At The Vein Center of Florida and The Vein Center of South Baldwin, we know it’s important to take the first step in getting relief from painful, embarrassing varicose veins and unsightly spider veins. This includes being screened for vein issues, also known as venous disease or venous insufficiency, to identify and treat varicose veins and other problems before they progress. To understand the importance of vein health and varicose vein screenings, we must first understand the vital role that veins play in our bodies.
Why are they important? What is the risk if I never get one? Do I need one before I get treatment? These questions and more are answered in our Vein Screening blog. Check it out.
Most people know that throughout our bodies is a vast circulatory system that includes strong arteries and healthy veins. Arteries pump oxygenated blood to all of our organs and systems, allowing them to function properly, while veins are responsible for moving deoxygenated blood back to our heart so that the blood can be recirculated. Even for healthy, strong veins, delivering blood back to the heart is no easy task — veins have a challenging job with many obstacles to overcome. Transporting blood back to the heart covers a long distance and veins are often pushing upwards, moving gallons of pressurized blood against gravity. This is no small feat and requires strong veins for efficient circulation.
Healthy veins are designed as a series of one-way streets, equipped with valves to keep your blood flowing in one direction, up to your heart. If these valves are weakened and start to fail, this causes a condition known as venous insufficiency. This means that the valves in the veins are damaged, allowing blood to flow backward and pool in your veins. When the blood pools, it exerts added pressure on the vein walls, stretching them and causing them to bulge and twist, eventually becoming visible on the surface of your skin. These are known as varicose veins. When smaller veins are affected, it results in spider veins. Both spider veins and varicose veins are a symptom of venous disease.
Symptoms of venous insufficiency and varicose veins include:
There are a variety of factors that can compromise the health of your veins and lead to venous insufficiency or venous disease.
Venous disease is a progressive condition that cannot be cured, but there are ways to treat the symptoms. As unsightly as they are, varicose veins are actually early warning signs of what could become a more significant problem. Treating varicose veins isn’t just treating a cosmetic issue – it’s discovering a deeper problem within your venous system that, left untreated, could lead to serious health conditions. Healthy veins are crucial to your overall wellness, so treating any underlying causes of venous disease should be a priority.
For the majority of people, varicose veins are completely treatable. At The Vein Center of Florida, we offer several minimally-invasive treatments right in our office that require little to no downtime or recovery. These minimally-invasive procedures can not only improve the cosmetic appearance of your legs by eliminating unsightly varicose veins but more importantly, they can help improve your overall health and reroute your circulation to healthy, strong veins.
The following vein screening questionnaire is designed to educate patients on the symptoms of venous disease and to help them determine if they are at risk or should seek further evaluation for venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, you could be experiencing symptoms of venous disease that is compromising the health and strength of your veins. While many consider varicose veins a strictly cosmetic issue, if left untreated they could lead to complications such as swelling, skin discoloration, venous eczema, venous ulcers and an increased risk of blood clots. The vein specialists at The Vein Center of Florida offer free vein screenings that can help you determine if your symptoms indicate venous insufficiency and determine the best course of action and right treatments depending on your unique situation.
At The Vein Care Center of Florida, we understand the importance of healthy veins and offer free varicose vein screenings to help keep our patients healthy. A vein screening can help Dr. Jimenez determine if you are affected by venous disease and better understand what is going on inside your veins. Screening for venous disease is especially important if there is a family history of varicose veins or if you answered yes more than once on the questionnaire. A vein screening is also important for identifying and addressing a vein problem before it progresses.
When you come in for one of our periodic free varicose vein screenings, our team will help you determine what you should do next to start getting the symptom relief you deserve. If you’d like to find out more about our free vein screenings, contact or call us today at 1-800-910-VEIN. Whether you’re in Pensacola, Destin or Escambia County, Florida, or Foley/Baldwin County, Alabama, The Vein Center is here to help you.