Most often appearing on the legs, varicose veins and spider veins can make it tough to enjoy the skin-baring, beach-loving fashions of Southern California. Along with their cosmetic concerns, these visible veins can also cause pain, swelling, and discoloration in your legs.
Ali Golshan, MD, is a leading vascular expert who specializes in nonsurgical vein treatments. At his busy practice, Beach Wellness MD, located in the Beverly Hills area of Los Angeles, California, Dr. Golshan provides minimally invasive and highly effective therapies for vein abnormalities such as varicose and spider veins.
Dr. Golshan is also committed to helping his patients resolve the underlying issues that can lead to these damaged veins. Read what he has to say about preventing varicose veins and spider veins from making tracks across your skin.
What causes varicose and spider veins?
The bulging, discoloration, and other issues associated with these troublesome veins are the result of an underlying circulatory issue within the affected vein.
Normally, tiny flap-like valves inside the veins and healthy vein walls keep the blood flowing toward your heart. The veins in your legs also rely on muscle contractions to help move the blood upward against gravity.
When the valves fail, vein walls lose their elasticity, or muscles weaken, blood can pool in the vein. Because these damaged veins are very close to the skin’s surface, the bulging and discoloration that result from pooling blood is quite noticeable.
How can you prevent varicose and spider veins?
There are some factors that increase your risk of developing varicose and spider veins over which you have no control.
Pregnancy, for instance, increases your overall blood volume to help support the health and well-being of the baby. Unfortunately, this also puts an added burden on veins in your legs and can lead to varicose or spider veins.
Fortunately, there are risk factors linked to poor circulation that you can help prevent by changing your habits. These risk factors include:
- Excess weight
- Overall poor diet that’s high in salt
- Lack of physical activity
Simple measures you can take to reduce your risks of developing varicose and spider veins include:
- Weight loss
- Following a nutritionally balanced, high-fiber, low-salt diet
- Increased exercise, especially activities that engage your leg muscles
And if you’ve already developed varicose and spider veins that require treatment, these simple measures can help reduce progression of your venous disease.
For a thorough evaluation regarding your vein health and more information on preventing and treating varicose veins, schedule a visit with Dr. Golshan today. Call our office or request an appointment online.
ABOUT DR. ALI GOLSHAN
Ali Golshan, MD, is a double board-certified leading vascular expert who specializes in in-office, minimally-invasive interventional radiology treatments at Beach Wellness MD. Dr. Golshan devotes personalized attention to each patient to develop an individualized treatment plan.
Dr. Golshan graduated summa cum laude as valedictorian from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor of Science in molecular biology. He then earned a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a Doctorate of Medicine from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Dr. Golshan completed a residency in radiology at UCLA and a fellowship in interventional radiology at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
