An Overview Of Varicose And Spider Veins Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The older a person gets, the more apt they are to get varicose or spider veins. Varicose veins affect half of the population in ages 50 and over. American women are 50-55% likely to have one or both of these vein problems, and they affect 40-45% of American men.
What Are Varicose and Spider Veins?
Varicose veins are big, enlarged, swollen veins. They are puffy and raised from the skin. They can be dark purple or blue. They are usually on the legs, most commonly they are on the backs of the calves or the inner thigh.
Spider veins are similar, although much smaller. They are most common on the legs and face. They can be red or blue in color and look like a road map or spider's web of sorts. Spider veins can cover a small patch of skin or a large section of skin. What Are the Causes of Varicose and Spider Veins? Our bodies are full of veins and arteries that are used to transport blood around. The arteries carry blood that has just gone through the heart and is oxygen rich. This blood is pumped to our muscles and other organs so they can operate properly. The veins then transport the blood back to the heart to get reloaded with oxygen. The veins contain one-way flaps, called valves. The job of the valves is to keep the blood flowing in the direction it's supposed to go, back to the heart. The main cause of varicose and spider veins is that the valve(s) isn't working properly and some blood stays pooled in a vein. Some people genetically inherit weak valves. Other people's valves become weaker as they get older.
Varicose and spider veins occur most commonly in the legs because the blood in the veins has to travel back to the heart mostly against gravity. If a valve in the leg becomes too weak to keep all the blood traveling up the leg, a pool forms. This vein problem is known as venous insufficiency. The only help a vein gets in keeping the blood flowing uphill is compressing the leg muscles, making them act as a pump. People at increased risk for varicose or spider veins are older, having other family members who suffer from vein problems, hormonal changes, obesity, leg injuries, prolonged standing or sitting and sun exposure can cause spider veins on the cheeks or nose of fair skinned people. Risks associated with hormonal changes include going through puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Taking birth control pills, including estrogen or progesterone, also increases the risk. Pregnancy increases the risk because of the increased volume of blood pumping through a woman's system and the pressure of the growing and heavier uterus on the veins. Usually the varicose or spider veins start to disappear within three months after delivery. However, if a woman experienced them once during pregnancy, there are usually more in each subsequent pregnancy. Many women get hemorrhoids around the anus or vagina during pregnancy, which are actually varicose veins in that area as well. What Are Symptoms Associated With Varicose and Spider Veins? With varicose veins, along with the swollen and sometimes discolored vein, can come aching pain, easily tired legs, leg heaviness, leg swelling, skin darkening, leg numbness and a rash or itchiness in the legs. Varicose veins usually get larger and worse over time and can create some severe health problems. In major cases of venous insufficiency, the pooled blood doesn't get to the heart as quickly as it should, thus causing blood clots and infections. A blood clot can travel to the lungs and become life threatening. The skin tissue around a varicose vein can get sores or skin ulcers. Also, swelling, irritation and painful rashes are problems. Spider veins usually do not need medical treatment. It would only be in the case of wanting to remove them for cosmetic appearances that they are treated. How Are Varicose and Spider Veins Treated? Not all cases of varicose veins are the same. Doctors can take x-rays or ultrasound images of the vein to better see what the severity of the case is. A specialist in vein diseases or phlebology may be recommended. The most common treatment for both varicose and spider veins is sclerotherapy. Microsclerotherapy is actually used for spider veins, the only difference is just on a smaller scale for the tiny spider veins. This is when a doctor injects a solution into the vein which basically makes the vein swell, seal shut and turn into scar tissue over a few weeks time. The surrounding veins will take over the flow of blood that the affected vein once had. This is done right in the doctor's office and is usually very effective if done the right way. Although some veins need treated more than once. There are two new treatments utilizing a laser. Laser surgery is for treating spider veins and uses very strong bursts of light which are sent into the vein in a very controlled and accurate manner. It just causes the veins to fade and disappear, however, it usually takes two to five treatments to get rid of them. Veins over 3mm in size, laser surgery is not recommended. The other technique involving a laser is the endo venous treatment, which uses radio frequency and laser. This is done in a doctor's office as well. This technique is like a high-tech version of sclerotherapy. The doctor inserts a tiny catheter into the affected vein and sends a radio frequency or laser energy into the vein, which shrinks and seals the vein shut. Finally, there are three types of actual surgeries that can be done on very severe varicose veins. One is surgical ligation and stripping, which means the vein is sealed off and completely removed. Ambulatory phlebectomy is the second type of surgery. Here, a special light source marks the location of the vein, small incisions are made in the skin and surgical hooks remove the vein. Last is endoscopic vein surgery, where a small camera is used to see inside the vein and then the vein is removed through small incisions.
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