What are Spider Veins?

Spider veins

Spider veins are a group of enlarged veins that look like spider webs, and you will usually find these veins to be either red or blue in color. Spider veins are incredibly conspicuous and can be clearly spotted through the skin.

Most commonly, spider veins develop on legs, areas behind the knees and face; however, there is no standard rule of thumb, and they can develop anywhere on the body. Keep in mind that spider veins and varicose veins are different. So don’t confuse the two. Spider veins is just one type of varicose veins, there are medium-sized and large-sized varicose veins too.

For diagnosing purpose, a doctor may want to look at your legs to spot spider veins. In order to examine blood flow, some diagnostic tests such as ultrasound and venogram may be conducted.

To help you further understand ‘Spider Veins’, let us run through some of the most fundamental symptoms of spider veins:

  1. Restless legs
  2. Itching around the veins
  3. Swelling
  4. Feeling of heaviness in the legs
  5. Tiredness in the legs

Unfortunately, for women, these symptoms may get worse during menstrual cycles and pregnancy.

Both, men and women are prone to developing spider veins at any age. However, spider veins are known to develop more in women than in men.

What causes Spider Veins?

Interestingly, spider veins are massively common, especially in people who are at the age of 50 and above. The good news is that spider veins are not supposed to be medically serious in most cases, but should not be ignored if symptoms persist. Sometimes, spider veins can lead to bleeding since the skin over the veins tends to become thin.
Spider veins quite often are due to weak valves in the veins. Veins swell when the valves don’t open to allow blood to leave the veins. The truth is that the actual causes of spider veins are not entirely understood, but there are a number of factors that increase the risk of developing spider veins.

Below mentioned are some of the potential causes for developing spider veins:

  • Hereditary – It is possible to have spider veins running in your family.
  • Occupations that demand standing or sitting for longer periods of time
  • Obesity
  • Excessive sun exposure
  • Consuming oral birth control pills
  • Having a history of blood clots
  • Hormonal influences during pregnancy and menopause
  • Growing old – an estimated 30% to 60% of adults are known to have spider veins

Prevention:

You perhaps cannot totally prevent the appearances of spider veins but you can always try preventing them. Try not to cross your legs while sitting down, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid wearing high heels are just some of the preventive methods that can help. Or you can give Venorex a try!

Finally

There is no need to feel overwhelmed about your spider veins. They are highly common and usually don’t cause any medical concerns. Moreover, these veins can be easily eradicated. There are lot of treatment options available for Spider veins including laser treatments or sclerotherapy, but thats after you have tried the topical treatments. The best cream for Spider Veins is here.

For detailed study on spider veins condition refer to the links below:

  1. Stanford Health Care on Spider Veins
  2. Patient.info