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Preparing for Vein Treatment

doctor treating the woman's varices Before the current advances in vein care most vein centers used painful stripping and cauterization treatments. However, procedures to correct varicose and spider veins have improved drastically. There are a number of treatments that offer various effective results. Each procedure is beneficial for different problems that a patient may have. At Physician’s Vascular Services we like to prepare our patients for upcoming services. We have listed a few tips to help prepare for treatment.

Talk With Your Physician

If you are nervous about your upcoming procedure the first thing you need to do is have a conversation with your physician. Openly discussing your apprehension will help. Your doctor will let you know all the details and possible risks of the minor surgery. They will certainly let you know that current treatment options have minimal risks, little to no pain, and quick recovery.

Get Prepared for the Procedure

The first step to preparing is to cut off any blood thinners and aspirin. They can lead to increased bruising during recovery. It is also vital to remain hydrated. Be sure to shower before the procedure as well. It is also important to bring compression socks to the appointment. It is only necessary to wear the compression sock on the leg that will undergo the procedure at our vein center. Wearing loose fitting clothes will ensure comfort when you leave the vein center. You will also want to make sure you have someone available to drive you home after the treatment.

After the Procedure

It is important to take a walk one to two times a day after the procedure. It is normal to notice tightness in the leg as well as bruising. The gauze covering the incision may leak a bit of fluid as well during the first 24 hours. Most patients don’t take more than a day or two to return to work and other normal activities. It is however, important to avoid flying, road trips, and hot tubs for five to seven days.

Contact Our Vein Center Today

If you are considering vein treatment for the painful and bothersome side effects of spider and varicose veins don’t wait. Treatment is no longer painful and there are plenty of options. Contact Physician Vascular Services today and talk to one of our experts. We will be happy to answer your questions and set you up with a consultation with one of our physicians. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can experience relief.

What Does Varicose Vein Treatment Entail?

doctor holding up a leg that is starting to be affected by varicose veinsUnfortunately, varicose vein treatment comes with a bad stigma. People cringe at the mention of those words. That is because old treatments included painful stripping and cauterization. These treatments had extensive recovery times and often left scars. However, with new innovative technology, all new treatments are available. With new treatments you can expect more effective results, less downtime, and a far less invasive treatment process. Many people ask, what does varicose vein treatment entail. We have the details of what you can expect here.

Varicose Vein Treatment Starts With Screening

The first thing the doctor will do is use special equipment to take a better look at your venous problems. A Duplex Ultrasound will also be conducted to view blood flow. This usually takes place in one visit. It is pain-free and non-invasive, but very thorough. The doctor will also conduct a one-on-one consultation to give you treatment options.

The Newest Technology in Treatment

As mentioned before, new technologies afford doctors more options for less invasive, less painful procedures for patients in need of varicose vein treatment.

Radio Frequency Ablation / Venefit Procedure – This procedure includes using a catheter to direct Radio Frequency energy into the vein walls. The damaged vein will shut down the bood flow and redirect it to healthier veins.

Endovenous Laser Treatment – This is one of the leading treatments in vein care. It starts with local anesthesia. Then laser energy is directed at the varicose vein. The vein walls then shrink and collapse which the body later absorbs.

Ambulatory Phlebectomy – When varicose veins are large and close to the surface this procedure is preferred. A local anesthesia is used. Then the surgeon makes a very small incision and extracts the diseased vein.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins

Oftentimes, varicose veins are more than just a cosmetic problem. They are often painful, cause bruising, itching, swelling, and can cause the legs to feel heavy. They can appear to be dark purple, bulging, and look liked twisted cords under the skin. Of these symptoms are present varicose vein treatment might be necessary to get rid of the problem.

Seeking Treatment

Unfortunately, too many people decide to endure the pain instead of seeking treatment. This is because too many people don’t realize that treatment options are minimally invasive and nearly pain free. If you are interested in seeking out care for your varicose veins be sure to call Physicians Vascular Services today.

