Leg spider veins are unsightly vessels in the skin, also known as thread veins or broken veins, usually up to one millimeter in size. The medical term for spider veins is telangiectasia. Leg spider veins have a very typical appearance, and most people can instantly recognize them. These veins can occur anywhere in the leg but frequently appear on the outer thigh and the inner calf. Many women and men are embarrassed about their spider veins. Those unsightly veins can even cause pain, swelling, and itching. However, Heart Vascular and Leg Center help you eliminate spider veins in Bakersfield, helping you regain your confidence.
The Vein System
Veins are responsible for bringing blood flow from our feet back to our heart. The venous system works through a series of valves. When muscles start to squeeze those valves open, and they are supposed to snap shut to prevent gravity from pulling back the blood to your feet.
Risk Factors of Leg Spider Veins
Certain risk factors can cause venous valves to become leaky:
· If you are on your feet all day long
· If you are overweight
· If you are a female
· Multiple pregnancies
Those valves undergo stress, causing blood flow to move in the opposite direction. This condition may manifest as a spider vein.
Symptoms of Leg Spider Veins
There are two different patient populations:
1. Cosmetic spider veins with no symptoms (idiopathic).
2. Those with symptoms (secondary): Classic symptoms of vein disease are heaviness, achiness, swelling, and throbbing/itching that tends to worsen throughout the end of the day.
Spider veins may be a symptom of severe underlying conditions, such as vein ulcers. You need to understand your body and where you fit on that spectrum, especially before seeing a physician.
Treatment of Leg Spider Veins
When you show up at the doctor’s office for your initial consultation, your doctor will evaluate your condition’s severity through a thorough physical assessment that may involve an ultrasound, a pre-approval process, and additional conservative treatments may be required.
1. Sclerotherapy
This technique is used for idiopathic spider veins and involves microinjections of either hypotonic saline or detergent. It is a painless in-office procedure that takes about 25 minutes, depending on how many spider veins you have. Patients usually return to work right after the procedure. Therefore, sclerotherapy is a straightforward procedure with very low risks.
2. Compression hosiery
Under the advice of a health care professional and in the absence of other health conditions such as diabetes or artery disease, those with secondary spider veins can wear medical-grade compression socks or stockings, at least in the short-term.
3. Surgery
A longer-lasting solution involves evaluating which valves are leaking by determining the highest point where those valves are insufficient so that your doctor can develop a suitable treatment plan. An old school treatment option involves completely stripping that vein and removing it if it is not working.
4. Laser treatment
Laser technology is a technique that involves scarring the vein and taking it out of circulation because you do not need that vein anymore. Instead, healthy veins with standard working valves will take over the blood flow. Laser treatment is also an outpatient procedure that takes about an hour to do. It offers results without requiring the use of general anesthesia.
You can visit the Heart Vascular and Leg Center website for more information on leg spider veins and their treatment.
