At some point during your life, you’re bound to run into a smattering of spider veins on your legs. They aren’t typically a cause for concern, though. They’re common and very treatable. Learn more about what exactly spider veins are, what causes them, how to prevent them, and the treatments available to be rid of them.
Let’s explore four common causes of that burning sensation in legs, what you can do to remedy it, and how our veins specialists can get you back to you.
Spider veins, or telangiectasia, are superficial leg veins that can appear with blue, purple, or red discoloration and resemble a spider web. They are most common on your thighs but can be seen anywhere, especially on your ankles and calves. They will start to appear in your twenties and will become more prevalent as you age. In most cases, spider veins are more of a nuisance than anything else. They shouldn’t cause any pain, itching, or burning. If they do, it warrants visiting a medical professional.
Spider veins are extremely common, with around 50% of women and about 40% of men having them somewhere on their bodies. When you look at people over 50 years of age, around half of the population has this condition.
There are a variety of causes of spider veins. These include:
So, how do you prevent spider veins in the first place?
A big lifestyle change that can be made is to avoid sitting or standing for longer than two hours at a time. When you sit or stand for that long, the blood pools up in your legs. To prevent this, try to take a break and walk around every two hours, even if it’s only for a few seconds so that it decreases the venous pressure and staves off valve damage.
Compression stockings were created to apply steady pressure to your lower legs. This helps blood move from your legs and back to your heart, avoiding the build-up of blood in your legs. You can find compression stockings in pharmacies, medical stores, and sometimes airports in case you have a long flight ahead of you.
It can also help to take breaks during the day where you elevate your legs above your heart. This allows gravity to pull blood from the leg veins back to the heart, preventing blood from pooling in the legs.
There are a variety of herbal supplements and essential oils that are used to try and address spider veins naturally. Some of them are placed directly on the area of the veins, while others are taken orally.
Herbal supplements include:
Essential oils include:
Along with the preventative measures that are mentioned above, it also helps to eat a heart-healthy diet. When you keep a weight that is healthy for you, it can lower your risk of spider veins, as well as cardiovascular disease.
To treat spider veins, moving around more, in general, is essential. But there are also exercises specifically designed to treat spider veins, as well as varicose veins, like:
It’s important to keep up with intentional exercise regularly to reduce spider veins.
Sclerotherapy is one of the most common medical treatments for spider veins, as it can be done in an office. The procedure entails a solution being injected directly into the veins, which causes them to constrict and close. The blood will be rerouted to healthy veins, so blood will no longer flow through the spider veins, prompting them to disappear. The collapsed vein will be reabsorbed by your body and fade within weeks. If the veins are larger, it may take several treatments with a longer wait time for full results.
There are two types of injections that you can choose from.
Both Sotradecol and Asclera provide a more comfortable experience than the alternatives treatments offered in the past.. They are extremely effective and FDA-approved, as well.
No matter which injection you choose, the procedure will take less than an hour and you’ll be able to go about your day as you regularly would. The injections may cause mild bruising or skin discoloration on the injection site, but they will fade within weeks. You may also be asked to wear compression stockings for a couple of weeks to maintain compression on the treated veins. Once the veins are treated with sclerotherapy, they rarely come back.
Another way to treat spider veins is through lasers. During this procedure, a laser light will be focused directly at the veins, which causes tiny blood clots to form that block off the spider veins, destroying them. This happens without any damage to your skin, incisions, or needles.
Laser ablation is more suited for smaller spider veins, especially those that are too small to have an injection in them.
Like sclerotherapy, you can generally return to your day normally after the procedure. Many veins will disappear immediately after treatment, though the larger ones can take longer and require more treatments.
Spider veins are usually harmless and nothing more than a cosmetic annoyance. However, there are some cases where spider veins can be indicative of other problems.
Look out for these signs:
If you’re experiencing concerning spider vein symptoms, or simply want to reduce them for aesthetic reasons, Gilvydis Vein Clinic is here to help. We are a knowledgeable, trusted team that is committed to finding the root cause behind your pain, as well as treating it to reduce or eliminate your discomfort.
We are fully dedicated to your health and happiness. When you visit us, you can be assured that we will take the very best care of you.
Call us today at (815) 827-1098 or request a free screening on our website.
We’re proud to be one of three vein centers in Illinois with an IAC accreditation. Get back on your feet with a team of vein specialists who help you understand your vein treatment options.
We’re proud to be one of three vein centers in Illinois with an IAC accreditation. Get back on your feet with a team of vein specialists who help you understand your vein treatment options.