Why Winter is the Best Time for Vein Care: Get Prepared for Summer

doctor examining legs during a routine vein care appointmentAs the temperature begins to drop and the weather gets colder and colder, people everywhere are layering and staying warm. If you wear tights, you may forget about your varicose veins. Winter is the best time for vein care, after all. If you’re in the El Paso area and you’re in need of vein care, Physician’s Vascular Services is ready to help!

Winterize Your Vein Care!

But why exactly is winter the best time to receive vein care? It’s simple, really. Varicose veins tend to worsen during the winter months. Due to the cold weather, people tend to become less active. Regular exercise works wonders for varicose veins but when people stop their exercise routine, the varicose vein issues can resurface. Instead of hiding your veins throughout the entire winter, you can seek the vein care services you deserve today! Since many treatments may be required, you can begin today and have your legs ready to go for next summer. No longer will you have to feel self-conscious about baring your legs at the beach.

Other Vein Care Benefits to Keep in Mind

Another way winter offers benefits for individuals with varicose veins is by allowing patients to easily keep tabs on their progress. After varicose vein care treatment, you may have to rest for a few days in order for your legs to heal completely. Instead of cutting time from your summer vacation, you can have the necessary procedures now and heal during your winter holiday break!  

After The Treatment

After varicose vein treatment, you will more than likely cover up your legs until the cosmetic side effects get resolved. Once winter is but a distant memory, and you feel the warm glow of summer, you’ll be able to wear shorts or skirts without fear of embarrassment. Thanks to taking care of your veins during the winter months, you’ll be able to feel as confident as ever when the time to reveal your legs finally arrives.

Choose Physician’s Vascular Services, Today!

Vein care tends to work on an outpatient basis so you can come in to get the procedure you require and go home that very same day. As you rest at home, you can look toward the future. Once summer comes around, you’ll be able to bare your legs for the world to see! If you’re in the El Paso area, you can visit Physician’s Vascular Services for all your vein care needs. Remember, winter is the best time to take care of your veins. Our team is ready to help. Contact us today!

The Risks of Ignoring Your Varicose Veins

ankle affected by varicose veins getting proper medical careVaricose veins are a condition that affects over 60 million people in the United States alone. Vein care is a booming business for a good reason- if you forgo care, these veins can do a lot more than look bad. What are varicose veins? They are those bulging, angry veins that tend to pop up for a lot of reasons, among them age, weight, and genetics. They often start out as spider veins- tender little delicate looking veins that are visible as the circulation in minor veins loses efficiency. For many people, spider veins don’t really have symptoms besides the random itch now and then, as well as the visible patterns on your legs. However, these delicate looking veins can easily, and most often do, evolve into venous disease. When you willingly ignore your vein issues and decide not to look for proper vein care, you are putting yourself at risk for a variety of nasty complications.

Common Complications of Varicose Veins

When your spider veins progress to varicose veins, the symptoms alone can be cause for alarm. Your leg veins can swell, become painful and hot to the touch, as well as bulge and harden. Some patients report a dull ache. While different people experience different symptoms, the common result is that many people become less and less active. This inactivity means that patients often begin to gain weight, which exacerbates the symptoms. In the absence of vein care, the following complications can arise.

Leg Swelling and Hyper Pigmentation

Pooled blood in your ankles can often result in painful leg swelling. This impedes mobility and can make walking even a short distance hard on the patient. In addition, your legs will start turning darker red. These are the middle stages of venous disease, of which varicose veins are an initial, and very serious symptom.

Venous Leg Ulcers

Venous leg ulcers can develop when pooled blood in the legs start causing the legs to swell. As they do, blood ulcers can begin to form. These ulcers can be a very real danger, as they are not only painful, but they run a high risk of infection.

Blood Clots

Blood clots can form very early in the development of venous disease. While it doesn’t seem like a miniscule clot can be very serious, ANY clot forming in your veins can be potentially fatal. As your varicose veins worsen without proper vein care, they can start affecting deeper and deeper veins, taking the clots with them.

