Board logo

subject: Spider vein treatment options [print this page]


Both men and women suffer from spider veins that resemble a star where small veins radiate from a center point. It is found mostly on their legs and face and may be red, blue or purple in color.

Spider veins are associated with increased vein pressure and though unattractive to look at, they are harmless. It increases with age and is thus quite common in the elderly. Moreover as it is a genetic trait, it tends to run in families.

Once spider veins start developing, they generally go worse and don't disappear on their own. Generally, weight gain, a sedentary lifestyle and insufficient exercise also leads to the progression of spider veins.

Treatment options

There are various conservative treatment options available for spider veins that includes maintaining good hygiene, losing weight, regular exercise especially walking and avoiding standing and sitting for long periods of time. Even elevating legs while sitting and sleeping helps.

However the most conservative option for treating spider veins is wearing proper fitting support hoses or compression stockings. These stockings are found in various styles and colors and are available at pharmacies.

They are available in various compressions ranging from 18 to 20 mmHg to 40-50 mmHg. They can be worn below or above the knee; but do remember that once developed, spider veins don't disappear even by wearing stockings.

Other treatment options

Depending on your overall health condition and the size and location of veins, there are other treatment options available for treating spider veins. Sclerotherapy involves the injection of a concentrated solution of sodium chloride into veins to irritate and make them collapse. With time, this vessels turns into scar tissue and fades away.

In laser therapy, a focused beam of light is targeted to the blood pigment and heats and destroys the vein. As the light is focused, there is no damage to nearby skin tissue and after a month, the body reabsorbs the vein and disappears.

Intense light therapy is a new spider vein therapy that uses intense pulsed light to damage spider veins and small vascular birthmarks. This treatment is suggested when sclerotherapy and laser therapy does not help in treating the veins.

Spider vein treatment options

By: Leena




welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net) Powered by Discuz! 5.5.0   (php7, mysql8 recode on 2018)