Texas Endovascular Home

(713) 575-3686 Referrals Blog Appointments

Tag: telemedicine

When Should I Treat PAD?

Posted on by Texas Endovascular in ,

Are you wondering, when should I treat PAD? This read is for you because, if you’re showing signs of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), you may be scared. Chances are you’re experiencing symptoms such as leg cramps when you walk, changes in skin color, cold or numb feet, or even ulcers. Obviously, you want relief from the discomfort. But we understand that you may live quite some distance from our Houston area offices. (That’s why we still offer Telemedicine appointments for many vein conditions.) PAD magnified

Still, you need to understand that PAD poses a very serious risk to your health. In fact, studies show that having PAD is one of the strongest predictors for cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes. In other words, it’s not something you ignore, or even delay addressing. Want to learn more? Just keep reading!

When Should I Treat PAD? When Symptoms Develop

It’s important to seek PAD treatment as soon as you notice symptoms. The most common symptom of PAD is leg cramps. They tend to appear when you’re walking or exercising, and improve when you rest.

But other symptoms could mean you have PAD. Another common PAD sign is having cold feet. Now, in some cases, cold feet and hands just mean your blood flow is compromised. Other times, cold feet are a sign that narrowed arteries are restricting blood flow to your extremities. If that’s the case, you need immediate PAD treatment. Otherwise, your risk for cardiovascular disease will increase dramatically.

What is Cardiovascular Disease?

Cardiovascular disease impacts your heart and blood vessels. It takes many forms, including atherosclerosis (narrowing of your arteries due to the build-up of ‘plaque.’) But, basically, it encompasses four main conditions: strokes, aortic disease, coronary heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Cardiovascular disease is very serious. It is still the leading cause of death in the United States—meaning it’s still more life-threatening than the Coronavirus.

Given the serious nature of heart-related conditions, you must stay on top of problems like PAD, even now. Because, according to our study, doing so could mean the difference between progressive heart disease or improved health.

In this new study from Penn State University, researchers explored the connection between your heart health and your blood pressure, diet, and physical activity levels. To reach its findings, the study followed over 74,000 participants for a few years, watching their lifestyle patterns and their cardiovascular health. Here’s what they found.

How Can I Prevent Heart Disease?

angioplasty for PAD

In order to really reduce your risk for cardiovascular problems, participants needed to follow the American Heart Association’s 7 measures for good heart health. They involving maintaining healthy cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. You must also exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, follow a healthy diet and avoid or quit smoking.

Interestingly, the study discovered that each of these seven measures is equally important. Doing just one is obviously better than nothing; but they have the highest heart-protecting power when they work together.

In other words, if you’re still deciding when to treat your PAD, the answer is: right now. Because even minimally-invasive PAD treatment offers lasting relief.

Restored Blood Flow Translates to Pain Relief

Findings presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2022 reveals that restoring blood flow with an arterial stent or balloon angioplasty reduces pain and improves quality of life for patients with PAD. (We offer both these endovascular treatments in our Houston, Katy, Sugar Land, Clear Lake and the Woodlands locations.)

In contrast, a recent statement from the American Heart Association says that the quality of life toll that PAD takes on your daily life “cannot be overstated.” And the impact isn’t just one you’ll feel in the short-term. Why is that the case?

Once atherosclerosis limits blood flow to your legs, that’s already a sign you’ve got cardiovascular problems. And that means your car’s on the road to more serious complications. So, before you get stuck in the traffic jam leading to strokes or heart attacks, take a detour to better health.

Need help finding that off-ramp? Request an appointment with our Houston area PAD specialists today. We are here to offer timely PAD treatment.

Sources:

Journal of Cardiology, “Association of Trajectory of Cardiovascular Health Score and Incident Cardiovascular Disease.”

 

 

Are there Varicose Vein Complications? 7 Warning Signs to Watch For

Posted on by Texas Endovascular in ,

Chronic vein conditions can lead to varicose vein complications. That’s why it’s important to treat those varicose veins quickly. Why is that the case? When you have this condition, you may develop varicose veins complications, many of which are serious. And you truly need to worry about these issues if you delay or forego vein treatment.

Are Varicose Veins Complications a Threat to Your Health?

We often hear people saying that varicose veins are unattractive, but no big deal. Which is why we’re here to tell you: that’s just not true!

