Sclerotherapy is the treatment for varicose veins or spider veins. This procedure treats malformations in blood vessels. These malformations affect the veins and could cause a lot of pain. Sclerotherapy works as an effective treatment option for this condition. The treatment in sclerotherapy includes injecting a medicine into the blood vessels that causes the blood vessels to shrink. This medicine is usually a form of a salt solution. This solution helps the veins close.

Varicose veins

Sclerotherapy is the preferred method because it is non-invasive and quite effective. After the veins immediately shrink, they slowly return to normal as the body absorbs the drug. This treatment even closes those feeder veins, something even laser does not do.

This treatment for varicose veins is not a new treatment and is being used since the 1930s. With advancement in medical science, this method has been improved to a large extent over the years. Today there are novel variations like using ultrasonographic help and using foam sclerotherapy – both as forms of sclerotherapy to treat varicose veins.Surgery is also a treatment for varicose veins as is the use of laser. Surgery tends to be more invasive and has a longer recuperation period. Due to its fewer after effects, sclerotherapy is even preferred over laser treatment.

Recovery takes about two weeks. The patients' legs are wrapped up in bandages or in a compression hose during this time. You should wrap your legs at least for a week if not longer if you have done sclerotherapy. For faster and better recovery, you should also walk about to improve circulation. Typically two treatments are needed and even some follow up visits are recommended. In the follow up sessions, the doctors drain out the old blood to prevent discoloration. Inactivity is completely discouraged in people who have done sclerotherapy. Doctors advise patients to continue normal activities as far as possible for better recovery. Most doctors would guarantee allow you to get back to normalcy after a week of the treatment.

There could be some side effects of sclerotherapy. You are bound to experience some swelling, redness and some brown spots too. However these would disappear within a short while. Slightly long term side effects include larger veins becoming hard and bumpy, brown spots that take longer to disappear, and something called neovascularization. Neovascularization means the formation of new blood vessels at the site of the treatment. These blood vessels disappear on their own eventually.