"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.
August 2008 Blog Archive
Friday, August 29, 2008
Celebrity Varicose Veins: Big Brother
Those people who follow the show Big Brother know that there is a lot of drama that goes on between the people on this reality program. But there are also actually some interesting tidbits of information that get thrown out now and then by the participants in the show.
For example, Lisa on the show
recently said that she chooses never to cross her legs because she is afraid that doing so will block the circulation in her legs and lead her to get varicose veins. Smart varicose vein prevention does actually involve trying to do things that help to make sure that there is regular circulation flowing through the veins in the leg.
Of course,
varicose vein prevention doesn't specifically require that you never cross your legs. It has more to do with being aware of the importance of circulation in the veins and making sure to regularly walk and stretch to avoid problems with poor circulation. But it's interesting to see that it's a topic that even got a mention on Big Brother.
Question of the Day: What other tidbits of medical information might you get from a show like Big Brother?photo link
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Varicose Veins as Historic Artifact
Today when we talk about removing varicose veins, we aren't usually talking about literally removing them from the body. Instead we are talking about medical procedures like VNUS Closure Fast that seal up the veins and cause the appearance of the varicose veins to disappear.
But that wasn't always the case. There was a time in medical history when the process of removing varicose veins did mean actually going in to the leg and taking the vein out of the body. And that is precisely what was done to one Egyptian woman who actually kept the veins on a shelf in the living room in the "house of ill repute" where she worked.
That's the story that's given anyway in a booklet called
A Walk on the West Side which discusses some of the colorful history of an area of West Didsbury in England. Imagine the colorful characters that you would have encountered if you had been the researcher for the book if just one of them is saving varicose veins on the shelf!
Question of the Day: What is the most bizarre store that you have ever heard about varicose veins?photo link
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Compression Stockings for Low Blood Pressure
The main reason that people choose to wear compression stockings is because they want to reduce the problems that are associated with varicose veins. Compression stockings are medical nylons that are designed to allow for appropriate pressure in the legs particularly when you are unable to move around a lot such as when you are on a plane or when you are recovering from surgery and are stuck in a hospital bed. However, varicose veins aren't the only sign that you would need to use compression stockings.
People who have low blood pressure may also be told by their doctors that they should make use of the compression stockings typically used to deal with varicose veins. Low blood pressure can cause a pooling of blood in the veins which may or may not lead to varicose veins. Compression stockings can reduce that problem and can help keep people with low blood pressure medically safe.
Question of the Day: Should all people with low blood pressure look into using compression stockings?photo link
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Brian Robison Healed Quickly After Varicose Vein Treatment
One of the latest pieces of
celebrity varicose vein news has been that football player Brian Robison was out of commission for a short period of time after treatment for a varicose vein problem that had become physical painful and indicative of underlying health concerns. The new news is that the varicose vein treatment was successful and that Robison has
been able to return to playing with the team after just a short period of recovery time.
This is not just something that would be true of varicose vein treatment for a celebrity. The methods that are used to treat varicose veins are efficient and are designed to allow the patient to undergo only a short recovery period before returning to their normal activities. Patients who get varicose vein treatment for cosmetic reasons have a particularly short recovery time that rarely hinders their daily lives in any way at all.
Robison's case was more serious because of the fact that he had a medical condition related to the varicose veins. It was also important that he be extra-careful about not returning to his activities too early since his activities are strenuous athletic activities and also because he wouldn't want to require additional recovery time due to a too-early return. Nevertheless, very little time had to pass before Robison could return to the game.
Question of the Day: How long would you expect medical varicose vein surgery to require for recovery?photo link
Monday, August 25, 2008
When Varicose Veins Come Out of Nowhere
Varicose veins are one of those things that creep up on you. They may have been developing in your body for quite some time. You may have even noticed the signs in the past. But, just like wrinkles, they're one of those things that you suddenly notice one day and then you can't stop noticing them on yourself. That's why they are something that should be treated even if they aren't causing you any physical problems.
There are certain signs of aging that make us feel defeated about ourselves. We look at them and we think "wow, how did I get so old?" Even if we mostly like the fact that we are aging, maturing, growing up ... we still don't like it when there are things that make us look old. The crows' feet and the varicose veins are the things that need to go if we're going to feel good about ourselves.
Yes, I know, some would say that we should embrace the changes that our bodies go through as we age. Hogwash. To some extent, there's no point in fighting change. You're not going to look eighteen when you're forty. But you don't have to look sixty when you're forty either. Noticing things like varicose veins means that you are noticing your body betraying you and it means that it's time to get those veins fixed!