If you can see those varicose veins, it’s a sign of more serious health problems brewing beneath the surface of your skin.  They tell vein specialists like us that the valves in your veins aren’t working properly. As a result, blood is pooling in your veins, and not flowing back up to your heart as it should. Patient-7-After

At first, that pooling may just cause your veins to bulge and become more visible. Often, painful cramps go along with varicose veins. That can make it difficult to get around and do your regular activities.

But, if left untreated, your problems won’t stop there. Soon, you may notice other symptoms. Including these 7 complications of untreated varicose veins.

8 Symptoms of Untreated Vein Disease

  1. Left untreated, varicose veins can lead to swelling in your legs, also called edema.
  2. The swelling may be painful, so your legs can hurt, and need rest and elevation to feel better.
  3. You may experience fatigue since this study proves varicose vein complications can lead to restless leg syndrome. And that can disrupt your sleep, leaving you tired the next day. Alternatively, heavy legs can wear you out more throughout the day. Then, as this study shows, your legs may cramp more at night, making it harder to sleep. And the study shows this symptom is worse for women than for men.
  4. Next, you’ll be at a higher risk for blood clots, especially DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis, a clot that forms in your deep leg veins. This situation is an emergency—if the clot breaks free, it can travel to your lungs and may be fatal.)
  5. And that’s not all you’ll face. As your veins bulge, that pressure could damage your skin, leaving you vulnerable to infections and ulcers (these are open wounds that resist healing.)
  6. Your skin can also change in appearance, turning dark and discolored. Over time, the skin may even thicken, and taken on a rough texture.
  7. Additionally, you’ll be more likely to experience bleeding episodes, some of which may be serious and require immediate medical attention.
  8. You’ll increase your risk for restless legs. This refers to a condition where you feel the constant urge to move your legs; it’s uncomfortable and can leave your sleep disturbed. About 30% of people with varicose veins experience restless leg symptoms, especially after bedtime.

Now you know why, even now, you can’t ignore those varicose veins. But we’re not just here to scare you. So, please follow our advice for treating varicose veins during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Treating Varicose Veins in Houston

After diagnosis, we can manage your vein health at home with some lifestyle changes. We can recommend compression garments to improve your blood flow, and reduce pooling and swelling. Plus, we can help you move more, which can also help varicose veins. And we can realistically determine whether you’ll need to schedule an in-office procedure to get rid of your varicose veins.

But we can’t help you if we don’t see you. So please, don’t ignore current health issues. If you notice varicose veins, reach out right away. The sooner we start treatment, the more likely it is that we can successfully manage your condition from the safety of your home.

Sources: Harvard Health

Why Going Barefoot Hurts Your Veins

Posted on by Texas Endovascular in ,

Hello to all our at-home readers out there: we’re here to talk about going barefoot. Did you use the COVID shut downs to switch to a more ‘casual’ (read sweats-only) wardrobe? Great, we’re totally here for it. But are you padding around your house barefoot all day? That, we actually can’t endorse. Because here’s the thing: going barefoot all day is really bad for your feet, as I’m sure you’ll hear podiatrists tell you. And, as it turns out, it’s not that great for your vein health either. Let’s take a closer look, so we can convince you to wear some shoes. At least a few hours every day…heck, maybe you’ll even go out and take a walk in them!

What’s Wrong with Going Barefoot at Home?

In typical times, we’re usually home for no more than a few hours every day. So, if you stick to bare feet in the house, it’s not a big deal. But these days? For the most part, you’re stuck in the house for so many, many hours. Which means, if you remain barefoot, you’re putting tons of pressure on your legs and feet. Especially if your home has stone or wood flooring.

As the days and weeks of quarantine add up, that pressure will likely give you plenty of foot pain. And it may also affect circulation to your lower legs and feet, resulting in more swelling (edema) or the emergence or worsening of varicose veins. Now, we can certainly help you with those issues if you’re already experiencing discomfort. But we’d rather stop the problem before it starts. In order to do that, this is what you’ve got to do.

The Fine Art of In-Home Shoe Wearing

We know that many readers prefer a shoe-free home. This is, after all, a great way to keep germs out of your house. Yet, as we just mentioned, going barefoot all day is a major problem for your feet and your veins. What then, do we propose? It’s actually very simple: pick a pair of supportive shoes that you only wear at home. If they never step outside, they’ll never pick up germs, so your house stays clean, and your feet and legs secure much-needed support.

