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Varicose and Spider Veins – Causes and Treatment

To many people, varicose veins are more than just a reason not to wear shorts during the summer time. They can cause pain and high levels of discomfort on the legs and thighs of people who suffer from them.

Varicose veins are also known as spider veins because some have the appearance of spider webs on the skin. People often think that only the elderly suffer from this problem, but even people as young as 19 can have them appear as well.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Surprisingly there is a long list of things that can cause these unsightly veins to appear.

When a vein becomes damaged, or backed up with blood, it weakens and bulges out of the skin. Spider veins are slightly different as they are a network of small veins and are generally caused by injury, backed up blood, or sun exposure. About 50% of elderly people suffer from these veins, with men having slightly less odds of developing them than women.

There are several things that can cause varicose veins to appear that you have no control over, including:

• Hormonal Changes (puberty, menopause, birth control)
• Genetics
• Getting Older
• Pregnancy

Varicose veins can also be caused by:

• Obesity
• Lack of Movement

Preventing Spider and Varicose Veins

If you have any of the above risk factors for varicose or spider veins then you might be affected by this condition at some point in your life. However, there are several ways you can prevent them from forming.

1. Don’t stay sitting still in the same position even if you work at a desk job - get up and stretch several times.

2. Try not to cross your legs, and elevate them if you can.

3. Exercise and watch your diet since obesity can cause varicose and spider veins as well.

Sometimes in the case of pregnancy, women will develop varicose veins on the vagina and their legs. These veins will often disappear shortly after delivery once the additional blood volume and weight is lifted from the veins.

Signs and Symptoms

Of course there are the normal symptoms of bulging veins, or veins appearing under the skin in the legs and thighs, or buttocks area.

Spider veins are given their name for their similar appearance to spider webs, or even tree branch type patterns. These veins are red or blue and can cause pain, burning sensations, swelling, rashes, and even restless leg syndrome in severe cases. Spider veins are rarely dangerous, and are often more or less a cosmetic issue.

Sometimes sufferers will complain of an aching or throbbing sensation in the legs when they stand or sit for too long. These can be dealt with by using support stockings, and frequent position changes and laser treatments to completely remove the veins. Varicose veins sometimes can be difficult to manage due to the severe pain they cause. Rarely do they get to the point to where they cause serious problems such as blood clots, bleeding, or skin ulcers. Most cases of varicose veins are more often a cosmetic issue, and can be dealt with through laser treatment.

Varicose and Spider Vein Treatment

A good pair of support stockings can help prevent these veins from getting worse, and help relieve the uncomfortable aching and throbbing. Laser treatment of varicose veinsis one of the easiest ways to deal with veins smaller than 3mm. If you suffer from veins larger than 3mm, you will likely have to consider sclerotherapy.

But lasers are the best spider vein treatment available and can completely erase these veins from the surface of the skin. Each doctor will have a different way of preforming this procedure, but most will use the laser treatment for around 15-20 minutes at a time followed by a blast of cool air.

Lasers are very hot, so this procedure isn’t going to be completely pain free.

Most patients experience redness and swelling for a couple days after a laser treatment, and even sometimes burning. Spider vein treatment isn’t meant to make them magically disappear after one treatment so you must be committed to going back a few times. The best thing about this type of varicose and spider vein treatment is that you can resume you normal activities right after having the procedure performed.

Sclerotherapy is another treatment option for varicose veins – mainly for medium to large ones that laser treatments can’t handle. The procedure is quite simple, involving a saline solution that’s injected directly into the spider veins, causing the veins to contract and collapse.

Each sclerotherapy session can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour – it depends on the extent of treatment. Often times, several sessions are required to fully address the number of spider veins. Side effects are mild and include: mild itching, swelling and some discoloration that may last up to 4-12 months.

Varicose and spider vein treatment can be a hard choice if you have been dealing with them for a long time. They can cause people to have low self-esteem, and prevent them from wearing outfits such as skirts and shorts.

 

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