Question of the Day: Why is it that we don't notice varicose veins and then suddenly we do and we can't stop focusing on our self-consciousness about them?photo link
Friday, August 22, 2008
Share Your Varicose Vein Information Here
Earlier this week we discussed the importance of making sure to talk openly about the issue of
varicose veins. This is important because it makes room in normal conversations for the topic of varicose vein risks, treatment and prevention. This makes everyone a little bit more educated, dispels myths about varicose veins and leads to a healthier population overall.
One of the places that you might consider sharing information about varicose veins is right here on this blog. Each blog post that you see on this varicose vein blog has room for comments from people who have read the post. Those people who have something to say in response to the post or just about varicose vein health in general can get the conversation going by leaving comments and responding to the comments of others.
There are many different places that are appropriate for the sharing of information and stories about varicose veins. Over the dinner table, on online forums and in doctor's offices are some of the places to talk about varicose veins. And blog comments on varicose vein blogs would be another place to do this.
Question of the Day: Where else can you share varicose vein information with others?photo link
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Getting Varicose Vein News
There is a lot of news out there about varicose veins. For example, these are just some of the types of
varicose vein news that you might find if you looked:
- News about medical advances in the treatment of varicose veins. For example, when
VNUS Closure Fast hit the shelves last year, it was regularly reported in the news as the most efficient and effective new vein treatment product.
- News about the health risks of varicose veins. And also news about the treatment and prevention of varicose veins in order to reduce those health risks.
- Celebrity gossip news about famous people who have varicose veins. This isn't common but it does happen. Madonna has been a victim of this type of gossip news.
- News about vein treatment makers. The major product makers of vein treatment equipment are regularly in the news. Most often this is financial news about the stocks and investments people have in the company.
Since there is so much different type of news coming out about varicose veins, people who are interested in this topic should be staying on top of the news. Reading medical journals, news reports, newsy blogs (like this one) and even celebrity gossip can help you to stay on top of venous health information.
Question of the Day: What is your favorite news source for information about varicose veins?photo link
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Openly Discussing Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are a problem that plague a variety of different people in society. They are most commonly associated with getting older ... as we age, we develop health conditions that result in varicose veins. However there are young people who also develop varicose veins; the most common group of these people is young pregnant women who get varicose veins as a direct result of their pregnancy.
Despite the fact that there are many different people who have varicose veins, this is something that we don't talk openly about a lot of the time. We occasionally hear about
celebrity varicose veins in the sense of "look how old she looks because she has varicose veins". And we hear warnings about using
compression stockings on flights if you have varicose veins. But for the most part, we don't discuss varicose veins.
And that's a problem. You see, when topics don't get openly talked about in society we often have a lot of myths and misunderstandings that prevail about those topics. In order to dispel those myths and make sure that people have an awareness of the real risks and solutions to varicose veins, we have to be talking about them. It's a conversation that you shouldn't shy away from!
Question of the Day: With whom should we be talking about varicose veins?photo link
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Reading Books About Varicose Veins
You might have stumbled across this blog for many different reasons but the most likely reason that you are reading this blog is because you are seeking out information about varicose veins including how to prevent and treat varicose veins. This and other online resources provide great information about
varicose vein prevention and treatment. However, it is also important that you turn to printed resources like books to get more in-depth information about varicose veins.
Books about varicose veins and venous health will assist you in gaining a better understanding of the reason that varicose veins develop and the treatment options that are available to you to deal with varicose veins. You can find books that address the medical concerns that are caused by having varicose veins (such as the risk of blood clots) as well as books that discuss the cosmetic reasons that people treat varicose veins (such as anti-aging reasons).
There are a variety of
different books out there about varicose veins. A majority of these books are medical texts. However, there are books out there in the bookstores that are designed to explain the health and cosmetic issues about varicose veins in a way that the average person can understand fairly easily.
Question of the Day: What books would you recommend to others on the topic of varicose veins?photo link
Monday, August 18, 2008
Male vs. Female Vein Treatment Doctors
There are many different reasons that you might seek out the assistance of a vein treatment doctor. The most likely reason is that you have
varicose veins that you would like to get rid of using a medical / cosmetic procedure such as the very popular
VNUS Closure Fast procedure.
When you choose a
medical professional to assist you in getting treatment like VNUS Closure Fast for your varicose veins, you will have to make some decisions about who the doctor is. Most people will choose a cosmetic surgery doctor that specializes in the treatment of this problem.
One of the things that you might want to decide is whether it makes any difference to you if your vein treatment doctor is male or female. There are doctors of both genders performing these procedures in most locations so you will probably have your choice.
