Seven percent of adults suffer from varicose veins

More than seven percent of the adults in India suffer from varicose veins, a disease in which the veins become abnormally thick, enlarged and full of twists and turns, said a survey conducted by a premier healthcare provider here on Sunday.

The survey conducted by the Wockhardt Hospital also revealed that work that requires a person to stand for long duration is the main reason that causes varicose veins. Besides, it was also found that this occurs commonly in the veins of legs and thighs.

"Varicose veins affect those who stand for long hours, such as teachers, traffic policemen, sales people and others. If varicose veins are not treated early, there can be complications leading to chronic venous insufficiency," said Vimal Someshwar, director of Interventional Radiology Department at Wockhardt hospital.

Speaking on the issue, Someshwar also said that treatment is not easy as people ignore it considering the disease as a cosmetic problem and fail to diagnose it.

Worldwide, superficial venous disease is more common in women as compared to men.

Wockhardt Hospital on Sunday also organised a Varicose Veins screening checkup for the Mumbai police personnel especially for its traffic department.

More than 100 city police personnel underwent Varicose Veins screening and it was found that at least five percent of them were suffering from the condition.

"Even though the disease is not life-threatening, it can be debilitating if not treated properly. The 15-20 percent of people, who have visible varicose veins is lucky because they can see the problem. However, more worrying are the hidden kind of Venous diseases," he said adding that if the disease is ignored for a long time then it may require surgery in most cases.

"Emphasising on the latest techniques used in the treatment of varicose veins, endo-venous laser therapy (ELVT) is a minimally invasive, short procedure requiring local anaesthesia with a day care admission and patients can return to work quickly after the treatment," he added.