Why Winter May be the Best Time to Treat Your Vein Disease

Football, falling leaves, and sweaters.  Fall and winter are not usually when people think about their varicose veins.  Many people with this problem are happy to cover up in the winter, even if their symptoms of aching, heaviness, and fatigue persist.

However, late fall and winter may be the perfect time to address varicose vein issues.  For starters, if you have met your insurance deductible for your health plan year, you may save some money by seeking evaluation and treatment before your plan renews.  In addition, most patients do not realize that health insurance will often cover varicose vein treatment, but the treatment plan must be approved before treatment can start and this can take up to four weeks for most insurance plans.  If you have Medicare there is a requirement that varicose vein patients have a 90 day trial of conservative treatment, which includes compression stockings, leg elevation, and exercise (walking), BEFORE definitive treatment can start.  Finally, after the best treatment for varicose vein disease, there is often a healing phase for 6-12 weeks, depending on the severity of the disease treated.  Even spider veins can persist in some after complete treatment for up to 90 days.

For all of these reasons, the best time to treat your vein disease may be November through March.  This will assure your legs will be in tiptop shape for the summer season.  If you have questions about the timing of treatment give us a call at Reeder Vein Institute.  We are happy to provide you with answers and offer a free screening evaluation to help you with treatment decisions (Note:  Medicare, unfortunately, does not allow us to offer a free screening if Medicare is your primary health insurance).  Happy Holidays!