CLEVELAND — Many people may be spending summer days out by the pool or in shorts. But for some living with a medical condition, the season may be more about staying cool while covering up.
 

What You Need To Know

  • The American Vein and Lymphatic Society estimates that 41% of women over the age of 50 have varicose veins

  • While varicose veins are often not considered a serious condition, sometimes, they can lead to blood clots or nonhealing wounds

  • -Anita Nickel has lived with painful varicose veins since her teens
  • Thanks to treatment from a University Hospital's doctor, she finally feels relief

Anita Nickel enjoys walking her dog, Cricket, around her neighborhood in Brooklyn, Ohio.

But she wasn’t always able to move easily. 

“My legs were hurting me so bad that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to walk anymore," she said.

For most of her life, Nickel experienced a lot of pain and discomfort because of the varicose veins in her legs.

“It was like just like purple ropes on my legs," Nickel said. "They looked so bad.”

The gnarled, enlarged veins can be genetic and abnormal, dilated blood vessels formed in her mother and grandmother’s legs, too.

“I started getting varicose veins in my teens, in my late teens. They slowly started and just progressively got worse through the years," Nickel said.

Nickel built her career in construction in Cleveland and she retired early because it got to where it hurt too much to work.

“My legs were so heavy that it always felt like I was wearing cement shoes almost," she said.

It was especially difficult during the summer.

“By the time I was in my 20s, I wouldn’t wear shorts or a bathing suit anymore," Nickel said.

Varicose veins are often considered a cosmetic condition, but for Nickel, it was more about the pain. 

Compression stockings and a stripping procedure to remove a large vein didn’t do the trick.

She struggled to find a doctor who took her symptoms seriously.

“One excuse after another. No one really wanted to help me," she said.

But in 2020, she found Dr. Karem Harth at University Hospitals Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute.

“She was like my miracle worker," Nickel said.

Dr. Harth said Nickel has symptomatic and recurrent venous disease. She performed a series of procedures, such as ablation, phlebectomy, and echosclerotherapy, to ease her symptoms. University Hospitals explained that this kind of treatment is not routinely available in most vascular practices, especially for patients who previously underwent a surgery.

One misconception Harth wanted to discuss is that varicose veins are only a cosmetic condition that affects women. She said she sees several male patients as well and addressing varicose veins is really about improving a person’s quality of life.

“Certainly it's not just a cosmetic problem. There's certainly cosmetic indications for interventions, but the bulk of the patients that come to me are not cosmetic patients," Harth said. "They're actually daily symptoms that impact their ability to carry out their day, carry out their work, enjoy their day, or be more active. They feel like they got to really stop and take a break because their legs are aching despite what is the the standard medical therapy which is compression therapy." 

For Nickel, the therapy has been life-changing. 

“I’m just delighted with my legs," said Nickel. "I thought it was never going to happen. I just thought I was dealt a bad hand in life, you know? I got rejected so many times when I tried to do something about it and it took until I was 64 before I found somebody who would help me.”

Today, she describes her legs as more energized and she feels more confident now at age 66 than she has in decades.

Nickel encourages others to advocate for themselves. 

“Don’t give up," she said. "There’s hope out there. Don’t take no for an answer.”

According to Harth, varicose veins can be hereditary and hormonal. Pregnancy, inactivity and jobs that require you to stand for prolonged periods of time can put pressure on the veins in the lower legs and cause the condition. 

Harth recommends sending an email to veincenter@uhhospitals.org for questions on varicose veins or to schedule an appointment.