Treating Varicose and Spider Veins

Varicose and spider veins are both conditions of the circulatory system that are most common in the legs. They both develop when weak or damaged valves or walls in your veins can no longer successfully move the blood back to your heart. The reason they most commonly appear in the lower extremities of the body is because the weakened veins can no longer compete against gravity. Instead of being pumped back to the heart, the blood will pool in the legs.

I’m an overall healthy women in my forties who started to notice spider veins around my ankles last spring. I made an appointment at The Advanced Vein Center a few weeks later and am I glad that I did. The staff there was able to explain to me have easy the treatment would be since I didn’t wait too long to come in. They gave me a few treatment options. After deciding on sclerotherapy, my legs look better than I expected.

-Elizabeth (age 44)

Thanks to modern medical advances, we now have several treatments available to us when it comes to spider and varicose veins. Sclerotherapy is one of the most versatile.

Visual Sclerotherapy Treatment

Sclerotherapy is an outpatient procedure that uses small injections to treat varicose and spider veins. This minimally invasive procedure uses a syringe to inject a chemical compound, called a sclerosant, into the affected veins. The sclerosing agent causes the vein to shrink and eventually be absorbed by the body.

And sclerotherapy doesn’t just lessen the appearance of varicose and spider veins, it is also known to eliminate pain and other side effects of damaged veins. Side effects of varicose veins include:

cramping,
discoloration,
itching and
pain.

Symptoms Of Spider Veins

There are many symptoms of spider veins which makes it easier for anyone to recognize the problem. Some of the most common symptoms of spider veins include:

• Twisted and bulging veins on the surface of your skin

• Red, purple or blue veins on legs or face

Varicose veins is misunderstood as spider veins many times and this can make it difficult for you to treat your problem since varicose veins are more painful and dangerous than spider veins.

Therefore here are some of the symptoms of varicose veins so that you can identify the problem right away:

• Pain in legs

• Itching the area where veins are appearing

• Large bulging and twisted veins

• Increased pain after sitting or standing for too long

When Should I Look For a Doctor?

Spider veins aren’t dangerous, they aren’t painful and they can’t cause you any pain either. However, many people treat them for cosmetic reasons since legs look really ugly when they are covered with spider veins.

You can treat them for cosmetic reasons too. You should seek medical treatment right away if you start feeling pain or if they are larger than normal spider veins, they could be varicose veins.

Treatment For Spider Veins

Endovenous Laser Therapy

Endovenous laser therapy is a newly produced treatment used to treat small varicose veins and spider veins.

During the procedure your doctor will make an incision in your affected vein with a laser fiber.

Then the laser fiber applies heat inside your vein which collapses it. After sometime the vein will look how it used to be.

Compression Stockings

Compression stockings are another effective treatment for venous diseases.

Your doctor will provide you with some compression garments, these clothes are made especially to apply pressure on the specific part of the body.

These stockings will apply pressure on your veins and make them disappear. You should wear them until you don’t see results.

Laser therapy

To seal off a damaged vein, medical professionals use a catheter (a lengthy, thin tube) and a laser in a minimally invasive treatment called endovenous thermal ablation.

Vein surgery

The goal of this technique, also known as ligation and stripping, is to stop blood from pooling by tying off the afflicted vein. To stop varicose veins from recurring, the surgeon may remove (strip) the vein.