Spider & Varicose Veins: How to Prevent & Treat Them

What Are Spider Veins & Varicose Veins?

Spider veins (telangiectasias) are clusters of tiny blood vessels that appear on the surface of your skin (typically legs or face). They have a bluish or purplish color and resemble spiderwebs.

Varicose veins are abnormally enlarged vessels that bulge from your skin and are most often seen on your legs.

Causes of Spider Veins and Varicose Veins

Under normal circumstances, veins transport blood efficiently back to your heart. However, occasionally {due to various reasons}, some blood vessels have structural abnormalities where valves that are supposed to only flow one-way, become defective. When this happens, blood backflows and starts to pool within your veins. The increased pressure causes the vessels to swell and dilate, weakening the vessel walls. Over time, spider and varicose veins begin to appear on the surface of your skin.

There are several factors that can increase your chance of developing spider/varicose veins.

Here are some common reasons why you might get them:

Heredity
A family history of having spider/varicose veins can increase your chances of getting them.

Sex
Females are more prone to having this unsightly condition!

Age
As you get older, you will become more susceptible to developing spider/varicose veins.

Obesity
The extra weight can put more pressure on your vessels and cause them to weaken.

Hormones
Puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can all affect your hormone levels which can increase your odds of getting spider/varicose veins.

Occupation
Prolonged sitting/standing affects your blood circulation and may exacerbate your blood vessels.

How to Prevent Spider Veins

• Maintain a healthy weight,
• Exercise frequently,
• Avoid sitting/standing for a prolonged period of time,
• Avoid crossing your legs,
• Elevate your legs while sleeping, and
• Avoid wearing tight-fitted clothing around your waist, groin, and legs.

How to Treat Spider and Varicose Veins

There are several types of treatments available for spider and varicose veins that range from alleviating pain to destroying them entirely.

Here are some treatment options:

Exercise Regimen – Following an exercise regimen will improve blood circulation and help reduce discomfort associated with spider/varicose veins.

Compression Stockings – Support stockings increase blood pressure in your legs and thus improve blood flow. This helps alleviate pain.

Lasers – Surface lasers use heat to destroy any abnormal veins. If you’re scared of needles, this non-invasive treatment might be the right solution for you!

Radiofrequency Occlusion – This method involves inserting a catheter inside your vein and delivering a radiofrequency that heats up the vessel wall, collapses it, and seals it shut.

Sclerotherapy – This procedure consists of a concentrated saline solution that is injected directly into your veins. Over a period of 3 to 6 weeks, the veins gradually disappear.

Surgery – The most invasive treatment is surgery. Litigation (tying off a vein) or stripping (removing a segment of vein) are two techniques used to treat vein abnormalities.