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)

DVT is caused when the venous disease that causes varicose veins delves into the deep veins of your legs. Deep vein thrombosis are those little clots that you have 20-40% chance of getting on a superficial vein. As they move deeper, they can get bigger. These clots can break free, and move freely up to your lungs, heart, or brain, where they can easily be fatal.

Getting Proper Vein Care in El Paso

When it comes to the health of your veins, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. At Physician’s Vascular Services, Dr. Furlong and his associates have the latest methods in vein care that will help you deal with your symptoms and cut back the health risks you are in danger of. Let us help you live a healthy life. Contact us today!

Proper Vein Care — How You Can Take Care Of Your Veins, Today!

woman massaging her ankle with a black heel discardedLet’s face it: El Paso is a hot city and sometimes, you just have to wear shorts, a dress, or a skirt because the heat is just way too much. But if your leg veins make you feel self-conscious, then it may be time to consider vein care. Physician’s Vascular Services offers vein care assistance to the people of El Paso.

Don’t Let Your Veins Stop You From Enjoying Life!

If you dread the thought of showing your legs in public because of your varicose veins, you’re not alone! Varicose veins are common, especially among individuals aged 19 to 60 and over. Varicose veins are somewhat benign, although they can cause aches and pains in some individuals. Regardless, they play a big role in how individuals feel about their outward appearance. In order to correctly deal with varicose veins, you might have considered wearing makeup or specialized, compression socks to deal with the issue at hand. In reality, these “solutions” are only temporary and they won’t solve any long-term issues. The best way to deal with varicose veins is by implementing proper vein care.

Vein care manifests in a variety of ways. First off, you need to think about what may be causing your varicose veins. They might be hereditary but individuals who spend a major part of their day standing or on their feet (nurses or police officers, for example) are known to suffer from varicose veins. So if your career requires you to stand for long periods of time, you might be able to blame your varicose vein issues on that. From there, you can figure out what type of vein care you require.

Vein Care For You

Varicose veins occur when a vein in your leg becomes unhealthy. The diseased vein has weak valves that fail and cause a condition known as venous reflux disease. This causes the blood to have issues moving steadily upwards. When a vein is diseased, it will become twisted and enlarged. This is what causes the look of varicose veins. In order to care for this issue, you should seek medical assistance. This assistance will give you long-term results, as opposed to the short-term superficial results of makeup or socks. There are many treatment options available from which you can choose. The world of vein care is vast and full of wonderful options! Don’t let your legs make you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious. Get the help you deserve, today!

Varicose Veins vs Spider Veins — Similarities and Differences

back of a person's legs that are affected by varicose and spider veinsAs we age, things begin to change. Physical changes are the most apparent. For women—and some men—these changes may appear as varicose or spider veins. These changes can make many people feel embarrassed about showing their legs out in public. This way of thinking is incredibly negative and shouldn’t be perpetuated. More often than not, those who have vein issues may suffer from painful swelling and exhaustion. But what differentiates varicose from spider veins? They’re actually much more similar than you might’ve previously thought!

Differences Between Varicose and Spider Veins

For starters, the most obvious difference between varicose and spider veins is how they look. Varicose veins are large, raised and tend to appear mostly in the legs. Spider veins, on the other hand, are smaller and can be red, purple, blue or all three. Spider veins may appear on your legs and face. Since both types of vein issues occur, well, to the veins, it makes sense that they share more similarities than differences. Still, spider veins vary in many ways from varicose veins and since the other variety can appear on the face, they may affect sufferers in a more negative way than varicose veins might.

How Similar Are They?

So now that you understand what differentiates varicose veins from spider veins, it’s time to talk about what makes them similar. Both result in pain and swelling. Both are also caused by similar issues. People whose jobs require them to stand for long hours can be at risk of varicose and spider veins. This is why nurses are often afflicted with the ailment. Standing isn’t the only way to get vein issues. Often times, it’s a hereditary issue! Obesity and blood clots are also culprits in vein issues. Women tend to suffer more from vein issues. In fact, women’s vein issues can be worse during their menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. This isn’t to say that men can’t suffer from varicose or spider veins. If you’ve got veins, there’s a chance they can face issues sooner or later.

