Get a Leg Up on Your Vein Health

September marks National Vascular Disease Awareness Month, a time to focus on conditions that often go undiagnosed, including chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Affecting the veins in the lower legs, CVI is four times more common than arterial disease and can have a significant impact on a person’s comfort and mobility.

CVI occurs when the valves in leg veins stop working properly, causing blood to pool instead of circulating back to the heart. Over time, this can lead to symptoms like leg heaviness, swelling, visible varicose veins, cramping, restlessness, and even skin changes or ulcers. While these issues are sometimes dismissed as cosmetic or age-related, they are signs of a progressive medical condition.

The good news is that CVI is treatable, and early detection is key. Thanks to advances in vein care, treatments today are minimally invasive and typically require little to no downtime.

Florida Lakes Vein Center (FLVC) in Lakewood Ranch is taking an active role in educating the community and offering screenings and treatment options throughout Vascular Disease Awareness Month. As part of its free vein screening, the team uses ultrasound technology to quickly check for venous reflux, which is the underlying cause of CVI. This initial screening takes just 10 to 15 minutes. If reflux is detected, patients then undergo a comprehensive, one-hour bilateral ultrasound to map all the veins in both legs before any treatment is recommended.

“We want people to understand that they don’t have to live with the pain or discomfort caused by venous disease,” says Sara Roberts, Regional Director at FLVC. “We’ve seen patients regain their quality of life, from better sleep to more energy just walking around.”

One patient, unaware that his varicose veins were linked to fatigue and leg heaviness, described his post-treatment experience as life-changing. Another shared how the treatment eased his restless legs so much that he could finally sleep peacefully, and so could his wife.

As part of this month’s efforts, FLVC is offering free vein screenings and encourages the community to take advantage of educational resources, blogs, and a quick online screening tool at floridalakesveincenter.com or itsanoveiner.com.

As one grateful patient said, “Thank you for not just the aesthetic improvement but for reestablishing my quality of life.”