What are spider and varicose veins?
Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are those tiny purple and red blood vessels found most commonly on the thighs or lower legs of women. They are hereditary and can form anywhere on the leg, from the top of the thigh to the ankle. Occasionally, spider veins appear on the face. Varicose veins are larger. They can appear raised with a bluish color and can become quite painful. Although spider veins and varicose veins carry blood, they are not part of the venous valve system. Your spider veins and varicose veins can be eliminated permanently through a simple office procedure called Sclerotherapy. What is sclerotherapy? The Sclerotherapy treatment was developed in the 1920’s. During the procedure, a sclerosing solution is injected into the vein through a micro-needle. The tiny needle generally causes very little pain. The sclerosing solution causes the vein to blanch (turn white), and then gradually disappear. A typical treatment may last for 15 to 20 minutes and consist of multiple injecti
Spider veins are formed by the dilation of a small group of blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. Although they can appear anywhere on the body, spider veins are most commonly found on the face and legs and look like red or purple sunbursts or web patterns. Spider veins are also referred to as telangiectasia or broken capillaries. They usually pose no health hazard but may produce a dull aching in the legs after prolonged standing. Varicose veins are swollen or enlarged blood vessels caused by a weakening in the vein’s wall or valves. They are located somewhat deeper than spider veins, are sometimes raised, and often appear blue. The origin of these varicose veins may be hidden under the skin. Advanced cases of varicose veins can be harmful to a patient’s health because they may be associated with the development of one or more of the following conditions: * Venous stasis ulcers, which can result when the enlarged vein does not provide adequate drainage of fluid from
Spider veins are formed by the dilation of a small group of blood vessels located close to the surface of the skin. Although they can appear anywhere on the body, spider veins are more commonly found on the face and legs. They usually pose no health hazard but may produce a dull aching in the legs after prolonged standing. Varicose veins are abnormally swollen or enlarged blood vessels caused by a weakening in the vein’s wall.
Veins throughout your body return blood back to your heart. In order to do this efficiently, veins have one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards (reflux). These valves are particularly important in your legs due to the effects of gravity. If they fail to close properly, blood will leak through the valves and result in pooling. Over time, this pooling of blood will create pressure inside the vein walls and result in enlargement and sometimes bulging of the vein. These enlarged veins are the cause of spider veins (telangiectasia) and varicose veins. Spider veins are small red, purple, or bluish veins located just below the surface of the skin. They can have a linear or spider web-like appearance. Varicose veins are abnormally enlarged veins located deeper under the skin. Varicose veins can also protrude slightly above the skin surface resulting in a rope-like appearance.