Get the Help You Need!

If you’re suffering from any vein related ailment, we can help. At Physician’s Vascular Services, we offer the best care so you’ll be pain-free and your legs will look great in no time! Don’t let painful veins stop you from living your life to the fullest. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!

More Tips for Proper Vein Care

doctor providing vein care by injecting medicine into an ankle with severe varicose veinsYou may not think about your veins every day, but they’re an important infrastructure in your body. Veins run through your entire body, and you have miles of them. They’re responsible for transporting blood throughout your body, so when they become damaged, injured, or swollen, you could be in for a world of hurt. That being said, it’s important to take care of your veins in order to avoid or minimize the effects of these issues. As a follow-up to our previous blog, here are some more tips, brought to you by Physician’s Vascular Services, on how to take care of your veins.

Tip #1: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

If we’re being honest, many people have varicose veins, but that doesn’t mean they don’t pose any issues for you. In fact, without proper vein care, varicose veins can really do some damage on you. For starters, they can cause a lot of aches and pain in the area surrounding the veins. Varicose veins may also be a sign of other underlying issues that could be detrimental to your health. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late to seek treatment for you varicose veins. Speaking to a doctor early on will help make treatment go more smoothly.

Tip #2: Prepare Early On

Genetics are unavoidable. Sometimes this is a bad thing, especially if it means having varicose veins. However, you can start preparing early on by researching how prominent varicose veins are in your family. If they are prominent, you can plan to receive vein care in advance, helping you better prepare for varicose vein treatment.

Tip #3: Undergo Treatment

Many people opt to ignore varicose veins, but this should never be your go to. Even if you wait a long time, treatment can still help, even if it only does the bare minimum. Your doctor may refer you to a number of treatments, including compression–like wearing tight stockings–or surgery. Treatment can help correct your varicose veins and minimize symptoms.

Tip #4: Call Physician’s Vascular Services

This tip is a doozy. If you’re looking for quality vein care in the El Paso area, call us! We’ve been helping the El Paso area for many years and can help you as well. Our physicians are certified to provide you with the high quality vein care you deserve. Follow tip number one and don’t wait! Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Understanding Your Body — Facts from a Vein Clinic

a woman with beautiful legs after visiting the vein clinicVeins: without them, how would blood make it around your body and then back to your heart again? Your body is comprised of tons of veins, though the exact number or even a rough estimate has yet to be determined. However, scientists estimate that if you were to lay your veins out in a straight line, it would go on for roughly 100,000 miles. Imagine that! You have 100,000 miles worth of veins wrapped up in your body! So cool! That being said, you want to be sure you take care of them properly and help from a vein clinic can ensure you do so. Physician’s Vascular Services offers various treatments for your veins to ensure they stay on the right track to a healthy future. But before you can properly take care of them, there are a few facts you should know.

Fact #1: Your Body Has Three Major Blood Vessels

We wouldn’t be able to function or live without blood flowing through our bodies, and there are three major blood vessels that are responsible for doing this; arteries, capillaries, and veins. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Veins, on the other hand, carry blood to the heart. Capillaries are responsible for helping the blood and tissues in your body exchange necessary water and chemicals.

Fact #2: Your Veins are Strong

Did you know your veins hold up to 70 percent of the blood in your body? If you think about it, that’s a lot! They’re also very flexible and can be distensible when undergoing a lot of stress, like during a hemorrhage or transfusion.

Fact #3: Like Onions or Cake, Veins Have Layers

Veins are actually made up of three layers. Their innermost layer is made up of membranous tissues. Surrounding that tissue is a layer of smooth muscle. On the outside, veins have a connective tissue layer. These layers help veins function properly inside your body.

Fact #4: Your Veins Age With You

While your veins start off really strong and elastic, they tend to lose strength and elasticity over time, causing issues like varicose veins. If you experience pain in your legs due to your veins, a vein clinic can help!

