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Article: Minimally invasive procedures can vanquish varicose veins.(TREATMENT)
- Article from:
- Focus on Healthy Aging
- Article date:
- November 1, 2009
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Belvoir Media Group, LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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It's thought that about 50 percent o older adults have varicose veins--the unsightly, enlarged veins that typically appear in the legs and feet. For many people, they're just a cosmetic concern, but they can cause pain and discomfort, and they may lead to more serious problems. "Because blood flows abnormally through varicose veins, they are more likely to clot, leading to pain, localized swelling and erythema (redness) over the affected vein," says Victoria J. Teodorescu, MD, associate professor of surgery at Mount Sinai. "Varicose veins also can rupture, especially the smaller ones often seen around the ankle."
How and why they form. All veins contain valves ...