As noted specialist for varicose vein treatment in Maui, Hawaii, we deal every day with the many misconceptions that people have about varicose veins and vein disease. Many of these misconceptions are remnants from the way vein disease was treated decades ago in the “bad old days,” and many of them are new myths spread by the Internet. All of this misinformation makes it difficult for people to learn true facts about varicose veins, so in this article we’ll present a few of them.

10 facts about varicose veins that all Hawaii residents need to know

1. Varicose veins are more common than you think. Over half of Americans over 50 have them, making them one of the most widespread health issues.
2. You can have varicose veins without being able to see them. The disease that causes them (chronic venous insufficiency or CVI) can be present and damaging your circulatory and immune systems for years before displaying visible symptoms. The only sure way to know whether you have them is to get a venous health screening.
3. Varicose veins DO “run in families.” If your mother, grandmother, or other close family members had them, you are more likely to have them yourself.
4. Varicose veins DON’T “go away” or “get better on their own.” They get worse, often so much worse that the pain they cause can leave you effectively disabled.
5. Varicose veins are NOT “merely a cosmetic problem that poses no health risks.” The damage that CVI and varicose veins do to your circulation and immune system increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.
6. Common side effects of varicose veins include chronic tiredness and weakness, swollen legs and ankles, changes in the color and texture of your skin, and leg ulcers that can become so infected that they bleed constantly and won’t heal. And these are just the superficial side effects. Beneath the surface, varicose veins are wrecking your health in many other ways.
7. Some of the risk factors for varicose veins you can’t do anything about, like your age and gender. But others – like smoking, obesity, and inactivity – are within your control. If you seek vein treatment in Maui, you can cut your risk of developing varicose veins drastically.
8. Varicose veins may be an indicator of another vein disease that is far more serious – deep vein thrombosis or DVT. This condition can cause pulmonary embolism or stroke, and kills over 300,000 Americans per year.
9. Contrary to what your mother and other relatives with varicose veins may have told you, you DON’T have to “just live with varicose veins.” The truth is that with modern techniques, varicose veins can be removed permanently, using procedures that are fast, pain-free, and non-invasive at the best Maui vein treatment center.
10. The minimally invasive treatments used to eliminate varicose veins are permanent so that once they are removed they won’t come back. Also, your Oahu varicose vein doctor will work with you to help you adapt lifestyle changes that will help to prevent any new varicose veins from forming.

So don’t be misled by the things you may have heard from relatives or from misinformation you found on the Internet. Yes, varicose veins are a serious disease, but no, you DON’T have to just “live with them.” Your local varicose vein treatment specialists in Honolulu at Vein Clinics of Hawaii can give you the information and treatments you need to rid yourself of current varicosities. So give Dr. Randall S. Juleff a call today and set up an appointment for your venous health screening.