Varicose Veins are enlarged, gnarled veins that often appear blue, flesh-colored, or red. They often appear tangled and for some, they are simply a cosmetic concern, while they can cause pain for others. Chances are you probably know someone who has dealt with varicose veins, as more than 40 million Americans have them.
Sclerotherapy is a procedure that effectively treats varicose and spider veins. This treatment is often performed to treat small varicose veins. It involves injecting a solution directly into the vein which causes the vein to scar up and collapse, allowing blood to be rerouted through the healthier veins in the body. The collapsed vein eventually fades within a few weeks, although it may take up to a month to fully fade. Some patients may require several sclerotherapy treatments.
“I would come home and cry at the end of the day,” shares Coral Fairress, 44. Over the course of seven years, throbbing leg pain left Coral exhausted and nearly unable to move after standing for eight hours or longer working as a bartender. Although a specialist in Oklahoma City discovered five blood clots in her leg, the cause remained uncertain and was thought to be the result of taking birth control after the age of 35. However, the pain continued and Coral felt that wasn’t the answer to her problems with her leg pain and blood clots.
