Can Varicose Veins affected legs be brought back to normal?

What are varicose veins?

Veins are the blood vessels that are responsible for carrying the de-oxygenated blood back from the body parts to the heart. The blood is also pumped back to the heart from the legs and feet of the human body, strongly against the gravitational force of the Earth.

In a few patients, the valves of the leg and feet veins begin to dysfunction due to the patient’s growing age or a poor lifestyle and this leads to the pooling of blood. The blood remains collected in the veins and makes the patient’s legs feel heavy and irritated. In a few rare cases, the patient may feel constant pain and suffer from the inability to stand or walk.

These veins, called the Varicose Veins are often swollen or enlarged in size, turn dark purple in colour, and are clearly visible right under the skin even with a naked eye. Due to the lack of medical awareness in India, most patients suffering from Varicose Veins often remain uninformed about their medical condition until it becomes serious.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

There are more than a few reasons that lead to varicose veins, let us address the most common ones below:

  1. Lack of physical activity – A poor lifestyle accompanied with a total lack of exercise, immobility due to a desk job, and insufficient body movements, all these reasons cause obesity which in turn causes excessive pressure on the leg veins and is known to be the most prominent cause of varicose veins
  2. Improper diet –The absence of a balanced diet and increased consumption of junk food where meals have greater portions of saturated fat plus carbohydrates and lower quantities of fiber and protein result in higher body cholesterol levels and restrict blood flow in legs and feet.

  3. Uncomfortable footwear – Wearing high heels for longer durations, unfitting footwear, shoes with a poor or hard sole, or standing and sitting in the same position for extended durations is known to hamper the blood flow and thus cause the blood the pool in the veins.

  4. Birth Control Pills – Frequent intake of birth control on contraceptive pills has been proven to disrupt the blood flow in the blood vessels especially those in the legs and feet. The condition gets worse for women during menstruation and pregnancy. This may cause varicose veins and leg ulcers.

  5. Other Reasons –  Heredity, old age, weakened or damaged veins, blood clots or DVT are the other leading causes of varicose veins. Regularly exercising the calf muscles is known to improve the condition for patients with mild to medium symptoms.

Can Varicose Veins be brought back to normal?

Absolutely YES. In this modern era with huge advancements in medical technology, the varicose veins can totally be cured and brought back to normal for patients with even the most critical cases. There are multiple treatment options and the doctor chooses the most appropriate one only after seeing the patient’s condition and medical history.

Doctors first conduct the physical examination of the patient’s varicose veins while he/she is sitting or standing. They ensure to precisely check for the painful varicose veins and at times may require an ultrasound before advising the available treatment options. In the ultrasound, the blood flow in the affected veins is measured with the help of high-frequency waves that help the doctor to evaluate the severity of the issue.

There are some surgical treatments like sclerotherapy and radiofrequency ablation that are painful but have a fair success rate. The best treatment is Endovenous Laser Treatment which is minimally invasive and there are no big cuts made on the patient’s legs. In most cases, the patients can also go back home the same day.

Can Varicose Veins be cured at Avis Hospitals?

Most definitely. If you have varicose veins and are in deep pain, do not delay your treatment any longer. Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis Hospitals has years of experience and a huge array of happy patients who are totally satisfied with his advice, treatment procedures and the post-operative care as well.

Renowned as the leading vascular surgeon in Hyderabad, Dr. Rajah V Koppala is undoubtedly the best doctor for your all your concerns relating to varicose veins. Schedule an appointment today and get cured in no time!

Leg Ulcers – Types of Ulcers, Their Causes, Treatment Options and Means of Prevention

Ulcers are body sores that are caused due to breaks in the skin or the mucous lining. These take enormous time to heal and often keep returning back thus leading to chronic ulceration.

Ulcers can occur anywhere on the inside or outside of the body but leg ulcers are the most common, painful, and unpleasant form of ulcers found on the skin. These affect the lower region of the legs along with the feet and are caused due to poor blood circulation owing to injuries, infections, diabetes, certain skin diseases, tumours, or even vascular diseases like stroke, heart attack, angina, etc.

Types and Causes

  1. Diabetic Ulcers – Also called neuropathic ulcers, these are found on the under surface of the foot, under the fingers and under the toes. Patients with years of diabetic history develop poor blood circulation and loss of sensation due to nerve damage that leads to pressure ulcers.
  2. Arterial Ulcers – These occur on the tips of the fingers or the tips of the toes that become black, ugly, dry and edged out. Patients who have an arterial disease and get an injury that does not heal develop arterial ulcers over time.
  3. Venous Ulcers – These ulcers are very painful and occur around the medial or lateral part of the ankle. Most commonly found in patients with varicose veins, these are black in colour and are accompanied by massive fluid discharge.

Prevention

Leg ulcers are mainly caused due to improper blood circulation in the legs and feet. Hence, eating a balanced diet with low fat intake and regular exercise to enhance movement of the calf muscles is the best form of prevention.

Also, addressing any health issues like obesity, diabetes or varicose veins that are a leading cause of leg and foot ulcers can help in early detection of the symptoms and thus prevention of ulceration. In some patients with varicose veins, doctors may also recommend using the compression stockings on a daily basis to prevent leg ulcers.

Diagnosis

Patients can self-diagnose the case of leg ulceration if they notice redness or swelling on the skin around the ulcer, foul smell, ever-growing pain, green unpleasant discharge, and/or high temperature.

In most cases, doctors are able to rightly determine the type of the leg ulcer by merely analyzing its location and appearance. To evaluate the severity of restricted blood flow due to ulceration, doctors may compare blood pressure in legs to that in the patient’s arms. Furthermore, examinations like the Duplex Ultrasound can help bring to notice any medical issues of serious concern.

Treatment

The experienced team of doctors led by Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis hospitals has aided a record number of patients complaining of the most difficult types of leg ulcers. Before any form of treatment, they understand the cause of leg ulceration and treat not just the ulcers but also suggest the medical regime to cure the underlying cause.

While wound cleaning and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed to almost all patients, some may need to undergo vascular surgery as well. For irregular blood flow to the vessels in the leg, the doctors at Avis Hospitals perform angioplasty stent to repair it. There is also a cure for patients suffering from leg ulcers due to diabetes or varicose veins where blood is restricted from coming back.

Avis Hospitals cure an average of 75-80 leg ulceration patients every month and have a huge array of happy patients who are satisfied with the offered treatment. If you have early symptoms of leg ulcers or are already in pain, book an appointment with Dr. Rajah V Koppala for world-class treatment.