There are not any glaring pros or cons to choosing a male vein treatment doctor over a female vein treatment doctor or vice versa. The treatment of varicose veins is not typically considered a highly personal treatment (like gynecology or some plastic surgery might be) so there are not usually emotional issues on the part of the patient that make one gender preferable over the other in a vein treatment doctor.
However, some individuals do have preferences between male and female doctors in general. These people may opt to choose a vein treatment doctor that is their gender of preference for a physician.
Question of the Day: Do you care if your vein treatment doctor is male or female?photo link
Friday, August 15, 2008
Varicose Veins as a Metaphor
Men and women who suffer from varicose veins will find the health problem to be anything but poetic. The unsightly appearance of the veins, the physical health problems that the veins could be a sign of and the pain of having the veins make it so that varicose veins are something that we only speak about in negative terms.
But if you've ever scanned through the way that the term "varicose veins" is used in writing, you'll see that it's something that is often used as a simile compared to other things that have nothing to do with veins or health. Some of these descriptions are used to express ugliness and some to express beauty but either way the comparison is to the network of veins that one might see on his or her own legs.
Here are a few examples of this:
- The cramped master bath had a pink vanity and tiles that "looked like varicose veins," Doug says. "I like color, but this was blotchy." (source)
- Lightning scribbled like long yellow varicose veins running up the massive legs of some angry old god. Thunder roared and then smacked like someone slamming the dark ledger of eternity. (source)
- An Anglican church is as threatened by fumes as by the local radicals, and traffic jams are the city's varicose veins. (source)
You may want to get your own varicose veins removed but at least know that they have served as inspiration for a number of poetic writers!
Question of the Day: What are the best similes out there which use varicose veins to describe something else?photo link
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Vein Treatment In New Jersey
There is a
newspaper announcement online this week letting residents near Deborah in New Jersey know that the area's first vein treatment clinic has opened up. That's great for residents of the area but what they should know is that there are actually already a lot of varicose vein treatment doctors located throughout the rest of the state.
Considering that New Jersey is a fairly small state, patients in this area may find it easy to visit some of the other
New Jersey doctors that are available. Many of these doctors have been working in vein treatment for years and so serve as a great resource to the residents of the state.
There are nearly one dozen different medical facilities in New Jersey that are listed as part of the network here on this site. Take a look at them to find a great vein treatment doctor near you.
Question of the Day: How many doctors in New Jersey specialize in vein treatment?photo link
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
VNUS ClosureFast Makes Way to Indiana
It has been almost a year since doctors started using the
VNUS Closure Fast method to treat varicose veins. The method is concerned to be a breakthrough in vein treatment science because of the fact that it is both more efficient and more effective than any of the other treatments for varicose veins that have been used in the past (and some of which are still being regularly used today.)
Doctors across the nation were quick to adopt the use of VNUS Closure Fast for varicose vein treatment. However, the state if Indiana was apparently a little bit slow to catch on to the trend.
News reports indicate that
doctors in Indiana are now starting to implement the use of VNUS Closure Fast in their practices so that patients with varicose veins in the state can have the same great results as people in the rest of the U.S.
Question of the Day: Is it true that doctors in Indiana were delayed in their use of VNUS Closure Fast or is it more likely that it is just now that the media there is getting their hands on this story?photo link
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Treatment of Robison's Vein Problem Successful
Last week
we reported that celebrity sports star Brian Robison was expected to have to undergo treatment for a varicose vein problem that had gotten out of control. He had varicose veins that were prominent in his leg from an early age but they had never given him problems in the past. Suddent pain in the veins made him realize that this was something that needed to be taken care of.
Robison did indeed undergo treatment for the varicose veins. It was found that he had two blood clots that posed a serious threat to his overall health. However, the vein treatment was successful and it appears that Robison is healing nicely. He
expects to be back to jogging and other training within a week and says that he should be ready for his team's opening game in early September. This goes to show how easy, efficient and successful varicose vein treatment is today.
Question of the Day: How does Brian Robison's experience with varicose vein treatment raise awareness of the varicose vein issues in the sports community?photo link
Monday, August 11, 2008
Varicose Veins First Cosmetic Procedure Done At One Hospital
A hospital in North Lincolnshire
has begun to offer cosmetic surgery procedures to patients for the first time. The procedure that the hospital opted to begin offering first was varicose vein treatment. Assuming that all goes well with the treatment of varicose veins in the hospital, the medical staff here will eventually begin to offer other types of cosmetic surgery ranging from
tattoo removal to
breast augmentation.
