Unlike varicose veins, which can be extremely painful, and pose serious risks, such as blood clot formation in lower extremities, spider veins are generally benign.
Spider veins are smaller, and typically do not bulge, throb or ache like varicose veins. When visiting a vein doctor, patients are often told that spider veins are typically a cosmetic problem, although, they may signal an undiagnosed medical condition.
Risks of Spider Vein Development
Spider veins usually appear on the legs, ankles and face. Women are more prone to facial spider veins than men.
This may be because hormonal changes during menstrual cycles and pregnancy can trigger spider vein development. Also, some medications women take, specifically birth control pills and post-menopausal estrogen, increase the risk of developing these thin, twisty spider-like formations visible just beneath the skin.
Jobs that require hours of standing, tight girdles, and heredity also predispose a person to vein disorders.
Treating Spider Veins
The vein doctor specialists at Abella Health in Miami, offer several treatments to get rid of spider veins, including:
- Sclerotherapy is a cost-effective outpatient procedure. Doctors inject a concentrated saline solution directly into the vein. The solution causes the vein to gradually break down, and it essentially dissolves over a period of three to six weeks.
- Radiofrequency occlusion utilizes a small catheter inserted into the pronounced veins. The heat causes the vein to collapse, and seal shut, restricting blood flow. This procedure may require local anesthesia and can be done in the doctor’s office or out-patient clinic.
- Endovenous laser treatment is very similar to radiofrequency occlusion; however, the vein doctor specialist will use pulsing laser light to collapse the vessel.
You don’t have to live with unsightly spider veins. Call Abella Health to learn more about simple procedures for spider vein treatment.