What is the difference between spider veins and varicose veins?
Varicose veins are enlarged veins and can be blue, red, or flesh-colored. More severe varicose veins often look like bulging cords. They are often found on the thighs, backs of the calves or the inside of the leg. They can be hurtful as they cause symptoms of aching, pain, burning and can develop to a chronic swollen disfigured leg. Varicose veins are dangerous and are considered a medical condition.
Spider veins are like varicose veins, but smaller and closer to the surface of the skin. Often, they are red, blue or purple and can look like tree branches or spider webs with their short, jagged lines. They can be found on the legs and face and can cover either a very small or very large area of the skin.
What causes varicose veins and spider veins?
Varicose veins can be caused by weak or damaged valves in the veins. The heart pumps blood to the whole body through the arteries. Veins then carry blood from the body back to the heart. As your leg muscles contract, they push blood back to the heart from your lower body against gravity. Veins have valves that act as one-way flaps to prevent blood from flowing backward as it moves up your legs. If the valves become weak, blood can leak back into the veins and collect there. When backed-up blood makes the veins bigger, they can become varicose veins.
Spider veins can be caused by the backup of blood. They can also be caused by hormone changes, exposure to the sun, and injuries.
Will spider veins and varicose veins come back after treatment?
Spider veins, treated by sclerotherapy procedures, are destroyed and will be reabsorbed by the body so they can't come back. However, your body can still form new spider veins. New spider veins can be treated just as effectively as the early treated ones with sclerotherapy.
Varicose veins can be removed permanently by sclerotherapy and endovenous procedures. However, none of these treatment options will prevents new veins from forming.
What happens if my varicose veins are not treated?
Over time varicose veins always enlarge and become more problematic. Many people will give up or minimize certain daily activities to decrease the pain. In severe cases, varicose veins can cause skin damange, ulceration and blood clots. These complications can be avoided by early varicose vein treatment.
Are varicose veins caused by crossing your legs?
This behaviour hasn't scientifically been proved. However, leg crossing has been claimed to cause extra venous compression which decreases the upward flow of blood through the veins. Blood will then pool in the veins below, increasing the venous pressure and theroretically developing varicose veins and spider veins.
