Fun in the sun need not cause spider and varicose veins if you follow a few preventative tips.

Spring is in full swing and summertime will be here before you know it. Are your legs ready for bikini weather? Spider veins and varicose veins can ruin your beach-bound look. If you have them, a visit to the St. Johns Vein Center can help assure you’ll look great come time to hang out poolside or at the beach.

But getting rid of spider and varicose veins is one thing. Keeping them from coming back is quite another, especially during the summer when the sun’s rays can weaken the skin’s upper layers, sap its moisture and diminish its elasticity. This limits both the ability of both the skin and the veins just below the skin’s surface to move properly. As a result, the veins cannot keep blood flowing as normal. Plus, frequent exposure to high temperatures can cause blood vessels to expand, placing more stress on valves in the veins. The result: blood pools backward with no place to go, creating spider veins and varicose veins.

Luckily, there are ways to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays:

• S – Slather on the sun block. But don’t stop with your legs. Also apply sun block on your face and nose, where thinner skin is prone to developing spider veins.
• U – Under a tree, beach umbrella, gazebo or other shady spot is the best place to enjoy the fresh air while protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
• M – Moisturizers with high SPFs help protect your skin when you’re not wearing full sun block.
• M – Material! Bikinis don’t have much, of course. To protect the spider vein-prone skin on your legs, wear a matching sarong while you’re lounging or walking the beach.
• E – Exercise to keep your blood pumping. Opt for cooling exercises like swimming, surfing and brisk evening walks. The coolness helps keep blood vessels from dilating and pushing against your skin’s surface.
• R – Refresh with a cool drink of water throughout the day. Fluids help keep your blood volume and blood pressure at a healthy level.

If you have spider veins or varicose veins you’d like to clear away before summer’s arrival, contact the St. Johns Vein Center and schedule a consultation with Jacksonville vein specialist Dr. James St. George. Call 877-640-VEIN (8346) today.

One way to prevent venous stasis ulcers is to exercise regularly and improve your blood circulation.

Venous stasis ulcers are open lesions that form on the lower part of the leg as a result of chronic venous insufficiency (more commonly known as poor circulation). The bad news is that they are painful and unsightly. But there’s good news, too – They are both treatable and preventable.

Symptoms of venous stasis ulcers include swelling in the leg; itchy, red spots that can become thick and hard, skin thickening and darkening, and ultimately, a typically round opening that slowly increases in size and most often occurs on the inside part of the lower leg, just above the ankle. Untreated, these open sores can become infected and develop into cellulitis, a potentially serious infection.

Those most at risk for developing venous statis ulcers include the elderly, obese, and people who are tall in stature, have had multiple pregnancies, have had blood clots, a family history of leg vein problems, or experience long periods of immobility. If you have any of these risk factors, you can prevent ulcers by improving your blood circulation. Exercise regularly, avoid smoking, rest with your legs elevated as much as possible, and wear pressure stockings if you experience swelling in the legs.

If you do suffer venous stasis ulcers, it’s critical that you get treatment immediately. Your doctor will clean the wound and may apply an antibiotic ointment to stave off an existing or potential infection. Other treatment options may include wearing of a special boot that helps to protect and more quickly heal the wound, time in a whirlpool, and ultrasound or physical therapy. While most patients respond well and heal with adequate wound care, extreme cases may require skin-grafting surgery.

It is very important to also treat the abnormal veins which caused the ulcer. If not the ulceration will usually reoccur.

If you have signs of venous statis ulcers, contact the St. Johns Vein Center at 877-640-VEIN (8346) and schedule a consultation today.

Your doctor doesn’t need these to treat your varicose veins. Endovenous Ablation offers beautiful legs without surgery.

For those who suffer from varicose veins, painful vein stripping surgeries have largely given way to endovenous ablation, an advanced treatment that uses heat energy rather than a surgeon’s scalpel. During treatment, a physician carefully applies heat energy to damage the vein tissue. Scar tissue forms and closes off the vein, causing it to be unable to swell. That means unsightly blue lumps and the often accompanying pain disappear. No surgical incision is necessary – Just a small nick in the skin that heals without stitching.

But as with all developing technologies, there are risks and benefits to be weighed:

Risks

• Though very rare in endovenous ablation, any procedure that involves penetration of the skin – even a small nick – carries a risk of infection;
• Placement of the catheter inside a blood vessel can cause damage to the blood vessel, bruising or bleeding at the puncture site;
• On rare occasions, patients experience thermal (heat) damage to nerves. These instances are very temporary and heal quickly;
• A common risk is an inflammation of the vein called thrombophlebitis, which involves pain and redness over the treated area but is easily treated with nonsteroidial anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs);
• In rare instances, blood clots can form inside the veins, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT.)

Benefits

• No invasive surgery necessary – a major deciding factor for most patients;
• Fewer complications, less pain and quicker recovery times than with previous vein stripping treatments;
• Virtually no scarring;
• Little or no downtime allows patients to return to their normal daytime activities immediately with minimal or no pain.

If you have spider or varicose veins, a vein specialist can you determine the best treatment regime for your unique case and lifestyle. Call 904-402-VEIN (8346) or complete our online email form to schedule a consultation with Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center today.

Hollywood pinup icon Betty Grable was one of the first and most famous to insure her legs.

Hollywood celebrities seem to have the perfect legs – slim, toned and free of blemishes like spider veins and varicose veins. And we’ve all heard stories of stars insuring those gorgeous gams for millions of dollars. But are those stories true? Absolutely! In fact, the practice of covering one’s assets goes all the way back to Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Perhaps the most famous of the celebrities who have purchased high-dollar policies for their body parts was pin-up icon Betty Grable. Her lovely legs helped make her the highest paid Hollywood starlet from 1941-1945, and endeared her to many a World War II soldier serving overseas. Throughout the peak years of her career, her studio insured Grable’s legs for $1 million – an unheard of sum in that day. And when she was invited to leave her mark in the concrete walkway at the famed Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, she left imprints of her legs rather than her hands, as is the tradition.

The practice of insuring one’s legs continues in Tinseltown today. Covered celeb legs include those of actress Jamie Lee Curtis for $2 million, singer Tina Turner for $3.2 million, international soccer player and Calvin Kline skivvies model David Beckham for $70 million, and singer Mariah Carey for a whopping $1 billion (yes – that’s billion with a “B”), after Gillette made her the spokesperson for their popular Venus razor.

While taking out an insurance policy on your own gams may be a bit of a stretch, you can certainly keep them red carpet-worthy by exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy weight; sticking to a nutritious, high-fiber, low-sodium diet; nixing the smoking habit; avoiding extended periods of standing; wearing sensible heels; and slathering on the sun block. Spider veins or varicose veins ruining your glam look? Call 877-640-VEIN (8346) or use our convenient online form to schedule a consultation at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center today.

Spring break often means soaking in the sun. But all that sunshine could lead to spider veins unless you take precautions.

Spring break is officially under way. Are you protecting your skin? If you’re headed to the beach or lounging poolside, beware that all that sun soaking can have an unsightly effect on your legs – and we’re not talking sunburns and peeling.

Everyone knows that the lobster-red look of a sun burn and the subsequent skin peeling a few weeks later are arguably less than fashionable. And long-term effects like premature aging and skin cancer are serious issues. But did you know that sun exposure also can lead to spider veins?

“Extended exposure to the sun’s powerful UV rays weakens the skin’s upper layers, diminishing its moisture and elasticity,” explains Dr. James St. George, vein specialist and founder of Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center. “This can make the skin less able to move and bend in various directions. As a result, the veins at the skin’s surface also can’t move, and neither can the blood those veins are carrying.”

When veins are unable to keep blood flowing normally, the blood simply pools backward, creating spider veins in the legs and the face.

If you’re enjoying time in the sunshine during spring break and the coming summer months, protect your skin from spider veins and other sun-induced health troubles by applying sun-blocking moisturizers with high SPFs. Be sure to cover your nose, face and legs and reapply often if you swim or sweat. Lounge beneath a shade rather than directly under the sun, and wear protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats.

Think you may already see spider veins developing? Call 877-640-VEIN (8346) to schedule a consultation at the St. Johns Vein Center today.

