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Spider Veins and Varicose Veins
Millions of women and many men suffer from
spider or varicose veins. Spider veins are small
unsightly red or purple vessels on the surface
of the thighs or calves. Varicose veins are
large ropy blue vessels that often bulge off the
surface of the skin and sometimes cause an
aching or burning sensation. These can remain
merely a cosmetic problem or can progress to
cause leg discoloration, swelling and ulceration
or predispose to blood clots (deep venous
thrombosis).
What causes Spider Veins and Varicose
Veins?
The causes of spider and varicose veins include
heredity, pregnancy, and standing for long
periods of time. Other factors that can
predispose one to varicose veins include obesity
and prior leg injuries. Women tend to be
affected by varicose and spider veins 2-4 time
more commonly than men do, due to the fact that
female hormones and pregnancies are so commonly
implicated in their cause. Even though a
predisposed woman's varicose veins will get
significantly worse during pregnancy (due to
hormonal influences and increased blood volume),
they will sometimes recede again in the 6 months
after delivery.
Veins have valves that close when we stand which
prevents blood from rushing backward due to the
force of gravity. If these valves fail
completely or partially (valvular incompetence),
the vessels swell. The body will sometimes
create new veins to cope with the increased
pressure. Sometimes people just have genetically
weak veins walls, ultimately causing varicose
veins.
What is Spider Veins and Varicose Veins?
Millions of women and many men suffer from
spider or varicose veins. Spider veins are small
unsightly red or purple vessels on the surface
of the thighs or calves. Varicose veins are
large ropy blue vessels that often bulge off the
surface of the skin and sometimes cause an
aching or burning sensation. These can remain
merely a cosmetic problem or can progress to
cause leg discoloration, swelling and ulceration
or predispose to blood clots (deep venous
thrombosis).
Are there different types of Spider Veins
and Varicose Veins?
Spider veins are red or blue vessels that are
less than 2 mm. vessels. Reticular veins are
non-elevated blue vessels that are 2-4 mm in
diameter. Varicose veins are usually greater
than 3 mm in diameter and are often elevated
above the surface of the skin. Different
therapies may be associated with different sized
veins.
How can I treat Spider Veins and Varicose
Veins?
There are many different types of treatments for
spider veins. Simple therapy aimed at modest
improvement and/or prevention includes wearing
support hose and/or using topical therapy such
as Cellex-C Spider Vein Complex.
More invasive therapies include, sclerotherapy,
laser surgery, surgical vein removal (ambulatory
phlebectomy) and venous closure, a laser or
radiofrequency treatment to fix abnormal valves.
Yes and no. A comprehensive treatment with
sclerotherapy and/or laser can reduce the
appearance of spider veins for many years.
However, the original factors that caused them
in the first place, (heredity,
pregnancy/estrogen, excessive weight, standing
for long periods) may not go away and new veins
may be created. Also, the treatment of spider
veins needs to include treatment of the feeder
veins in order to achieve a long term effect.Yes
and no. A comprehensive treatment with
sclerotherapy and/or laser can reduce the
appearance of spider veins for many years.
However, the original factors that caused them
in the first place, (heredity,
pregnancy/estrogen, excessive weight, standing
for long periods) may not go away and new veins
may be created. Also, the treatment of spider
veins needs to include treatment of the feeder
veins in order to achieve a long term effect.
Medical grade support hose improves venous blood
flow by narrowing the oversized channel. This is
a time honored non-invasive method of improving
venous circulation in the legs.
Sclerotherapy consists of injections into veins
of a solution which injures the blood vessel
wall. The body reabsorbs the vein during the
healing process. Laser treatment of leg veins
has only recently become a viable alternative.
Newer lasers, employing a long wavelength
technology, are able to shine a beam of light
through the skin and heat up the target blood
vessel enough to damage the vessel walls yet not
damage the surrounding tissue. The lasers which
work the best are long pulsed neodymium yag
lasers (wavelength of 1064). This can be used
instead of or along with sclerotherapy. Surgical
removal, traditionally called stripping, aims to
remove the abnormal vessel. A newer technique
called ambulatory phlebectomy allows surgeons to
remove veins under local anesthetic with small
hooks via tiny incisions in the legs. A new
procedure, approved by the FDA in March, 1999
used for treatment of an abnormality in the main
valve in the upper leg (saphenofemoral junction
incompetence), a common problem causing varicose
veins, especially on the inner thigh, calf and
ankle. A catheter is threaded into the vein and
a laser or radiofrequency device fixes the valve
under ultrasound guidance.
Is Spider Veins and Varicose Veins
curable?
Yes and no. A comprehensive treatment with
sclerotherapy and/or laser can reduce the
appearance of spider veins for many years.
However, the original factors that caused them
in the first place, (heredity,
pregnancy/estrogen, excessive weight, standing
for long periods) may not go away and new veins
may be created. Also, the treatment of spider
veins needs to include treatment of the feeder
veins in order to achieve a long term effect.
What does Spider Veins and Varicose Veins
look like?
They are small blue or red “spidery” lines on
the legs. If you look closely they are dispersed
in the leg likes branches on a tree. If you
think of the trunk of a tree being the vein deep
inside that cannot be seen on the surface, the
big blue veins are like big branches on a tree
and the smaller blue and red vessels are like
the small branches with leaves.
How can I find out more?
http://www.phlebology.org/ (American College of
Phlebology
http://www.asds-net.org/ (American Society of
Dermatologic Surgery)
http://www.aslms.org/ (American Society of Laser
Medicine and Surgery)
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