I must have heard a similar story at least a dozen times; a person is taking a hot shower, feels lightheaded and wakes up in a pool of blood from a head injury. Fainting at the sight of blood being drawn, fainting on a hot day in church, a soldier faints during standing drills, a woman faints doing laundry. All, otherwise healthy individuals, passing out with very diverse provocative factors.

The Syndrome is called “Vasovagal Syncope” or “Neurocardiogenic Syncope” and is the most likely cause of syncope (fainting) in younger people.

I usually explain it as a miscommunication between the brain and the body…the heart and vascular system.

But the physiological reason is actually way more complex and is mediated mainly by a remarkable cranial nerve, The Vegas nerve! Sorry, the VAGUS nerve!

Much like Las Vegas, this nerve is responsible for a lot of organ function and dysfunction!

The nerve, which is the largest and most complex nerve in our body, exits the brain behind the ear and continues to innervate structures in our throat, through the chest(including heart, lungs and aorta) all the way down to our abdomen to our intestines.

It is a truly remarkable nerve which ingeniously connects otherwise unrelated organ system both to one another and to our perceived mental state. Oh, and allows speech to occur!

Its primary function is to synchronize and deliver parasympathetic impulses to counteract the sympathetic or “stress” impulses constantly bombarding our body and mind.

So, if a person feels scared, say by a political figure, our body’s response is to prepare for battle, the

so called “fight or flight” response. This involves increasing heart rate and blood pressure, narrowed vision (looking for exits), “skin crawling” or piloerection and sphincter constriction (so we don’t pee or poop ourselves).

So, the Vagus nerve steps in after (or during) the stressful event and undoes the above. Heart rate and blood pressure are lowered, skin is dilated, bowel function can resume and sphincters are released!

This process happens automatically but, I believe, when the underlying stress has been ignored for too long the response from the Vagal nerve becomes excessive. So rather than normalizing the elevated blood pressure, hypotension or excessively low blood pressure occurs. The same thing occurs with the heart rate becoming too low and, in both cases, or a combination of both syncope occurs…and the person collapses.

The typical scenario goes like this…Someone standing or sitting for a long time, stress has likely accumulated in the body and activates the Vagus nerve which overcompensates by lowering heart rate and drops blood pressure causing syncope. A hot shower is a common place as well because the heat has already caused a lot of the blood to be shifted to the superficial tissues (a mechanism the body uses to cool down). With less blood available in tank so to speak, even a slight dip in blood pressure can cause syncope.

The good news…

Vasovagal syncope is rarely a fatal or a deadly condition and usually can be avoided. Obviously, long hot showers should be skipped, lol. When the symptoms are noticed…The dizziness, tunnel vision, lightheadedness, one should try to sort themselves out as soon as they feel the symptoms. If they are a standing, they should try to sit and if it happens while sitting then they should lay down until the feeling passes and then get up slowly. Sometimes when a person who has low blood pressure at baseline, we prescribe a medication to elevate it so they can have a larger buffer to avoid syncope. In rare circumstances, if the patient is having a lot of low heart rate related syncopal episodes, a pacemaker may be indicated.

What is definitely indicated is a thorough analysis of ALL life stressors and daily meditation time period, especially when under enormous stress. The controlled and conscious breathing and dedicated stillness retrains the Vagus nerve, rehabilitating its parasympathetic outflow thereby consciously reducing stress and making it less likely to overcompensate. But don’t sit for too long.

This has been confirmed with studies…Brain scans showing less stress with meditation and less circulating stress hormones in blood studies.

Exercise also has a big role. When we move our body intentionally to make it do work, we not only get “cardio”, but we also re-establish our mind body connection. The brain thinks “hey I’m running now”, one FEELS the heart rate is appropriately going up, “feels good”, and now I’m finishing, and my heart rate is going down. Exercise is by far the best way to reacquaint your brain back to your body and to avoid further misunderstandings!

Hassan Makki, DO is an interventional cardiologist with more than fifteen years of experience. Dr. Makki specializes in treating cardiac and vascular conditions including heart failure, heart disease, P.A.D. , high cholesterol, stroke, heart attack, and blood clots.

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Sounds pretty unbelievable, doesn’t it?

If you have varicose veins and you’ve been trying to “live with them” for some time, that’s exactly what several of the top Phoenix vein specialists like Dr. Karen Garby, Dr. Jeff Braxton and Dr. Hassan Makki, at Comprehensive Integrated Care can do with a comprehensive treatment plan. If you have reached the point where you’re tired of varicose veins ruining your quality of life and you want to be rid of them forever, we can help you accomplish that. Want to know how? Read this article.

Varicose vein removal really can improve your quality of life

If you are like many of the patients we see at our vein clinics, one of the things that would most improve your quality of life would be seeing your reflection in the mirror after vein treatment. Or what about being able to walk your kids to school? You can’t comfortably do that now because your swollen achy legs make it hard to do anything but complain “My legs hurt!” Well, the purpose of this article is to tell you that these things are possible.

Perhaps you’ve been postponing seeking varicose vein treatment for some time. You’ve tried to ignore your varicose veins by wearing long pants and dark stockings and limiting your activities because your legs will hurt. Chances are you’ve begun to realize that this doesn’t work. Left untreated, varicose veins don’t go away or get better on their own. They tend to get worse.

