Vein Care Symptoms And Causes Of Varicose Veins And Spider Veins

Veins carry blood from the legs back to the heart. When the veins in your legs become enlarged and twisted, they are called varicose veins or spider veins. They may be a cosmetic concern or they can cause pain and swelling of the legs. In some cases, these veins can lead to a dangerous condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Center For Advanced Vein Care for both varicose and spider veins that improve symptoms and reduce their appearance. These include elevating your legs and wearing loose clothing to avoid compression of the veins. Gentle massage of the leg is also helpful.

The cause of varicose veins is wear and tear on the valves in your veins that control blood flow to the legs. When these valves do not close properly, the blood in the veins pools and enlarges, forming a varicose vein. This can happen at any age but is more common as you get older. A family history of varicose veins also increases the chances that you will develop them.

Symptoms of varicose veins are most often pain and swelling of the legs. If the veins are very large or the underlying condition is severe, you may have more serious symptoms like ulcers on your skin. Your doctor will evaluate your symptoms and history and perform a physical exam. You might have other tests, such as a Doppler ultrasound or plethysmography. These tests measure the pressure in your veins as blood flows through them, which can help find problems with your leg veins.

You can get treatment for varicose and spider veins in your doctor's office. Depending on the size and position of your varicose veins, there are different treatment options. Some are simple laser therapy for spider veins or a catheter-based procedure, which includes radiofrequency ablation and sclerotherapy, to heat and seal the vein closed.

Other treatments involve tying off or stripping the varicose veins through small cuts. This surgery requires a short hospital stay and some discomfort afterward, but it is the only surgical procedure that can prevent varicose veins from coming back.

Many people delay having varicose or spider veins treated because they think the procedures are painful or invasive. But a lot of these procedures can be done in 20 minutes, and patients leave with a bandaid on their leg. Those kinds of procedures don't require a lot of time, and they can significantly improve the quality of life for people with varicose and spider veins. The main thing is to see a vein specialist as soon as you can. If you have pain and swelling of your legs, contact a vein care specialist to discuss your options. You can also call to set up an appointment at any of our centers.