Post-Pregnancy Varicose Veins: What Are My Treatment Options?

Being pregnant is one of the most beautiful and joyous things in life. All the while, though, there are plenty of hardships that come with it. One of those hardships is the development of varicose veins. Up to 40% of pregnant women develop varicose veins at some point in their pregnancy. Though they are relatively harmless, varicose veins are unsightly and can be uncomfortable.

In most cases, varicose veins disappear a few months after giving birth. In other cases, they may stick around. If you developed varicose veins during your pregnancy and they haven’t gone away after giving birth, there are treatment options available at Vascular Vein Centers.

Why do varicose veins show up during pregnancy?

Prior to discussing treatment options for post-pregnancy varicose veins, it’s important to understand why they appear in the first place. The short answer is that extra fluid production and weight interfere with your circulation, primarily in your legs. The following, more precise answer expands on how that interference happens.

While you’re pregnant, your body produces extra blood for your baby, making your veins work harder to circulate your blood – especially in your lower extremities. Hormones also play a part, as your progesterone, estrogen, and relaxin levels rise, relaxing and weakening your vein walls. Those factors, plus the added pressure on your femoral veins in your thighs and weight from your uterus pressing on your pelvic blood vessels, create the perfect situation for the development of varicose veins.

What are my treatment options?

Our expert staff at Vascular Vein Centers recommends that you give yourself some time after giving birth before undergoing treatment. This is because your hormone levels are still fluctuating and continuing to affect your veins. Once your hormones have had time to rebalance, your varicose veins may disappear on their own. If they don’t, there are some great treatment options available:

• Endovenous laser therapy: This treatment involves the use of laser light and heat to collapse unhealthy veins and improve circulation.
• VarithenaⓇ: This injectable foam is used in sclerotherapy to fill and treat the affected vein by collapsing it, and is then diluted and flushed out.
• VenaSealTM: This medical adhesive is used to seal the diseased vein shut, which redirects blood flow to nearby healthy veins, restoring proper circulation.

You may want to consider holding off on varicose vein treatment until after you’re done having children. Varicose veins can reappear in later pregnancies, even if you’ve undergone treatment for them before. 

Once you’re ready, give one of our many convenient Central Florida offices a call, or book an appointment online to schedule an appointment and get your treatment underway.