Varicose veins, otherwise known as spider veins, or those colored, visible veins running up and down your legs make for more than an uncomfortable sight on your legs. These actually can cause serious discomfort, and in some cases, even serious complications.
What are Leg Veins?
Leg veins are essentially damaged veins. With damaged veins, blood coursing through it that should have been delivered back to the heart gets stuck and then accumulates on the vein. And still, blood continues to flow through, which then presents additional pressure on the vein. If it is weakened in this state, then it shows up as a spider vein.
Apart from the discomfort, however, untreated leg veins can lead to blood clots or open sores. These make for much bigger health risks, and so warrants immediate attention.
Causes of Leg Veins
There are different causes of leg veins. Some are genetic, while others develop it because they spend long periods on their feet, which prevents good blood circulation.
That is why there is wisdom in putting your feet up after a long day spent on them. You want the blood to course back up and not get blocked or stuck in your legs. Take note, however, that if you’re going to do this, make sure that the elevation of the leg is at a much higher level than that of the heart’s. Pregnancy also causes leg veins to develop, because the growing belly is actually preventing blood from circulating well. Aging is also a factor in the appearance of leg veins.
Can Leg Veins be Treated?
The good news is that leg veins can most definitely be treated. There are a couple of different ways that this can be addressed, depending on the severity of your case.
One is by wearing compression socks or stockings. These are specialized socks that apply pressure on the legs to help facilitate the flow of blood back towards the heart. The compression also helps reduce inflammation, as well as helps avoid the risk for blood clots. As far as improving your blood flow conditions, therefore, these compression socks can do wonders. The downside, however, is that the damaged leg veins are still visible.
For this, you will need to get sclerotherapy, a treatment used specifically to treat varicose and spider veins. What happens here is that the dermatologist will inject a chemical into the treatment area, which then clears up the appearance of damaged veins.
Patients who undergo this treatment typically need to wear compression socks or stockings for as long as two to three weeks. It shouldn’t, however, impede you from doing your regular daily tasks. If you’re interested in this treatment, you should get in touch with certified professionals, such as Essex Medspa Esthetician Littleton, so you can prepare for it.
