Varicose veins are thick, bulging and misshapen veins in the legs and a very common condition affecting approximately 80 million Americans. They affect mainly women but men can be affected too. The most common factors leading to varicose veins is heredity, age, gender and pregnancy. Other factors may be prolonged standing, obesity, physical trauma, hormonal changes, and sedentary lifestyle.
Varicose veins usually appear as bulging or twisting rope like areas on the legs and are known to be a true medical condition, not a cosmetic issue. They are typically chronic and progress to a more serious medical issue. In severe cases they can lead to dangerous blood clots or other serious conditions.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins occur when veins are not properly returning blood from the lower legs to the heart. The veins have valves that open and close to allow the flow of blood. When a valve malfunctions, blood flows in the wrong direction and pools in the leg veins, which results in the bulging of the leg veins. The faulty valves are usually on the upper leg, even though it is common for the varicose veins to be on the lower leg. Varicose veins will usually continue to enlarge and worsen over time.
Spider Veins
Spider veins are small clusters of red, blue or purple veins that appear on the thighs, calves and ankles. It’s estimated that at least half of all women are bothered by this common cosmetic problem. Spider veins can become noticeable in the early 20s or sometimes the veins may not become obvious until the early 40s. Men get spider veins, too. However, usually they are concealed by hair growth on the leg. Spider veins can cover either a very small or very large area of skin. They are typically caused by hormone changes, exposure to the sun, or injuries and are easily treated today with Sclerotherapy.
Treatments
We attempt to relieve spider/varicose veins symptoms in the easiest way possible, first by implementing preventative techniques and conservative management such as:
- Compression Stockings
- Elevating Lower Extremities
- Increasing Exercise / Walking
- Weight Loss
- Avoiding Long Periods of Standing or Sitting
If your varicose veins do not respond to these initial treatments one or more of the following active treatments may be best to alleviate them:
- Sclerotherapy
- Laser Ablation
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy
To learn more about spider vein treatments contact us today!