Call a Vein Clinic: Physician’s Vascular Services

As a vein clinic, Physician’s Vascular Services is dedicated to helping our patients alleviate pain in their legs caused by varicose veins and other vein-related issues. Call us today for more information!

How to Properly Care for Your Veins

legs after a varicose vein treatment using a Veinviewer flex lightIt may seem like the only thing you need to do to properly care for your veins is to stop eating things that clog your arteries. Fast food or donuts come to mind. However, there are many other things you can do that can ensure your veins stay healthy. At Physician’s Vascular Services, we help our clients keep their veins healthy. The pain, itchiness, and swelling associated with varicose veins don’t stop our clients from doing the things they enjoy. Here are some tips on keeping your veins, and legs, healthy.

Tip #1: Eat Healthily

While avoiding fast food and donuts can keep your arteries “unclogged,” it can also help reduce your chances of getting varicose veins. Typically, you get varicose veins when your veins weaken and fail to transport blood throughout the body properly. This causes your veins to twist, bulge, and swell, causing pain and discomfort in your legs. This can prohibit you from enjoying normal activities such as running and other intense physical activities. By eating healthy, you reduce the impact varicose veins may have on your body.

Tip #2: Change Up Your Lifestyle

If your job requires you to sit or stand in one position for long periods a day, there are a few things you can do to counteract the harmful effects. For one, you can invest in a standing desk. A standing desk will allow you to change your position frequently throughout the day. By alternating between sitting and standing, you reduce your chances of getting bad varicose veins. Exercising regularly and spending a decent amount of time of the day being active (outside of exercise) can also help. Proper vein care though physical activity is important not only for varicose veins but for your overall health.

Tip #3: Monitor Your Family History

Unfortunately, genetics are an uncontrollable factor that may affect your chances for having unhealthy veins. So, by knowing your family’s health history and understanding its effects on other family members, you can more efficiently manage the effects varicose veins have on your own body. Talk to your doctor regularly and be sure to bring up your family’s history in order to receive the proper vein care you need.

Physician’s Vascular Services Can Help!

Whether your varicose veins were caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or by genetics, we can provide you with proper vein care. Our vein care methods and treatments are effective for eliminating varicose veins’ symptoms and issues on your body. Simply call us today for more information!

Stay Active! Vein Care Starts at Home

spider-vein-treatment-in-el-pasoVein care involves getting proper treatment from El Paso professionals like the doctors at Physician’s Vascular Services. However, keeping your veins and circulatory system healthy is also something that you can work on at home. There are things that you can do in order to prevent the development of varicose veins or to slow down the development of varicose veins.  

Lifestyle Changes to Make for Effective Vein Care

Vein care at home can not only reduce the development of varicose veins, but it can also reduce the discomfort associated with varicose veins you may already have. Some of the different lifestyle changes that El Paso patients with circulatory issues can make include exercising, eating a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy weight. When you lose weight, you take some of the pressure off of your veins.  A low-salt diet can also result in less water retention.  Finally, walking helps to encourage good blood circulation.

Taking Care of Your Legs

In addition to lifestyle changes aimed at improving circulation and decreasing water retention, there are also some even more basic steps you can take for at-home vein care. One thing you should do is elevate your legs several times a day to improve circulation. You should elevate the legs above the level of your heart a few times a day, which you can do by laying down and resting your legs on several pillows. You can also watch the types of clothing that you wear, avoiding high heels and tight clothes.  These steps can make a big difference in improving circulation, but you should still see a professional about vein care. 

Choose Physician’s Vascular Services Today!

There are many simple lifestyle changes you can do to make your veins healthier. But it’s also good to get medical assistance. This way, you can see just how important it is to have healthy veins. Vein care can start at home but it can also become extenuated when you visit a doctor. Your doctor can help pinpoint what’s causing your vein issues and even offer personalized ways for you to keep your veins healthy. All it takes is a visit to your vein doctor, your body will thank you for it!

If you’re ready for your legs to start looking as they’re meant to, then don’t hesitate. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We’re ready to make your veins as healthy as ever.