At-Home Remedies
A 100 mg coenzyme Q10 helps with circulation and tissue oxygenation. Omega-3 oils (1,000 mg daily) help with elasticity of blood vessels. Also, ginkgo biloba is not just for your memory, but it can also help with varicose veins.
Varicose veins typically do not cause any issues, but in some cases, leaving them untreated can lead to more serious health problems. According to the Office on Women’s Health, the following conditions are a potential risk:
- Sores or skin ulcers due to chronic (long-term) backing up of blood. These sores or ulcers are painful and hard to heal. Sometimes they cannot heal until the backward blood flow in the vein is repaired.
- Bleeding. The skin over the veins becomes thin and easily injured. When an injury occurs, there can be significant blood loss.
- Superficial thrombophlebitis (throm-bo-fli-BYT-uhs), which is a blood clot that forms in a vein just below the skin. Symptoms include skin redness; a firm, tender, warm vein; and sometimes pain and swelling.
- Deep vein thrombosis, which is a blood clot in a deeper vein. It can cause a “pulling” feeling in the calf, pain, warmth, redness, and swelling. However, sometimes it causes no significant symptoms. If the blood clot travels to the lungs, it can be fatal.
Visit the BlackDoctor.org Deep Vein Thrombosis center for more information.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ‘Ask Dr. Renee’. Follow me on Twitter @AskDrRenee and on my website.