Just for fun over the Christmas Period here's a short quiz about Varicose Veins!
1. Where does the word 'Varicose' come from?
2. Pregnant women run a higher risk of developing varicose veins. True or False?
3. Where are the deep veins located?
4. Superficial veins aren't real veins. True or False?
5. Name the top vascular surgeon at the Private Day Surgery.
Answers(sorry, I can't get these to appear upside down in the time honoured way!)
1. In common with a lot of medical terms the word has it roots in the Classics. This time it's Latin where the word for twisted is 'Varix'.
2. This is true, although they sometimes clear up on thier own. If you still have varicose veins more than 3 months after giving birth, then you should see your doctor.
3. The deep veins are the ones closest to your muscles.
4. This is false. They are called superficial as they are close to the surface of the skin.
When researching 'superfoods' generally, I was interested to learn what asparagus could do for anyone who is susceptible to varicose veins. The evidence is compelling that it may be beneficial in helping people avoid the need for varicose vein treatment.
Asparagus is a popular seasonal vegetable here in the UK, and it's water retention properties and high fibre also promote asparagus as being a particularly healthy thing to eat.
Of particular interest to me is that asparagus contains 'rutin'. This is a flavonoid that has anti-inflammatory properties and can help improve blood circulation. In addition, asparagus is useful for strengthening veins and capillaries and so it is easy to see how asparagus is a superfood for anyone trying to avoid varicose vein problems.
P.S. If you're puzzled by the rather overpowering smell of 'asparagus wee' this is down to the breakdown of sulphur compounds found in the asparagus and is in no way detrimental to your health.
This is a great ad for why you should get your varicose veins treated. It's American, but tasteful!
We know that varicose veins don't get better on their own and that some sort of medical intervention is necessary to free you from the discomfort they cause.
This is probably not a good video for vegetarians because it demonstrates both VNUS Closure and Laser ablation on a piece of beef liver.
It's a pretty graphic demonstration of how much less trauma you can expect with the VNUS Closure varicose veins treatment , and this of course sits well with the principles of the Private Day Surgery. Less trauma means lighter sedation, faster recovery and minimal bruising.
Don't turn up your speakers! This is a silent video and is an animation of what it means in terms of blood flow to have venous reflux disease - the cause of varicose veins.
Half way through the video, the diseased vein is 'ablated' and correct blood flow is restored.
Came across this YouTube video of Dennis Rosenberg from Medical Technologies, the makers of VNUS Closure varicose veins treatment.
He's very comfortable in front of the camera and gives a good explanation why the radio frequency method used by VNUS closure is superior to laser techniques.
It's one thing to have the VNUS Closure procedure explained to you, but it's something else to see graphically how the catheter heats the vein wall and is withdrawn in stages. Enjoy!
