I’d be willing to guess that most everybody has heard of varicose veins. No one really likes them, since they have a reputation of being unattractive, but most people don’t realize they can also cause serious health issues.

What are Varicose Veins?

The full name of the disease is actually “insufficiency of superficial veins of lower extremities,” or more simply, “venous insufficiency.” Besides being unsightly, the condition can cause multiple other signs and symptoms, like tiredness, heaviness in the legs and feet, cramps, brown discoloration, restless leg syndrome, swelling, numbness, itching, and burning.

With the summer weather comes the shorts, skirts, capris, and other leg-baring clothing that for most of us, feels freeing and breezy and adds to summer fun. If you have varicose or spider veins, however, you may feel a little self-conscious about showing them off. Worse, you may be suffering other effects like pain, burning, swelling, tiredness, heaviness, tender areas, or skin pigmentation.

Varicose and spider veins are somewhat embarrassing, at best, and can be dangerous, at worst. Advanced stages of the condition can lead to blood clots, trophic ulcers, bleeding, and phlebitis. Fortunately, there is a solution. It’s called Endovenous Laser Therapy (EVLT), and in a multi-center study of over 1,000 patients, it showed a 99% success rate in effectively closing the vein and eliminating its side effects.¹

Most of us don’t think much about our legs and feet until they start hurting. When they do, we may try to live with the pain, instead of seeing a doctor about it. Putting off a checkup, however, can have serious health consequences, as sometimes foot and leg problems can hide deeper health issues.

Doctor Yan Katsnelson - a Harvard-trained cardiovascular surgeon, expert in minimally invasive surgery, and founder of the USA Vein Clinics - tells us why it’s so important to see a doctor sooner rather than later when experiencing leg and foot pain. 

Nobody takes feet problems seriously, until they really hurt…bad. Painful, swollen feet; bulging, rope-like veins; and a hot, burning sensation—these are all symptoms of poor circulation and venous insufficiency. They can get so bad that people become physically challenged, unable to go about their daily activities, or even completely disabled. The statistics are gloomy: One in four men and one in two women will suffer this treacherous disease! So far, treatments have been only partially successful. But today, a new combination promises real relief with little to no side effects.

Traveling by bus has some advantages, especially if you’re on a 3-day tour. Since everybody’s stuck on the vehicle for hours at a time, you get to know your fellowpassengers. I happened to be on such a tour recently, sitting next to a good-natured, middle-aged gentleman. After a short stop, where we all got off the bus, he sat back down and was rubbing his leg.
"Did you hurt yourself?" I asked.
"Oh, no," he said, "it's much better now."
It was as if I had opened some secret door, because he poured his story on me.

Seeing blood in your urine is a scary thing for anyone. Unfortunately, many people let it go when they should see a physician right away. If you’ve seen blood in your urine and you’re unsure how serious it is, you’re not alone. We asked Dr. Larry Tetsotti, urologist, to help us out.

What is it called when you see blood in the urine, and what does it mean?
In medicine, hematuria, or haematuria, is the presence of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the urine. It can be a sign that there’s a kidney stone or a tumor in the urinary tract (i.e., kidneys, urinary bladder, prostate, and urethra), ranging from trivial to lethal. If white blood cells are found in addition to red blood cells, most likely you have a urinarytract infection.

Oh, the horror of braces. So many of us experienced it, the dreaded metal all over our mouths, that jackhammer-like tool that rammed the bands onto our teeth, the screwing, the tightening, the banding, the moaning. What for many was worse than all the physical discomfort, however, was the fear of how we would be perceived. “Metal mouth,” “Iron Man,” “Jaws,” and “Brace Face” were just some of the nicknames we endured. We kept our lips closed for fear of exposure, swished to death to be sure no food was stuck in the wires, and learned how to portray that cool, melancholy persona so we’d never have to smile.

In the previous issue, we talked with Dr. Vinson about fear of embarrassment when visiting the dentist. In this issue, we continue our discussion of common fears, focusing on the feelings of helplessness and anticipated lack of control during dental treatment.

Doctor, why do patients often feel helpless when visiting a dentist?
For many people, lying down in the presence of a stranger is uncomfortable enough. But in a dental office, you accept the invitation to lie down in an unfamiliar room, fully awake, and listen to a lot of strange noises around you, without being able to see what’s actually happening inside your mouth.