Causes and treatments for varicose veins around ankles

Varicose veins, also known as spider veins or reticular veins, are caused by a decrease in blood flow towards the feet. This is because of increased pressure that restricts the valves within the vein from functioning properly. While these veins most commonly show on legs, many people also develop them on their ankles or feet.

What causes varicose veins around ankles?

There are a few reasons why you may develop varicose veins around your ankles. The most common reason is because of increased pressure that restricts the valves within the vein from functioning properly. When these valves are not working correctly, blood can pool in the vein and cause it to enlarge and become visible as a varicose vein. Other causes of varicose veins around the ankles can include obesity, prolonged sitting or standing, pregnancy, and age. If you have a family history of varicose veins, you are also more likely to develop them yourself.

Why should you treat varicose veins on ankles?

Just like on legs, varicose veins on ankles can cause discomfort like itching or even pain, they are unsightly, and they could lead to additional health problems like ulcers, skin irritation, and even blood clots or deep vein thrombosis, which could be deadly.

Varicose veins ankles treatments

There are several treatments available for varicose veins in ankles such as sclerotherapy (injecting medication into the vein) or endovenous laser ablation (a procedure that destroys abnormal tissue with lasers). Sclerotherapy is the most common treatment for treating this condition. During this procedure, a sclerosing agent will be injected into the vein to cause it to scar and collapse on its own. This is done by your doctor with local anesthetic using a very fine needle. If you have a lot of veins that need to be treated, some healthcare professionals will opt for endovenous laser ablation as it is a more efficient way to treat many veins at once instead of just one with sclerotherapy. With this procedure, your doctor will insert a catheter into the vein and use the laser to seal the vein shut. Both of these procedures are outpatient meaning you can go home shortly after it is completed. Within seven days, both will cause the treated veins to scar and fall apart on their own without any residual pain or discomfort. Your doctor will give you instructions on how to take care of your legs before you leave including wearing compression stockings. Besides sclerotherapy and endovenous ablation, there are many home remedies that supposedly “cure” varicose veins, but none of them really do. Instead, they may relieve symptoms (things like creams or herbs) or they may prevent future varicose veins (changing your diet, moving more often, exercising, compression stockings, raising your legs, etc.).

Visit A San Diego Vein Specialist

At Kafri Wellness Clinic, we have over 25+ years of experience working with patients to address vein issues. We also take into consideration a cardiovascular approach towards your treatment to give you as much insight into your health as possible. If you’d like to schedule a consultation to learn how we can help you, please contact us today!

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