And “worse” tends to manifest in ways you never expected. If you’re like most people who’ve tried to ignore their swollen and discolored veins, you’ve begun to realize that they do affect your health.

How varicose veins affect both your physical and mental health

Have you noticed how tired and weak your legs feel? And that they feel that way, all the time? Have you noticed that you’ve become more inactive, and have started making excuses to avoid walking or dancing or playing sports? These are the physical side effects of having varicose veins.

There is also the cosmetic aspect of these swollen veins, and how that makes you feel mentally. Have you noticed that your first reaction when you look into the mirror every morning is to feel depressed about the way your varicose veins make you look? Having varicose veins has been identified as a major cause of low self-esteem. Being unable to comfortably wear shorts or bathing suits because you’re ashamed of how your legs look takes its toll over time. It can leave you with diminished self-confidence. Over time, this can sometimes escalate to feelings of isolation and depression.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could eliminate the cause of all this?

At CiC, we can make these symptoms go away, by eliminating the diseased veins that cause them. The minimally-invasive treatments we offer at our vein centers are performed on an outpatient basis. This means that the techniques are not surgeries.

Varicose vein removal at CiC vein centers involve no hospitals, no deep incisions, no general anesthesia (because none is needed). And if you have only a few varicose veins, the procedures may be completed in less than an hour.

Yes, it can take time before all signs of varicose veins disappear from the surface of your skin. But the relief from the side effects that these diseased veins have on your physical health can be life changing. Patients often report that their energy levels increase, and that the pain, discomfort, and tiredness they’ve been living with for months is now gone. Best of all, every time you look into your mirror you will see fewer and fewer traces of the old ugly veins. In a very short time you won’t see them at all – your legs will be restored to their youthful beauty.

Think about this, and if it appeals to you, give us a call at 888-377-7122

We understand that “We can change your life” sounds as if we’re talking about magic, but we’re not. We’re talking about the current state of modern varicose vein treatment.

So give the best vein doctors in Phoenix a call. We’ll be happy to explain our varicose vein treatment options to you and help you get started feeling better fast.

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You have endured unattractive varicose veins and the side effects they cause, such as constantly swollen, painful, aching legs. You’re tired of making excuses to avoid being seen in a bathing suit or shorts. And, you’re tired of feeling bad about yourself every time you look into the mirror. In the words of the movie Network, you’re “mad as hell and you’re not going to take it any more!” You’re ready to try to find the best varicose vein treatment near you.

Congratulations! As varicose vein treatment specialists, we applaud your decision to do something about your varicose veins. At CiC, we want to do everything we can to help you follow through on getting the treatment you need. In this article, we’ll start by suggesting what your next steps should be.

Step 1: Get a venous health screening and get your facts straight

If you haven’t really consulted a varicose vein specialist about your varicose veins, your first step should be to do so. Call the best vein doctors in the Valley and schedule an appointment for a venous health screening.

The venous health screening takes only about an hour, it is non-invasive and completely painless. A screening can tell you exactly how serious your varicose veins are. This is the first thing you need to know when considering how best to treat them. Mild cases, for example, can often be treated using conservative treatment to control symptoms such as exercise, compression stockings, and lifestyle changes. More serious cases – especially if your personal goal is to eliminate the ugly, swollen veins – may require more aggressive treatment.

Step 2: Ask your CiC vein doctor to explain the treatment options

Your goal in this step should be to learn about and consider ALL of the varicose vein treatment options available to you. You want to learn as much as you can about how varicose veins are treated these days.

For example, you may have heard from a friend or colleague who had their varicose veins treated with techniques such as sclerotherapy. Sclerotherapy is a wonderful technique, it is minimally-invasive and requires no hospitalization or anesthesia.

But don’t stop researching there. There may be other forms of treatment that might be more appropriate for you, given your overall health and the extent of your vein disease. For example, many clients at our CiC vein clinics with larger varicose veins have found that Venaseal, radiofrequency ablation or endovenous laser ablation were more appropriate treatment options for them.

During the follow-up visits to your initial screening, you should ask your doctor about all of these options. If you want to learn more before then, visit the Vein Care section of our website beforehand.

Step 3: Decide which treatment is best, and follow through on your decision

Consult with one of our CiC vein experts such as Dr. Jeff Braxton, Dr. Karen Garby, or Dr. Michael Makki to determine the best treatment approach, and work with your doctors to create a personalized treatment plan.

More than one appointment may be necessary. However, you can rest assured that each of these appointments will be comfortable and efficient. The techniques involve minimally invasive treatments of varicose veins. It might take some weeks before the last remaining traces of them are gone. However they will be gone, and once a varicose vein has been removed, it doesn’t return, although some people do develop new varicose veins in the future.

Step 1 is still the most important, however. You’ve made your decision…now act on it. Pick up your telephone and dial 888-377-7122 or go online to schedule a Venous Health Screening and take that first step towards becoming free from your varicose veins today!

The post Ready to Seek Treatment for Your Vein Problems? Here’s How to Find the Best Varicose Vein Treatment Near You appeared first on Comprehensive Integrated Care.