That swelling in your legs, ankles and feet, called leg edema, could be a result of a job that requires long periods of standing. But it also could be a sign of a more serious health problem.

If you experience swelling in your feet, legs or ankles, it could be edema. While typically painless, leg swelling can signify a serious health condition, depending upon the root cause.

Leg edema is most common among elderly patients, those who are very overweight or are suffering blood clots. Women may experience noticeable edema when they are menstruating, pregnant or undergoing estrogen therapy.

Jobs that require prolonged periods of standing, or long airplane, train or car rides also can cause swelling and lead to varicose veins. And edema can be common after-effect of pelvic surgery, particularly for cancer patients. Edema may also signify serious conditions such as blood clots, heart failure, kidney failure or liver failure. Each of these conditions involves excessive amounts of fluid in the body.

Significant leg edema can be a side effect of several medications including:

• Antidepressants, including MAO inhibitors (such as phenelzine and tranylcypromine) and tricyclics (such as nortriptyline, desipramine, and amitriptyline)
• Blood pressure medicines called calcium channel blockers (such as nifedipine, amlodipine, diltiazem, felodipine, and verapamil)
• Hormones like estrogen (in birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy) and testosterone
• Steroids

To avoid leg edema, adopt a regular exercise routine that works out your leg muscles, and eat a nutritious, high-fiber, low-salt diet to help maintain a healthy weight and reduce fluid buildup. Nix the smoking habit and avoid wearing tight clothing and high heeled shoes. Take frequent brisk walking breaks from jobs that require long periods of standing or sitting. And, when lounging, raise your legs above your heart level.

Most importantly, schedule a consultation with an experienced vein specialist if you have prolonged or reoccurring instances of leg, foot or ankle swelling. This may be urgent if the swollen area is red or warm to the touch; or if you are pregnant and have sudden or severe swelling. Call 911 if you also have shortness of breath or chest pressure, tightness or pain.

Dr. James St. George, renowned vein specialist and founder of Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center can be reached at 877-640-VEIN (8346). Don’t wait until your edema gets worse or leads to serious, possibly irreparable harm. Call to schedule a consultation today.

There is no test for RLS, but physicians have four basic criteria with which to form a diagnosis.

Some medical conditions are tough to diagnose. One of them is Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), according to Jacksonville vein specialist Dr. James St. George, founder of the St. Johns Vein Center. RLS is a neurological disorder marked by a throbbing, pulling or creeping sensation in the legs and an uncontrollable urge to move them. Unfortunately, there is no specific test. However, RLS does involve four key signs that physicians use to reach a proper diagnosis.

The four basic criteria used for diagnosing RLS are:

• Symptoms that are worse at night and are absent or negligible in the morning;
• A strong and often overwhelming need or urge to move the affected limb(s), often associated with paresthesias or dysesthesias;
• Sensory symptoms that are triggered by rest, relaxation, or sleep; and
• Sensory symptoms that are relieved with movement and the relief persists as long as the movement continues.

Vein issues within the legs are a very frequent cause of RLS. Treatment of the leg veins usually eliminates the RLS; however, not all RLS is caused by vein disease. Patients who suspect they may have RLS should thoroughly describe all symptoms to their doctor, including the frequency, duration and intensity. Other clues may include disruptions in sleep patterns, an increased tendency toward daytime sleep, and trouble concentrating on or completing daily activities. A family history of RLS may also factor into a diagnosis.

Your vein specialist may order laboratory tests to rule out other conditions that have similar symptoms or are associated with RLS. For instance, blood tests can identify iron and vitamin deficiencies. And certain sleep studies can help identify other potential causes of sleep disruption such as sleep apnea. These findings may help avoid a wrong diagnosis or impact the management of your RLS.

An estimated 10 percent of the US population may have Restless Leg Syndrome. If you are experiencing RLS-like symptoms, contact the St. Johns Vein Center at 877-640-VEIN (8346) or via our convenient online form.

Take your love dancing on Valentine’s Day. It’s good for the health of your relationship – and your legs, one Jacksonville varicose vein specialist says.

