Under the expert guidance of our Board Certified Vascular Surgeon, Dr. Mark Zuzga, our team of Vein Specialists & Vascular Experts are committed to delivering top-tier outpatient vascular & vein evaluation and treatment throughout the greater Tampa & West Florida surrounding areas. Should you find yourself dealing with leg pain, swelling, ulcers, discoloration, or the appearance of spider and varicose veins, we invite you to request a screening todayCan Sliced Tomatoes Heal Varicose Veins?
If you’ve ever searched the Internet for relief from varicose veins, you’ve likely come across a few alternative cure-alls that seem a little too…farfetched.
Cold showers will constrict veins and ease your pain. Essential oils and apple cider vinegar have anti-inflammatory properties and will calm inflamed tissue while promoting blood flow. Leg vein supplements will strengthen collagen for healthier vascular walls.
But there are more than a few websites out there that suggest slicing tomatoes and applying them to topically to varicose veins is a viable alternative health treatment.
Some websites suggest wrapping tomatoes over varicose veins as much as five times a day for two weeks will yield results, especially if you keep them on your skin until a tingling sensation is felt — sometimes as long as three to four hours. That’s a lot of tomatoes.
Here’s the logic: Tomatoes contain an aspirin-like acid that is considered to be an anticoagulant and natural blood thinner, while their natural flavonoids strengthen blood vessel walls.
So, can sliced tomatoes really heal varicose veins? The short answer: Not likely, according to medical professionals.
Most professionals will also agree that taking excessive cold showers is a waste of water, that no published scientific research exists to show essential oils are a viable treatment for varicose veins, and that apple cider vinegar simply doesn’t work. Supplements are unregulated by the U.S. Food and Administration and often make claims that aren’t backed by clinical trials.
Don’t be fooled by pseudoscience: There are proven surgical methods to remove varicose veins for good, with minimal recovery times and no scarring. Those methods include endovenous ablation, a procedure that seals veins internally using a laser; microphlebectomy, the removal of varicose veins using micro-surgery; and sclerotherapy, an injected treatment that causes varicose and spider veins to shrink, close off and gradually disappear.
Let West Florida Vein Center, a division of Surgical Associates of West Florida, help you eliminate painful and unsightly varicose and spider veins for good. Call 727-712-3233 to request a consultation, or visit http://www.westfloridaveincenter.com for more information about Dr. Mark Zuzga’s practice.