Varicose Veins & Spider Veins Treatment

Varicose veins are abnormally enlarged and twisted veins. They can have cosmetic and medical concerns associated with them. Symptoms of varicose veins include aching, heavy legs, puritis, ankle swelling, skin discoloration, eczematous skin changes, bleeding, and restless leg syndrome. Complication of varicose veins may include stasis dermatitis, venous ulcerations, pain or heaviness with standing or walking.

What causes varicose veins? About 15 percent of all American adults develop some type of varicose veins. The incidence is higher in women than in men. The average age of onset is between 30 and 60 years of age. As one ages the vein walls lose there elasticity causing the vein to balloon. As the stretching of the vein increases, the valves in the vein begin to fail causing more dilation and vein failure. Other etiologies of varicose veins include family history of varicose veins, history of deep venous thrombosis (blood clot) or phlebitis (inflammation of vein), pregnancy, obesity, menopause, prolonged standing, leg injury, and abdominal straining.

Do varicose veins need to be treated? Not all varicose veins need to be treated. Some veins have purely cosmetic implications. Although these can be treated, it is not necessary.

What treatments are available? The treatment depends on the severity of venous disease. Initial treatment for symptoms is compression stockings. For small spider veins and telangectasia's, the treatment may be as simple as sclerotherapy or laser treatments. Larger varicose veins may require ambulatory phlebectomy or endovenous laser therapy (ELVT). Depending on the symptoms and treatment required, these procedures may be covered by insurance.

For more information, see Varicose Vein FAQ & Facts

To understand exactly what varicose veins are, we must first understand what normal veins do. This first requires a little anatomy lesson (don't worry, I'll be quick and I promise there won't be any homework or papers to write). As you may already know the circulatory system is one of the main systems of the body and is made up of the heart and a complex network of blood vessels. These blood vessels are divided into arteries and veins. Arteries bring oxygen filled blood from the heart to every organ and muscle in the body including our arms and legs. Veins are responsible for returning the blood back to the heart.

Varicose veins are distended branches of the major veins in the leg. They become distended due to failure of the valve s in the main veins which allows blood to fall back down the leg (reflux). Venous reflux is the major cause of most venous diseases and is almost always the cause of varicose veins.

Varicose veins develop in the superficial veins of the leg and mainly affect the great saphenous vein although it is not uncommon for the small saphenous vein to be involved.

As the vein dilates the wall stretches in both width and length so that the vein becomes tortuous.

As the situation gets worse the veins become so dilated that large sacs form at the bends and the vein takes on a snake-like twisted effect.

Areas of stagnation occur where the bends are so extreme that blood does not flow around them fully.

Rather than a fast flowing 'river', the vein will sometimes thrombose, leading to inflammation of the vein called superficial thhrombophlebitis.

Venous ulcers will continue to recur unless the underlying varicose veins are treated. Some people suffer only cosmetically, but very often people will complain of aching legs, particularly at the end of the day.

Spider Veins Treatment