AGING WELL
Vanquishing
Painful
VARICOSE VEINS
T
ogether, our veins and arteries make up an intricate, coordinated system that takes blood to and from the heart and lungs. In order to function properly, the valves in our leg veins must work against gravity, moving blood upward to the heart and lungs and keeping blood from traveling down toward the feet. When leg veins suffer damage or change due to age or genetic predisposition, those valves can fail to work correctly, leading to a condition known as venous insufficiency. In such cases, blood pools in the legs, leading to bulging, painful varicose veins. “Gravity is the reason people develop symptoms from varicose veins,” explains Tara Balint, MD, a vascular surgeon at Sentara RMH Medical Center. “When we sit or stand for too long, gravity pulls blood flow toward the feet when the leg veins dilate.” More common in women than in men, varicose veins are often hereditary. However, they also can be caused by pregnancy, weight gain, aging, and frequently standing or sitting for extended periods. “People with varicose veins can experience burning, itching, skin discoloration and leg swelling,” says Lewis Owens, MD, a vascular surgeon with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital. “With those types of symptoms, we’ll often
come up with a treatment plan to help alleviate the condition.”
Traffic Jam Leads to Long-Term Vein Issues Vein issues began for Sharon Archer, of Massanutten, Va., back in 2009. During a drive from California to their home in Nevada, Sharon and her husband, Steve, ended up in an eight-hour traffic jam. “The day after we got back, my ankle and leg were so swollen,” recalls Sharon, 69. “We went to the hospital, and it turned out I had a massive blood clot in my left leg that was completely blocking blood vessels.”
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