How To Treat Spider Veins
How to Treat Spider Veins
Although spider veins are a very common occurrence among both men and women from around the globe, not many people are aware of how to treat this medical condition. The main reason is because they are often seen as merely a nuisance, with no pain or harmful consequences.
Spider veins (also known as thread veins) most often appear on the legs, but can also show up on other parts of the body, including the face. These blood vessels appear as thin lines or webs across the skin, and can be red, purple or blue in colour (or a combination of these colours in some cases). They occur when the small blood vessels under the skin are damaged or weakened.
How? The damage is most commonly as a result of the valves within the blood vessels malfunctioning. These weakened valves cause blood to pool in the affected vein, as it struggles to maintain the proper blood flow direction.
So why bother to treat this condition if it isn’t harmful? The most common reason is due to the unsightly nature of the threads across the skin. For many suffering from this condition, the sight of them is unpleasant and can lead to insecurities about their physical appearance. In some cases, they may also cause slight discomfort, including itching, burning or aching.
So, how do you treat spider veins?
Home treatment options can include wearing compression socks or stockings, as well as some lifestyle changes, such as:
- Physical activity, such as walking, that gets your legs moving
- Maintaining good skin hygiene
- Avoiding standing or sitting for long periods at a time
- Losing weight (if necessary)
- Elevating your legs when sitting or lying down
- Horse chestnut and other natural remedies are used with various degrees of success
As far as professional medical interventions go, the following two treatment options are the most popular and effective ways to treat spider veins:
- Sclerotherapy
How it works:
This method is applied by injecting an agent into the affected vein. The agent causes the vein to become “sticky”, which, in turn, causes the varicose vein to shrink, and slowly get absorbed by your body.
- Closure system treatment
How it works:
This is similar to sclerotherapy, in that a substance is injected into the affected vein, which closes the vein off to blood flow. This leads to the vein fading or disappearing over time.
For more information on how to treat spider veins or to book consultation, contact The Gibson Vein Practice in Gqeberha.
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