The swelling, itching, and general discomfort of varicose veins can sometimes make people feel desperate for a cure that would eliminate symptoms right away. The Internet is full of home remedies and alternative cures for varicose veins, some more far-fetched than others. Slicing tomatoes and immediately placing them over your varicose veins is a popular alternative vein treatment circulating right now. Unfortunately, no evidence exists to support tomato slices curing varicose veins.
Why Tomatoes Don’t Cure Varicose Veins
According to the websites promoting tomato slices as a cure for varicose veins, the aspirin-like acid in tomatoes acts as a natural blood thinner and anticoagulant. The theory is that the natural flavonoids in tomatoes strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
To receive the healing properties of tomatoes, you must place them over your varicose veins and wrap them to stay in place. You should do this up to five times a day until you feel a tingling sensation on your skin. Since it takes a few hours for skin to start tingling, you could have tomato slices on your legs for most of the day.
While putting tomato slices on your legs to cure varicose veins might sound far-fetched, people sometimes feel desperate enough for relief to try it. However, the use of tomatoes is not a tried and true medical practice. To be effective, acid from the tomato would need to penetrate through your leg and vein to eliminate blood that had pooled in the vein causing it to become varicose. That simply is not possible.
What Varicose Veins Are and How They Occur
Varicose veins are veins that have become enlarged and twisted. The arteries of your heart carry blood to other body tissues, including your veins. When the blood reaches veins, the veins return it to the heart for recirculation. The veins in your leg must work against gravity to return blood to the heart. Damaged or weakened valves make it challenging for the veins to push the blood upwards. The result is pooled blood that develops into varicose veins and can produce these symptoms:
- Achiness or feeling of heaviness in the legs
- Burning, itching, and throbbing sensations on your skin
- Muscle cramps in the lower leg
- Pain becomes worse after sitting or standing for long periods
- Skin discoloration
Treatments for Varicose Veins
Vein treatment typically includes a combination of lifestyle changes and professional services. For example, exercising, losing weight, avoiding tight-fitting clothes, and avoiding sitting or standing without a break for several hours can all improve symptoms of varicose veins.
Treatment of varicose veins is non-invasive and now takes place in an outpatient setting thanks to medical advances. We offer laser therapy, foam and non-foam injections, and micro-surgery for the treatment of varicose veins. You remain awake and alert throughout the procedure while under local anesthesia. The average treatment time is 30 minutes with no downtime devoted to recovery. In fact, you can return to work or other activities immediately after leaving Schulman Vein and Laser Center.
Schulman Vein’s Exceptional Vein Doctor in Long Island
Dr. Martin Schulman and Dr. Lee Schulman have more than 55 years of combined experience exclusively treating vein conditions. We invite you to meet our vein physicians in Long Island, NY to learn more about our outpatient vein treatment options. You can find our Manhattan vein clinic at 1165 Park Avenue in New York City. Please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment today.