease (gnarled, ropy, swollen, and painful
legs) shoudl consider getting scanned.
My Central Jersey said, "The screening is recommended for those who
experience painful, heavy or achy legs, or have visible leg veins -
including varicose veins and spider veins - and chronic leg swelling."
Physicians and experts say that awareness is key to prevention and
treatment. The sooner you catch varicose veins and treat them the chances of
it spreading to Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) are drastically reduced.
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Monday, May 18, 2009
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Wives Tales or Truth?
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For years the claim buzzing around the ears of many women is that varicose
veins are induced by crossing your legs. Is this an old wives tail or is
there some validity to the claims? By age 50 a large percentage of men and
women are said to develop gnarled, ropy and unattractive varicose or spider
veins. Nearly 40 million Americans alone have signs of venous disease.
Studies have shown that for women lack of exercise, smoking, pregnancy and
long-haul travel may be inciters. No study has yet to link crossing legs to
directly causing the vein health issue.
The New York Times said, "Standing or engaging in sedentary activities for
more than eight hours a day increased the risk as well - a finding that has
been borne out in European studies of people whose jobs require them to be
on their feet, like nurses. Other studies have pointed to pregnancy as
another major contributor. But perhaps the easiest way to determine your
risk is to consult your family tree - more than 80 percent of people with
varicose veins have at least one parent with them."
Of course prolonged hours on end sitting or standing cross legged or not has
the ability to adversely affect your vein health, but experts still have not
proven that crossing your legs alone directly induces varicose veins.
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Friday, May 15, 2009
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Insurance Shifts
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Some industry observers are saying that varicose vein treatments will become
less affordable for elderly patients on Medicare in Australia. It is being
said that private treatment for venous disease is likely to be difficult for
the budgets of pensioners, leaving many of the 40 million people plagued
with gnarled veins quite unhappy.
WA Today said, "In this week's federal budget the Government capped safety
net payments for particular varicose vein remedies, saying doctors had
charged excessive fees. Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon challenged
specialists to reduce their fees, saying most of the safety-net money was
going into doctors' pockets rather than reducing costs for patients."
Physicians in the field however have said that these increased prices at
private clinics were due to new, less invasive, efficient and effective
technologies and treatments in the industry. And that physicians were not
pocketing the extra money.
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
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Stop the Clot Campaign
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In recent weeks all I have been reading about in papers and online news
sources is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and varicose veins. From prevention
methods to tour buses travelling around assessing peoples blood clot risks,
DVT awareness is everywhere. Now in the spotlight is the Stop the Clot
Campaign in Europe.
The Essex Harlow Herald said, "The lifesaving Stop the Clot campaign was
launched by the charity Anticoagulation Europe in a bid to stop needless
deaths and has been supported by MPs, celebrities and hospitals across the
region, including Harlow's Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH). Sarah Ayton,
deep vein thrombosis (DVT) specialist at PAH says: "We have seen an increase
in patients asking for a risk assessment."
The campaign has been considered a huge success in promoting the dangers,
risks and treatments involved in DVT.
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
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DVT Day
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Lawmakers in Minnesota recognized May 12th as Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
awareness day on Capitol Hill (in Minnesota). As many advocates of DVT
awareness will tell you, education and information are vital to vein health
and preventing death and serious problems associated with DVT.
NBC News affiliate in Minnesota reported, "Deep-vein thrombosis or DVT is a
disease where a blood clot forms usually in the large veins of the legs or
pelvic area. DVT can become deadly when a the blood clot breaks off and
travels to the lungs causing a pulmonary embolism, according to a report
cited by the Coalition to Prevent Deep-vein Thrombosis."
Over 300,000 people each year are said to die from DVT-related causes. This
is because simple issues like dehydration and long-haul flights stifle blood
flow through the veins and can promote DVT-like clots.
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