It is interesting to see that treatment for varicose veins is the first procedure chosen to be offered by this hospital. This is probably not the most popular cosmetic procedure done today despite the fact that it has grown in popularity over the years. Perhaps it was chosen because it is a fairly simple procedure that is easy on the patient, has few side effects and comes with a high success rate.
Question of the Day: Why would varicose vein treatment be chosen as the first cosmetic procedure to be completed by a hospital?photo link
Friday, August 08, 2008
Body Makeup for Varicose Veins
Although there are some serious medical concerns associated with having
varicose veins, the main reason that people want to get treatment for their varicose veins is because they feel like the veins are ugly. What do you do if you can't get to the vein treatment doctor right away and you really want to show off your legs while the summer weather still permits it?
Body make-up could be the answer. An article recently discussed the
treatment of spider veins, a problem that is similar to but less obvious than varicose veins. It mentioned that a quick fix to this problem is to get good body makeup to cover up the spider veins on the legs and to set the make-up with a powder so that it won't rub off. It is possible that this same quick fix could work on varicose veins provided that they aren't too dark or enlarged for cover up.
Of course, this cover up isn't going to work if you're planning on getting in a pool! Ultimately it's better to get the veins removed once and for all by a cosmetic doctor specializing in the treatment of spider veins and / or varicose veins.
Question of the Day: What other methods are there of covering up unsightly varicose veins?photo link
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
VNUS Closure Fast Featured on Women's Television
A women's television show airing yesterday featured information about the
VNUS Closure Fast procedure that has made treatment of varicose veins so much simpler for people in the past. Although the procedure can be used to treat varicose veins on men and women, it is particularly great for women who are more likely to have varicose veins and who are also likely to require a fast and efficient treatment that will let them get back on their feet and going about their daily business.
The television show is called The Balancing Act and it is a morning talk show that airs on Lifetime, the channel for women's programming. The half hour program featured a vascular surgeon familiar with VNUS Closure Fast who spoke about the topic of varicose veins and the way that VNUS Closure Fast helps to treat them. Learn more from the
press release about the show.
Question of the Day: Is the topic of varicose veins more important to women than to men?photo link
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Celebrity Varicose Veins: Brian Robison
We don't hear about celebrity varicose vein problems all that often. However, it does happen every now and then and this is one of those cases.
Brian Robison is a football player with the Minnesota Vikings. He is also a patient
seeking treatment for a problem with varicose veins.
Robison has an outstanding vein in his calf area that has been there since he was in high school. However, it had never bothered him in the past. Like many people do who have varicose veins that don't cause them pain, Robison had ignored the problem until recently.
The varicose vein in Robison's calf recently flared up on him and became a physical problem for him. He is seeing a vein treatment doctor this week to get advice about how to treat the varicose vein problem. He has explained to fans that this type of non-invasive surgery wouldn't keep him out of the game for long. This goes to show how celebrity varicose vein treatment can be important in educating the mainstream population about problems with varicose veins.
Question of the Day: How many people leave varicose veins untreated and undiagnosed until they become a physical problem?photo link
Monday, August 04, 2008
Varicose Vein History: Carl Arnold Ruge
Have you ever wondered when it was that we first identified what varicose veins are? If you have ever taken an interest in the history of varicose veins then there is one name that you need to know:
Carl Arnold Ruge.
Ruge was a doctor working at the end of the nineteenth century and into the early years of the twentieth century. He is primarily known for his work as a pathologist at a gynecolgy center. However, he is also credited as being the first person who gave a definition to varicose veins.
Ruge's description of varicose veins was as follows:
"Any dilated, elongated and tortuous vein irrespective of size."
The specific definition of
varicose veins has changed a bit over time but that definition still more or less stands as a decent definition of what varicose veins are.
We have come a long way in vein treatment since the time when Ruge first defined varicose veins. However we had to start somewhere and that was the beginning for the treatment of varicose veins.
Question of the Day: What other aspects of venous history might be of interest to you?photo link
Friday, August 01, 2008
Vascular Solutions Encourages Interest In Their Stocks
People who are interested in investing in the stocks of vein treatment product makers are almost always looking at investing in VNUS Medical Technologies stocks. After the major success of the VNUS Closure Fast method of vein treatment and a series of successful lawsuits against other vein treatment makers,
VNUS stocks have soared. However, Vascular Solutions is trying to take away some of the attention from VNUS and to get investors to consider paying attention to their company again.
One of the ways that Vascular Solutions is going about trying to get people interested in investing in the company is by planning a presentation at a conference next month geared towards investors. People who are interestedin the money side of the vein treatment industry may want to pay attention to this presentation. Information about how to access the presentation online is available
here.
Question of the Day: Can Vascular Solutions ever gain investment money away from VNUS?photo link
