What are varicose veins and spider veins?
Varicose veins are enlarged veins that can be flesh colored, dark purple or blue. They often look like cords and appear twisted and bulging. They are swollen and raised above the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are commonly found on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg. During pregnancy, varicose veins called hemorrhoids can form in the vagina or around the anus. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but they are smaller. They are often red or blue and are closer to the surface of the skin than varicose veins. They can look like tree branches or spider webs with their short jagged lines. Spider veins can be found on the legs and face. They can cover either a very small or very large area of skin.
Varicose veins are the largest ropey veins seen in the legs and spider veins are the smaller, often red or blue colored, veins. Varicose veins occur when the vein is not functioning correctly to help bring blood back up towards the heart. The walls of the veins are thinner, much less elastic and weaker then the walls of arteries. The veins start to enlarge most often in response to pressure on them and this creates a vicious cycle and a worsening venous condition. The pressure is typically from the forces of gravity, the bodies weight and the column of venous blood that has not yet finished its trip back to the heart. As a varicose vein enlarges it will contain larger volumes of blood, thus putting even greater pressure on the valve below. If the pressure becomes severe enough to exceed the strength of the valve, then the varicosity enlarges further, thus putting even more pressure on the next valve it encounters, as the condition continues to worsen. The effects of gravity, body weigh
Varicose veins and spider veins fall under the category of varicose veins. Spider veins are the small purplish looking veins that appear on a lot of patient’s legs; predominantly women. These are usually asymptomatic and much smaller. Varicose veins are the bigger bulging veins that a lot of people see. They are found on men and women’s legs. Those fall under the category of varicose veins. So, you have the asymptomatic spider veins and the varicose veins which can cause symptoms. • What causes varicose veins? Thankfully, varicose veins are not life threatening. They are not limb threatening either. A patient won’t lose their legs or die from varicose veins. However they can cause significant symptoms and cause a lot of discomfort. In addition, the second condition venous insufficiency can lead to ulcerations of the legs. • What is venous insufficiency and how can that be serious? Venous insufficiency is a condition in the veins. Normally blood is returned from the legs back to the hea
The heart pumps blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to the body. Arteries carry blood from the heart towards body parts, while veins carry blood from the body parts back to the heart. As the blood is pumped back to the heart, your veins act as one-way valves to prevent the blood from flowing backwards. If the one-way valve becomes weak, some blood can leak back into the vein, collect there, and then become clogged. This clogging will cause the vein to abnormally enlarge. These enlarged veins can be either varicose veins or spider veins. Varicose veins are very swollen and raised above the surface of the skin. They are dark purple or blue in color, and can look like cords or very twisted and bulging. They are usually found on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg. Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but smaller and closer to the surface of the skin. They are often red or blue in color. They often resemble a tree branch or spider web. Spider veins can be found on b
The heart pumps blood to supply oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. Arteries carry blood from the heart towards the body parts, while veins carry blood from the body parts back to the heart. As the blood is pumped back to the heart, veins act as one-way valves to prevent the blood from flowing backwards. If the one-way valve becomes weak, some of the blood can leak back into the vein, collect there, and then become congested or clogged. This congestion will cause the vein to abnormally enlarge. These enlarged veins can be either varicose veins or spider veins. Varicose veins are very swollen and raised above the surface of the skin. They are dark purple or blue in color, and can look like cords or very twisted and bulging. They are found most often on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg, anywhere from the groin to the ankle. During pregnancy, varicose veins called hemorrhoids can form in the vagina or around the anus. Spider veins are similar to varicose vein
