Varicose veins, otherwise known as spider veins, are unsightly marks that can also lead to serious discomfort for those affected by them. Spider veins can additionally lead to more serious medical problems, such as blood clots or open sores. While minimally invasive treatment can alleviate the pain and look of spider veins, these treatments can be expensive. It’s advised you contact an experienced medical professional if you’re experiencing or suffering from the development of significant spider veins.
What Causes Spider Veins?
Simply put, spider veins are damaged veins. Our veins ensure that blood is being pumped through our body and to our heart. Spider veins appear when the one-way valves inside our veins become weaker, causing the blood to flow backwards and away from the heart, and accumulating in the vein. This extra blood within the vein causes the veins to bulge, which we can soon identify as a spider vein. Occurring predominantly in the legs, spider veins are remarkably noticeable and can cause serious discomfort when left untreated.
Typically, spider veins are genetic: if your mother or grandmother experienced spider veins, it’s quite likely that you will, too. And while there are a number of things you can do to mitigate the development of spider veins - such as exercise or avoiding sitting or standing for long periods of time - spider veins become more common with age, and more likely if they already run in your family.
Treating Spider Veins
Dermatologists will typically treat spider veins with a combination of self-care and exercise, and prescribe surgery or medication in more advanced patients. Self-care might include avoiding long, hot baths, taking breaks from standing or sitting for long periods of time, and making sure your legs are elevated frequently. Unfortunately, these self care tips can prevent new spider veins from forming, but they cannot heal those that have already been formed.
There are several other common treatments that do require the care and oversight of a medical professional. The most common therapy for spider veins is sclerotherapy, in which your doctor injects a chemical into your spider vein, irritating the wall of the vein. Afterwards, a compression sock is applied and the area is massaged to ensure that blood begins circulating and flowing back to the heart as intended. Like any medical procedure, sclerotherapy does carry a certain level of risk, but it’s proven very effective at reducing swelling and treating the overall appearance and discomfort associated with spider veins.
Your dermatologist might also prescribe compression socks to wear on a daily basis. Compression socks are similarly used to apply steady pressure to the affected area and move blood back to your heart. These socks also reduce the chance that you might get a blood clot, which will reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke.
Finally, laser treatments might be able to eliminate the appearance and discomfort of spider veins altogether without damaging your skin. These treatments can be quite expensive, but thus far are some of the most effective at eliminating spider veins.
Seek Medical Care
Spider veins can be rather annoying and costly to treat, requiring much follow-up and a substantial change in lifestyle. As such, patients with spider veins may want to find a trained medical professional to help alleviate the burden of care.