Studies have shown that one out of three Americans will develop spider veins as well as varicose veins sometime in their lives. However, some believe spider veins and varicose veins are the same condition. The reality is that these are different health issues that will require various therapies.
Spider veins and also varicose veins develop when the one-way valves within the veins are unable to pump blood properly. Spider veins are typically cosmetic, however varicose veins can be more serious, based on their symptoms and severity.
Do you have spider veins or varicose veins?
There are some distinct attributes that will help you determine what vein state you have got. Spider veins usually do not exhibit any symptoms. Spider veins…
- are small, thin-looking lines
- look like a sunburst, spider-web or tree branches
- are often blue, red or even purple in color
- can be seen in the thighs, shins, legs, and face
- reside near to the skin’s area
As compared to spider veins, varicose veins show a lot different, painful symptoms. Symptoms of varicose veins can consist of burning, heaviness, tenderness, fatigue, itching, cramping, aching, throbbing, and uneasy thighs. Varicose veins…
- resemble bulging rope like cords
- is flesh-toned, blue or purple in color
- are generally solitary rather than grouped
- is found on the legs, anywhere through the groin to the ankle
Treating spider veins
If for example the spider veins aren’t combined with any symptoms, these are typically usually labeled as a non-serious aesthetic concern. Sclerotherapy is a minimally unpleasant spider vein treatment used to help minimize the appearance of spider veins. Sclerotherapy utilizes a sclerosing agent injected directly into the diseased veins. The sclerosing agent causes the veins to close down, rerouting the blood to many other healthier veins. The treated vein might gradually shrink and disappear.
Managing varicose veins
Varicose veins aren’t simply cosmetic. Instead, they can actually result to some severe issues if left untreated. To deal with varicose veins, minimally invasive procedures such as endovenous laser or even radiofrequency ablation or sclerotherapy.
Endovenous laser ablation, or EVLA, involves a tiny catheter threaded into the vein that delivers light energy to the vein wall surface, heating it and causing the vein to begin closing down. The radiofrequency treatment does the same thing except using radiofrequency energy. The vein is eventually absorbed by the body naturally, while the blood is rerouted to more healthy veins much deeper in the leg. For some varicose veins, sclerotherapy can also be used to close down.
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