And guess what? You don’t even have to wear outdoor shoes in your home. Many pairs of slippers are designed with sufficient arch support to stave off pressure, pain and swelling. And, in combination with any recommended compression socks, these will do a great job protecting your vein health. Which is very important, if you want to avoid long term damage to your veins or arteries. Not to mention conditions such as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD.)

Going Barefoot and PAD

If you develop swelling or leg pain after going barefoot, that could spell problems for your arteries, too. How could that be? Well, PAD is a condition that develops when your arteries narrow (atherosclerosis.) But many patients miss or delay a PAD diagnosis. Because it’s symptoms (including leg pain, and changes in skin color on your legs) look like other problems.

Other things add to the trouble when it comes to diagnosing PAD. Recently, presenters at the American College of Cardiology‘s annual conference noticed that there’s a research gap when it comes to PAD patients. Already, doctors are trying to close that gap with new studies like the Voyager PAD trial.

But as researcher Mar Bonaca, MD, said, “I think that has to change…The PAD patient is complicated…They are at very high risk of limb events. And the risk there is not the same over time.” He also noted, “We need to understand what therapies do, their risks and benefits in a fragile population, and we need to look at outcomes that are relevant for this population.”

We could not agree more! In our Houston area vein clinics, we already make a major difference for PAD patients, by offering treatments such as angioplasty, stenting or atherectomy. But we also want to do our part and educate people about their PAD disease risk. Which is why, for now, we ask you to stop going barefoot. To pay attention to any unusual new symptoms in your legs. And to make an appointment with our specialists at the first sign of any changes in the look or appearance of your legs!

Sources: Footwear News

If You’ve Got a Leg Ulcer, We’ve Got a Great (Remote) Treatment Plan for You!

Posted on by Texas Endovascular in ,

Have you heard the news? In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, our Texas Endovascular Specialists are now happy to offer telemedicine appointments. What does this mean for you? When you call one of our Houston area offices for an appointment slot, you can specify your preference for a telemedicine appointment. But instead of coming in to see us, you’ll receive a time to see our vein specialists in our virtual office, hosted by the secure Doxy platform.  During your appointment, you’ll be able to show and discuss your problem. After that, you’ll receive a treatment protocol and any appropriate or necessary prescriptions!

Now, we can’t get rid of your varicose veins during a telemedicine appointment. But we can help you alleviate any associated pain or discomfort, while preventing your condition from progressing further and causing more serious complications. And that’s not all we can treat remotely. So, today, and for the few days, we’ll highlight conditions we can treat with telemedicine appointments. First up? Patient requiring follow-up care for venous leg ulcers.

 

Why Venous Leg Ulcers Respond Well to Remote

Telemedicine is a fairly new option here in the U.S. But remote visits are a well-established practice in Canada, which has allowed physicians there to study patient outcomes. And here’s some good news: many conditions, especially ulcers, do just as well with remote follow up care as they do with in person visits.

This is why we believe you can receive quality ulcer care from a distance: when you have an ulcer (an non-healing sore on your leg, typically the result of underlying vein problems) traveling may be difficult. But if you can receive remote follow-up care via telemedicine, travel is no longer an obstacle to your recovery. Which means you’ll stick to your scheduled visits and stay on track with our team of vein specialists. And, by sticking to a strict schedule of care, we can also prevent future complications by spotting problems when they first develop.

And there’s this: for some people, coming into a major metro area can be challenging. But with the rise of Telemedicine, we can now extend our high-quality vein care to patients living almost anywhere.  In our books, that’s a very important development. Especially since, given the current global health scare, many insurance companies will cover the cost of your telemedicine visit (check with your individual provider for details before booking your visit.) And now here’s what researchers discovered about ulcers and telemedicine

Scientific Findings on Remote Ulcer Care

In 2014, researchers in Norway compared two groups of patient outcomes for foot ulcers groups. Twenty patients received follow-up care via telemedicine; 120 came for in-person follow ups.

Now, get ready for the exciting findings: Patients in both groups showed similar healing times for their ulcers. And, in both groups, nearly identical numbers of patients were completely healed at the 12-week mark. In other words, if you need to receive remote follow up care for an ulcer, your quality of care won’t suffer in any way. So, go ahead and feel confident booking a telemedicine appointment for your ulcer care, or for other non-procedural vein health concerns.

 

Sources: BMC Health Service Research

 

 

Request an AppointmentRequest Appointment