Health

Sclerotherapy: An Effective Treatment for Eliminating Spider Veins

Published

2 years ago

June 16, 2021

When the temperatures are hot, some flaws may come to light. You may be unable to wear your carefree shorts, swimwear, or short skirts in spring or summer due to spider veins. Although these are conspicuously visible, doctors can use sclerotherapy in Glen Rock to eliminate spider veins. You can benefit from a relatively safe procedure that not only improves your appearance but prevents other complications.

Boosts the appearance of your legs

Attractiveness is a major concern for most people, and this includes beautiful legs. Spider veins appear as reddish-blue vessels on the lower legs and thighs. They may dent your self-confidence and, therefore, sclerotherapy becomes an option.

Benefit from modern technology

With modern technology, your doctor can remove spider veins through a painless and minimally visible procedure. It takes less time and you can resume your normal activities immediately after the session. The doctors use a thin needle to inject a sclerosing agent into the spider vein.

The vessel wall disintegrates and sticks to the opposite side such that the vessel can no longer get blood supply. Although it is a painless process, your doctor may apply local anesthesia to numb the treatment area.

How does sclerotherapy differ from laser vein treatment?

Laser treatment is non-invasive and involves directing a beam of light into the affected veins, thereby destroying them. It uses laser energy to target the specific veins by warming the vessel while protecting the surrounding areas from heat.

Unlike laser technology that uses heat, sclerotherapy is a safer option for treating spider veins buried deeply under the skin. These veins may differ in terms of pressure and size, and laser beams often fail to penetrate deeper into the underlying tissues. Thus, some veins remain, and there is also a risk of heart damage resulting in redness, scars, and swelling. Besides, sclerotherapy does not require cooling the skin to prepare it for laser treatment.

What causes spider veins?

Think of your venous system as a tree with branches. Spider veins are tiny branches or veins of the vascular system that run under the skin. Excess weight, pregnancy, and weak connective are the primary causes of spider veins. Also, sitting or standing for long hours, lack of exercise, and alcohol can promote their occurrence.

Similarly, wearing high heels can speed up the development of spider veins by causing blood to build up and cause pressure on your vessel walls. Eventually, they expand and can be seen from the outside.

How long does the treatment take?

The treatment can last up to six weeks, after which the vein disappears into the body and blood reroutes into healthy veins. Your doctor personalizes your treatment program depending on the complexity of the veins.

Your doctor assesses your suitability for the treatment and pregnant women are excluded from the procedure. If you are on supplements, have a history of blood clots or are above 75 years, this procedure does not apply to you.

You can benefit from the proper treatment depending on your specific goals. Speak to a vein specialist at New Jersey Sports and Pain Medicine for consultation.

Health

What Interferes with Successful Breastfeeding?

Published

4 weeks ago

September 5, 2023

Michelle Langton

While breastfeeding is ideal, it comes with many difficulties new parents might face.

After experiencing the intensity of labor and delivery, many new parents are left exhausted. Despite this fatigue and surviving pospartum, new parents soon learn the importance of managing the needs of an infant. Putting aside their own desires, parents learn to quickly adapt.

Exhaustion and recovery are not the only things that discourage parents from breastfeeding. There are a variety of other woes that can make it difficult for a lactating parent to continue to choose this option.

While 83 percent of women breastfeed at the beginning of postpartum, there is a drastic reduction by 6 months, resulting in only 56% of babies still being breastfed.

Engorged Breasts

When a lactating woman’s milk comes in, she may experience intense pain and discomfort. The breasts typically become overly filled with milk because they have not yet regulated their supply. This engorgement can continue throughout the breastfeeding journey for a variety of reasons.

If the baby’s schedule changes, a woman’s breasts can become overly full. If the parent misses a feeding, breasts can experience discomfor which can lead to breastfeeding infection. If a woman becomes preoccupied at work and does not make time to pump, she can experience discomfort.

If breast engorgement is not treated properly, milk ducts can become blocked, and if a woman does not work to move the milk through her breasts (via feeding her baby, pumping, or expressing the milk), this engorgement can lead to further problems and may cause clogged milk ducts.

Infection

One of the biggest concerns beyond the pain a woman experiences with engorgement is infection. This is known as mastitis, and leads to a woman experiencing not only breast pain and warm breast tissue, but also flu-like symptoms that come with fever, chills, headache, and further exhaustion.

In order to help prevent infection, regular feedings are essential. Often, the best mastitis treatment, at least for early symptoms, is to massage the breast in a warm shower and express the extra milk.

Furthermore, by working with an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), parents can have a great resource on how to best deal with, treat, and alleviate these problems.

Not only is an IBCLC a great resource in helping prevent breast infection, but a great source for your breastfeeding journey to encourage and educate you in best practices.

The best way to achieve breastfeeding success is to utilize the many tools that an IBCLC offers.

Burnout

To exclusively breastfeed your baby can be quite overwhelming and exhausting. Between nightly feedings, cluster feedings, and pumping sessions for working mothers, breastfeeding is difficult to maintain. Unless a woman is properly supported by her family, friends, and workplace, the chances that a woman will continue to breastfeed are significantly impacted.

Culture also impacts the likelihood of a baby being breastfed beyond 6 months. The CDC discovered that parents in the Southeast United States are less likely to breastfeed their children past six months. This was in contrast to the Northwest, where business policies and the culture is more breastfeeding-friendly and supportive.

Conclusion

Despite the nutritional benefits afforded to a breastfed baby, there are many obstacles that can be discouraging for parents on their breastfeeding journey. From exhaustion to pain to lack of supoort, parents have many reasons to give up.

To increase your chances of success, surround yourself with supportive individuals, reach out to an IBCLC, also known as lactation consultants, and gain the necessary tools required to provide your child with the healthiest option available – you!