While varicose vein prevention may not seem the most romantic of notions, we think it has a lovely ring to it. Consider that everything you can do to help prevent or improve varicose veins is something that also helps make your whole body healthy – heart and all, say vein specialists at Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center:

• Getting physical: Exercising together is a great way to strengthen your relationship and your body. Focus on exercises that boost strength in your leg muscles and improve circulation. Power walking, jogging, yoga and – a couple’s favorite – dancing will keep your legs strong, your weight down and your relationship fun.
• Giving the TLC Treatment: At the end of each day, give yourselves, and your legs, a little TLC. Relax on the couch or bed with your feet propped up, heart level or higher and give one another a foot massage. This helps facilitate blood away from the feet and legs. Read a book, watch a romantic comedy or just share some meaningful conversation while you’re at it.
• Set a date: Left untreated, varicose veins can lead to more serious health conditions including blood clots. If you or the one you love have signs of varicose veins or spider veins, schedule a consultation at St. Johns Vein Center in Jacksonville. Call 904-402-VEIN (8346) or use our convenient online “Schedule a Consultation” form.

From all of us here at St. Johns Vein Center, have a happy Valentine’s Day.

Crossing your legs causes varicose veins – Myth or fact? Jacksonville vein specialist has the answer.

Women do it daily, despite a common fear that it can cause an unsightly problem. For decades, it’s been assumed that crossing your legs causes varicose veins. Jacksonville vein specialist Dr. James St. George begs to differ.

“Crossing you legs will not, in itself, cause varicose veins,” says Dr. St. George, founder of the St. Johns Vein Center located in Jacksonville’s Baymeadows area. “But it can exacerbate existing conditions that do contribute to varicose veins, particularly if varicose veins run in your family.”

Varicose veins occur when blood vessel valves weaken and give way, unable to pump blood upward to the heart. With nowhere to go, blood pools backward. This causes vessels and veins to stretch, leak and bulge outward, often protruding above the natural surface of the skin.

The notion that crossing your legs can cause varicose veins is driven by the fact that it does, indeed, place pressure on the venous valves. That pressure alone won’t cause veins to become varicose. But combined with other conditions and lifestyle choices it can, at best, contribute to the development of varicose veins. These include:

• Pregnancy
• Being overweight
• Age
• Family history of varicose veins
• Smoking
• Lack of exercise
• Lack of proper nutrition
• Standing for extended periods of time daily

Visible varicose veins are more prevalent in women than men, so addressing each of these issues is important to achieving and maintaining smooth, strong, healthy legs free of visible venous problems. If you have varicose or spider veins already, contact the St. Johns Vein Center at 904-402-VEIN (8346) to schedule a consultation with Dr. St. George.

Restless Leg Syndrome keeping you awake at night? Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center can help.

If you’ve got it, you know it. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a disorder that can seriously mess with your sleep schedule. And statistics show that one in 10 people suffer from it.

RLS symptoms primarily occur at night and can increase in severity throughout the night. They include throbbing, pulling or creeping sensations in the legs, often accompanied by an uncontrollable urge to move them. Symptoms can range from mildly irritating to downright painful. The resulting lack of sleep can lead to exhaustion and daytime fatigue, which can negatively affect a sufferer’s work performance, memory, ability to concentrate and even personal relationships. And when a sleep-deprived RLS sufferer gets behind the wheel of automobile, others are at risk.

So, the statistics are alarming:

• An estimated 10 percent of the US population may have RLS;
• Moderate to severe RLS affects 2-3 percent of US adults – that’s more than 5 million;
• Women are nearly twice as likely to have RLS as are men;
• More than 80 percent of people with RLS also experience periodic limb movement of sleep (PLMS), a condition marked by involuntary leg twitching or jerking movements during sleep occurring every 15 to 40 seconds, sometimes throughout the night.

RLS symptoms become more frequent and last longer with age. Yet, many victims avoid seeking medical attention, believing their symptoms are not serious, that the condition is untreatable or that they won’t be taken seriously by doctors. But some blame can be put on doctors as well. Many physicians wrongly attribute patient’s symptoms to insomnia, stress, arthritis, muscle cramps or spasms, or even aging.

There’s no need to suffer. If you have RLS, call Jacksonville’s St. Johns Vein Center at 877-640-VEIN (877-640-8346) and schedule a consultation with an experience vein specialist.