Varicose Veins and Spider Veins – What You Need to Know About Vein Care

Varicose veins are swollen, engorged blood vessels that bulge beneath the surface of your skin. They can be painful or itchy. Sometimes they’re accompanied by spider veins, smaller red or purple lines close to the surface of your skin. Varicose and spider veins don’t usually cause serious health problems, but they can be a sign of chronic venous disease (CVI). Center For Advanced Vein Care can help relieve pain and other symptoms and reduce your risk for future complications.

CVI can be caused by many things. Pregnancy, birth control pills, and aging can all increase your risk. So can a family history of the condition and certain medical conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes. Standing or sitting for long periods increases your risk, as does carrying excess weight. Your veins can also become weakened from smoking or from having an injury that causes scar tissue to form on your skin.

If you have varicose veins, you may have pain in your legs and feet. The pain might get worse if you spend too much time in the same position, such as when you’re at work or on vacation. Over-the-counter and prescription painkillers can relieve some of your symptoms. Your healthcare provider can help you find the best type of painkiller for you.

Self-care measures can often ease your symptoms, including elevating your legs above the level of your heart and wearing compression stockings. If your varicose veins don’t improve with these treatments, your provider may recommend a procedure or surgery.

Varicose vein treatment options include sclerotherapy, where your healthcare professional injects a solution or foam into the varicose veins. Over time, this causes the veins to turn into scar tissue and fade away. In a minimally invasive procedure called endovenous thermal ablation, your healthcare professional uses a catheter with a laser to close off a damaged vein. In ambulatory phlebectomy, your healthcare professional punctures or cuts the skin near a varicose vein and removes it through small slits in your leg.

These treatments can help relieve your symptoms and make your varicose veins less visible. But they can’t reverse the damage to your vein valves that causes them to swell and bulge. If you’re treating your varicose veins for cosmetic reasons, as opposed to relief from pain or other signs and symptoms of chronic venous disease, they’re considered cosmetic and aren’t covered by insurance. However, your insurer might cover other types of vein treatments if you have other medical conditions that require them.

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