Is It Possible to Avoid Skin Cancer?
It may not be possible to avoid all skin cancers completely. Some cancerous lesions appear without an obvious reason. However, you can do much to reduce the risk of preventable skin cancers.
3 Minimally Invasive Edema Treatments
Edema in your ankles, feet, and legs often stems from poor circulation in your legs. When leg veins start to fail, you could see symptoms like varicose veins along with the swelling that’s characteristic of the condition.
When left untreated, edema in your legs can lead to skin conditions, including ulcers, sensations like itching and pain, and difficulty with standing and walking. Dr. Clement Banda at MD Vein & Skin Specialists expertly treats edema at every stage of the condition.
Reasons for edema
The fluid that accumulates in your body and causes edema leaks from small blood vessels called capillaries. This can be mild and temporary, or it can develop into a serious, chronic condition. Women often experience edema along with other premenstrual symptoms or during pregnancy. Anyone can develop edema from too much salt in their diets or by sitting or standing for extended periods of time.
A wide range of medications include edema as a side effect. These include:
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Blood pressure controlling drugs
- Estrogen supplements
- Steroids
- Thiazonlidinediones, sometimes prescribed to treat diabetes
Edema can also emerge as part of serious diseases and conditions. Congestive heart failure reduces the efficiency of blood circulation. Some other medical conditions that aggravate edema are:
- Chronic venous insufficiency
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Kidney damage or disease
- Cirrhosis
- Lymphatic system problems
Gravity and sedentary life conditions can make it hard to drain excess fluids from your legs, regardless of the primary cause of your edema.
Treatments for edema
As with many medical conditions, treatment for edema usually starts with conservative methods and lifestyle changes. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet, increases of moderate exercise like walking and swimming, and periods of time with your legs elevated help your body to drain retained fluids. Compression stockings also serve to support the blood vessels in the legs, assisting drainage. If you don’t respond to these interventions, diuretic medications may be prescribed.
When more aggressive treatment becomes necessary for venous conditions, Dr. Banda recommends three minimally invasive procedures to remove varicose veins, based on the best fit for your condition.
Ambulatory phlebectomy
An outpatient procedure using small incisions, ambulatory phlebectomy physically removes problem veins near the skin. Local anesthetic is all that’s necessary during the procedure, and recovery is uncomplicated.
Endovenous ablation
Using heat delivered by a laser or small catheter device, Dr. Banda seals off a vein, causing the body to absorb the vein’s tissue while rerouting blood in the surrounding area. Endovenous ablation also involves small incisions and local anesthesia.
Foam sclerotherapy
An injectable treatment, sclerotherapy introduces an irritant into the target veins that causes the blood vessel to close up. Once again, your body removes the tissue over time. Sclerotherapy is often guided using ultrasound.
All of these treatments are well-tolerated and require minimal downtime. To find out more about vein therapy to reduce edema, schedule a consultation with Dr. Banda at MD Vein & Skin Specialists. You can reach the office at 443-267-2428. Call now to book your session.
You Might Also Enjoy...
The Truth About Sun Exposure and Skin Cancer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declare clearly that most skin cancers result from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun. While sunlight has health benefits, your risk of skin cancers skyrockets without protection from UV.
Here's How You Can Play a Role in Preventing Vein Disease
Your veins, tasked with returning blood to the heart and lungs, have a unique design that helps them work against gravity. Diseases of the veins can allow the pooling of blood, a condition that creates further problems, usually in your legs.
Lesser-Known Facts About Skin Cancer
You may know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting Americans and that melanoma is the most serious. However, you might not know there are many types of skin cancer, including those that happen without sun exposure.
Is That Mole Cancerous?
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Melanoma is the most aggressive type, forming in skin pigment cells, such as those found in moles. While most moles are harmless, there are signs when cancer hits.
9 Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Varicose Veins
While varicose veins usually aren’t a sign of serious health issues, their dark, twisted, and gnarly appearance makes them a cosmetic issue that destroys the smooth skin tone on your legs. You can make changes to reduce your risk of this condition.