New Jersey Vein Experts: What Is a Venous Reflux Exam?

Posted by smithgills on November 18th, 2016

Ok, you're starting to see varicose veins appear on your legs, or you've begun to notice that you often experience swollen legs and ankles. You've read enough on the Internet to know that there are possibly serious health concerns associated with vein disease and you'd like to visit a vein treatment center in New Jersey to find out for sure whether you have vein disease. At the same time, you've never had a venous health screening (also known as a venous reflux exam) before, and you're not sure what to expect. Well, this article will tell you.

What does a venous health screening really involve?

As performed by the New Jersey vein experts at Chuback Medical Group, a venous health screening starts with a physical examination to assess your general health, after which we ask you a number of questions designed to find possible risk factors for vein disease. These risks include having a family history of varicose veins or other vein diseases, being overweight or obese, smoking, or leading a sedentary lifestyle. If you are female, we'll also ask whether you take birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy, because they also increase your vein disease risk. On the basis of your answers, we may perform some tests.

The purpose of these tests is to determine the cause of any symptoms you might be experiencing, and to check for the presence of venous reflux. That is what happens when the tiny valves that control blood flow through your veins become weak and fail to close properly, allowing blood to flow backwards and pool in your veins. To determine this, we may start by measuring your blood pressure, taking readings not just at the arm but also at the ankle, to see whether there is a difference between the two, which would indicate reflux.

Finally, we may use Doppler ultrasound to look below the surface of the skin and watch the blood flowing through the veins themselves, to locate any blockages in the veins or indications of reflux (backwards) blood flow. Ultrasound is painless and much safer than X-rays, because it uses harmless high-frequency sound waves to create is visualizations.

Is that all there is to it?

Pretty much, yes. It doesn't sound too scary, does it?

In some cases, we may order blood tests if they are indicated, and if we notice signs of more serious vein diseases such as deep vein thrombosis. Afterwards, we will analyze the results and, if we find that you do suffer from venous reflux, we will present the most optimal New Jersey varicose vein treatment options to you and help you decide which you wish to pursue. So now that you know what a venous health screening involves, why not pick up your telephone and call a top vein doctor in Bergen County at 201-693-4847 to set up an appointment for your own screening? Call today. You'll be happy you did.

About the Author:

The writer is an expert in the field of Vein Treatment Center with focus on Nj Vein Expert and Best Plastic Surgeon In Bergen County