Your circulation and blood pressure can change throughout the day, depending on your activity levels, sitting position and even the weather. If you spend time outside in the cold weather, naturally your body will react in order to protect itself. In cold weather, your blood vessels will constrict which means that blood flow is restricted and your heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. As a result, your blood pressure and heart rate can increase and your circulation can become slowed down.

Many vein problems are related to varicose veins, such as telangiectasias (tel-AN-juh-ek-TA-ze-uhs), spider veins, varicoceles (VAR-i-ko-seals), and other vein problems.

Telangiectasias

Telangiectasias are small clusters of blood vessels. They're usually found on the upper body, including the face.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the surface of the skin. These veins usually occur in the legs, but they also can form in other parts of the body.

Sclerotherapy effectively treats varicose and spider veins. It's often considered the treatment of choice for small varicose veins.

Sclerotherapy involves injecting a solution directly into the vein. The sclerotherapy solution causes the vein to scar, forcing blood to reroute through healthier veins. The collapsed vein is reabsorbed into local tissue and eventually fades.

A varicose vein is a highly visible vein located just beneath the surface of the skin. Compression stockings may help to reduce the appearance and painful symptoms associated with varicose veins in some people.

What is ambulatory phlebectomy?

Ambulatory phlebectomy is an outpatient procedure developed by dermatologic surgeons that removes superficial veins through small, slit-like incisions in the skin.

Varicose veins are a problem for many people. Fortunately, the Vein and Vascular Center has the solution.

If you don't respond to self-care or compression stockings, or if your condition is more severe, your doctor may suggest one of these varicose vein treatments:

As many as 45 percent of all men will experience varicose veins at some point in their lives. The number one cause of varicose veins in both men and women is family history. If your mom or grandmother had varicose veins, you are more likely to have them. Lifestyle factors play a significant role as well.

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins. Any vein may become varicose, but the veins most commonly affected are those in your legs and feet. That's because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins of your lower body.

For many people, varicose veins and spider veins — a common, mild variation of varicose veins — are simply a cosmetic concern. For other people, varicose veins can cause aching pain and discomfort. Sometimes varicose veins lead to more-serious problems.

Q: What is endovenous ablation?

A: Endovenous ablation is a treatment for closing the saphenous vein in the leg, which is typically the main superficial vein associated with varicose veins. This treatment can be performed with either laser or radiofrequency (RF) technology.

Fall has started, and so has the drop in temperatures in the PNW. With a climate adjustment, there could be changes in the condition of your varicose veins or spider veins. Read on to discover how cold weather could affect your veins and solutions for great vein health.

Blood circulation is a natural way to help your veins. Here are a few ways to help circulation.

Exercise. This is among the top methods for getting your blood flowing. Because the heart is at the center of the body’s blood flow, it’s important to have a healthy heart if you aim for optimal circulation everywhere in your body.

Ah, yes…. Fall is back.  Time for leaves (oh, so colourful!), cool weather (though not cold yet, not quite that here in the South), the battle of pumpkin-spice vs. caramel-apple (both are delicious, frankly), and bonfires (do not jump over that!).  Fall is also the best time to seek treatment for your varicose veins. 

One of the most dangerous venous issues that can affect a person is thrombophlebitis.  This is, put as simply as possible, a blood clot that forms in a damaged or inflamed section of a vein.  Sometimes these blood clots happen to form deep inside the body’s tissues (DVT, or deep vein thrombosis, as this is called can also be a life-threatening situation), but other times they collect themselves in an inflamed section of a vein nearer to the top of the skin.

An excellent exercise routine, reasonably good lifestyle choices, and regular check ups are all vital components of maintaining the quality of your circulation, but did you know that there are certain foods that can boost and improve blood flow as well. 

Well, that nightly chill in the air can only mean one thing.  Summer is moving its way past us and winter is rounding the bend.  Here in the South, we know that winter is only the briefest respite from the ugly heat and humidity of the summer months (which, at least below the Mason-Dixon Line, can seem to drag on for upwards of even 10 months a year).  However, even while we are enjoying our cooler weather, people suffering from varicose veins need to know a few things about how the winter months may affect their situation.

Your diet is one of the single biggest contributing factors to your overall health.  That may seem like an obvious, even slightly silly, thing to say--yet it is a thing many people seem to have just the hardest time grasping.  Yes, the things we put into our bodies matter (“garbage in, garbage out” goes the saying, and it applies to more than just computer programming). 

Many people (myself included) have a bad habit.  It can develop early and may never go away without focus.  We think we are just making ourselves a bit more comfortable, when in reality we are causing ourselves quite a bit of undue damage, cutting off circulation, and generally impeding our vascular health.  The bad habit, of course, is simple: we are crossing our legs way, way too much.

Summer is a beast in the South.  The heat can be oppressive.  You always think that you will be used to it this year--it’s always humid and usually hot below the Mason-Dixon, regardless of the month.  Then June rolls around, and the heat index starts to climb higher and higher.  By mid-August, it can be difficult to walk outside, the air is so thick with humidity.  Every movement starts to feel like a trudge.

Varicose veins, those unsightly, bulging, vein inflammations that can show up on any of us at any time, are especially common in pregnant women.  Because of the added blood volume, the weight of an extra human, and the added strain on her muscles, the mom-to-be has an extra difficult hill to climb trying to keep away such blemishes.  Here are a few tips to help stave off the problem: