Northern Illinois Vein Clinic

treating the entire spectrum of vein disease using the most advanced non-surgical techniques.

Vein Disease

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Varicose veins is a term used to describe superficial veins(veins underneath the skin in our legs) that have become enlarged and swollen because the valves in them are damaged. The valves in healthy leg veins make sure the blood from our legs makes it back to the heart, so that it can be oxygenated and recirculated. These valves allow the blood in our veins to only flow in one direction, moving blood up towards the heart, against gravity! If we didn’t have these valves blood in our legs would never make it back to our hearts for recirculation.

Unfortunately, about 50 to 55% of American women and 40 to 45% of American men suffer from some form of vein problem, with varicose veins affecting 1 out of 2 people age 50 and older. The disease starts slowly but worsens over time .

Normal vein

Varicose vein

This is what you see, feel, and need to worry about!!!

Symptoms

Fatigue

Heaviness

Aching

Burning

Throbbing

Itching

Cramping

Restlessness of the legs

Varicose Veins These are painful dilated veins where the blood has "pooled", as the one way valves can no longer channel the blood up the leg towards the heart. This "pooling" stretches the veins, creating swollen and twisted veins that appear under the skin as rope like vessels.

Before Treatment

Reticular & Spider Veins These are smaller branches, which most of the time originate from the bigger varicose veins, just like a tree branch! This is "tip of the iceberg" and sometimes might be the only cosmetic indicator of extensive varicose vein disease deeper in the skin.

Venous stasis (purplish skin) discoloration and ulcer formation
These are severe symptoms and are caused due to poor circulation of blood in the legs. The blood pools in the leg and causes "venous congestion", in other words a backup or traffic jam of blood in the leg. This then leads to the skin discoloration, skin thickening, swelling and possibly ulcerations.