Posts Tagged ‘diabetes’

Can You Get Spider Vein Treatment

Friday, January 29th, 2010

Can you get spider vein treatment? That is one question that only your doctor can answer after conducting a thorough physical examination and reviewing your medical history.

The patients medical history is important because spider vein could be caused by age, heredity, medication or pregnancy. If you think that only females get it, men also do but it is rare for men to undergo treatment so this can be removed.

If you are considering spider vein treatment, you have to be physically fit because people who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS cant undergo this procedure.

One issue that prevents some from undergoing spider vein treatment is the cost. It may be as low as $150 per leg but this could be much higher depending on how many veins have to be treated, how large are the veins, the experience of the doctor and where this will be done.

If you cant afford it, you may want to check if your insurance will be able to cover it. The bad news is that it is rarely covered by your provider because spider veins are considered to be a cosmetic problem, nothing else. If you are lucky, you will be required to present photographs or laboratory studies before your request is approved.

The procedure used by most doctors today is called sclerotherapy. Here, the doctor will inject needles into the affected veins. Studies have shown that the patients condition will improve by 50 to 90 percent but this takes months. The end result is that the spider veins will disappear but this does not prevent new ones from appearing later on.

Patients who choose to undergo sclerotherapy will be on an operating table for about 15 to 45 minutes. Again, this depends on how many veins need to be treated. Anesthesia is not used all throughout and you are awake the whole time. Since the needles are so thin, the only thing you will feel is a prick.

Once you have been injected with the fluid, the area will be bandaged and you will have to wear a prescribed tight fitting hose for 72 hours.

During this time, your legs will look like someone beat you up. To remove the sclerosing solution that was injected, your doctor will advise you to walk. Until the next session which is due in the following month, you should not carry heavy items, exercise, sit, stand or squat for a long period of time.

If money is not an issue and there is nothing in your medical history that is preventing you from undergoing sclerotherapy, the only thing you have to do now is look for a doctor.

Just be sure that the specialist is a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). These people are members of a bigger organization namely the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

But can spider veins be prevented? Yes it can as long as you wear a support hose regularly as this helps prevent unwanted blood vessels from developing. You should also exercise regularly and maintain your weight. Lastly, you must avoid exposing yourself too much from the sun as its harmful rays can also do damage.

But some people still experience spider veins despite the measures mentioned and if you want to get rid of it, you have no choice but to undergo spider vein treatment.

Are There Side Effects for Spider Vein Treatment

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

Are there any side effects from spider vein treatment? There are a few but most people do not experience it. Just the same, you should know what could happen.

The first side effect is hyper pigmentation which occasional develops when the vein is injected. Fortunately, it does not that long and it normally fades. Since your skin will turn dark, one way to prevent people from seeing it is to wear pants or apply bleaching cream.

It is also possible that an inflammation will occur for a few days after the procedure. Doctors that perform on patients say that this is also normal because things will look worse before they get any better. You just have to bear with it.

Your skin may not turn dark but it can become reddish. This happens when multiple veins develop around the injection site.

The last spider vein treatment side effect is deep vein thrombosis. Of the four mentioned this is very rare and when it does happen, the patient will feel pain and the veins will be red, swollen and engorged.

If you experience any of these side effects, it is best to call your doctor immediately so he or she can come over and examine it further.

Doctors will always do their best to prevent complications and side effects like these from occurring. One of the things they do is let you answer a questionnaire and you have to answer it truthfully. You will also need to undergo a physical exam because you may or may not have spider veins but something more serious.

Patients who have circulatory problems, diabetes, heart condition or a blood born disease like hepatitis or AIDS are also not allowed because these people have the tendency to bleed or have poor healing.

If you experienced a blood clot in the past, the doctor will not say no right away so you still have a shot since this is decided on a case to case basis depending on the cause of the clot.

Women who are pregnant or are breast feeding are also not allowed to undergo this procedure because it could contaminate the milk which is fed to the infant and in some cases, spider veins go away on their own once the female gives birth. In both cases, the patient will just have to see the doctor later on if she still wants this done normally after three months.

You should avoid certain activities and taking certain things a week before surgery to prevent any problems. This includes not taking any medication especially antibiotics and not applying any lotion especially in the areas where the doctor will work on.

The side effects of spider vein treatment are minimal and in some cases very rare which is why sclerotherapy which was widely used in Europe has made its way to the US and doctors here have been performing this procedure for more than a decade.

You just have to find a licensed practitioner who will be able to perform this procedure safely so you can go out and show your legs. This could even make you look younger so you will feel good about yourself which is perhaps the best thing about this form of spider form treatment.

Health: Three Reasons Why You Should Lose Weight

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

Are you a woman who is struggling with your weight? If you are, you are definitely not alone. Today, many women are faced with many issues, including weight. If you are unhappy with your current weight, you may be interested in changing it, but, for many, that is often easier said than done.

When it comes to losing weight, many women are able to come up with an unlimited number of excuses as to why they cant lose weight or excuses as to why this important issue should be pushed off to the side for now. Many women are lacking the motivation needed to lose weight. If you are one of those women, you will want to continue reading on. Below, three reasons as to why you should lose weight are outlined and these reasons may serve as the motivation that you have been looking for

#1 Appearance

Although many women are satisfied with the way that they look, many are not. If you are currently unhappy with the way that you look and feel, you will want to consider losing weight. Weight loss, even a small one, can significantly improve the way that you see yourself, as well as the way that others see you. If you hate looking at yourself in the mirror every morning, it may be time to think about losing weight.

#2 Health

For many women, being overweight or obese isnt just about carrying around a few extra pounds. Obesity has been linked to a number of health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as the early onset of death. If you do not take steps to lose weight now, especially if you are seriously overweight, your health may have other plans for you. It is important to mention that those plans may not necessarily be good ones.

#3 Wellbeing

In addition to benefiting your health and your physical appearance, weight loss can also make you feel good about yourself. Many women notice an instant improvement in their self-confidence and self-esteem when they lose weight. This means that even if you are suffering from other issues, aside from weight related issues, weight loss may be able to assist you with overcoming those issues or at least the stress that is associated with them.

The three above mentioned reasons are just a few of the many reasons why you may want to think about losing weight, if you have weight to lose. Should you decide that losing weight is in your best interest, you may want to think about making an appointment with a healthcare professional. These types of appointments are important, as well as insightful. Your healthcare professional may be able to instruct you on safe ways that you can go about losing weight and they may also be able to help you set reasonable weight loss goals for yourself.

Although it is advised that you speak with a healthcare professional about your intent to lose weight, you dont have to just rely on their expertise or their input. A large number of women, just like you, lose weight by joining locally operated weight loss programs, as well as online weight loss programs. What is nice about weight loss programs, both those operated locally and online, is that you often walk away with professional advice, as well as support from others just like you.