Many people think of varicose or spider veins as merely ugly veins that keep them from wearing shorts and other clothes that expose their legs. Hopefully, that’s about to change thanks to a new public awareness campaign launched this week to alert people to the health dangers of these twisted and swollen blood vessels.
If left untreated, those unsightly spider veins can lead to the more serious form of vein venous disease — chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) — with symptoms that worsen over time. The Rethink Varicose Veins campaign provides an educational online hub where healthcare professionals and patients can find resources about varicose veins and CVI.
Image courtesy of the NIH (via WikiMedia Commons - public domain)
The Physician Locator tool allows doctors to sign up to have their contact information listed on the campaign’s Web site. There is also a downloadable electronic toolkit and in-office resources, including HTML and printable flyers; banner ads; and content for physician websites and social media pages.
Resources for patients include a self-assessment tool to help individuals determine if they are candidates for further screening from a vein specialist . There is also a physician locator to find vein specialists. Patients can find background information on varicose veins, CVI, and treatment options.
The campaign and website are a joint venture from the the Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Venous Forum, and the American College of Phlebology. The program was launched at the 38th annual VEITHsymposium.
The effort is sponsored by Covidien, which makes CVI treatment products.