Spider veins are a common problem, especially for people who spend a lot of time standing or sitting. They’re small, but they can really affect the way you feel about your legs. Fortunately, there are effective treatments that can get rid of those pesky veins. At Zenith Vascular & Fibroid Center in Memphis, TN, we offer different treatment options for those looking for relief.
What are Spider Veins?
Spider veins are tiny blood vessels that have enlarged, twisted, and become visible on the surface of your skin. They’re typically red, purple, or blue. They often look like a spider web because they tend to group together to form more extensive networks. This is known as telangiectasias. These problematic veins are common among people who spend a lot of time sitting or standing, such as office workers and flight attendants. They can also affect people with chronic medical conditions like diabetes.
The Best Treatment Methods
There are different treatment options available, but the most effective options are ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy and laser removal. Sclerotherapy treatment involves injecting a solution into these veins. The chemical in this injection irritates and damages the walls of these small blood vessels so they can no longer carry blood to nearby areas. Over time, these tiny veins fade from view.
Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy
In order to find the veins, a special ultrasound machine is used to visualize them beneath your skin. This allows for proper tracking of these problematic veins throughout your treatment process. Once you’re ready for injection, numbing medication is applied at the site where the solution will be injected. A tiny needle punctures your skin and delivers a specific amount of sclerotherapy solution directly inside each targeted vein in order to treat it effectively.
Ultrasound helps determine the number of veins that need to be treated, which is important because it will determine how long your treatment takes. Afterward, compression stockings are applied on both legs. This helps reduce any residual discomfort or swelling you may experience after treatment and speeds up recovery time so you can get back to normal activities more quickly.
6 Benefits of Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy
There are many benefits to this type of treatment, including:
1) Easier Access to Smaller or Hard-To-Reach Areas
This treatment is helpful for veins located in small, tricky-to-reach areas because a special machine is used to visualize the tiny veins beneath your skin.
2) It’s Minimally Invasive
No general anesthesia or significant incisions are required. Plus, you can safely receive ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy in the comfort and privacy of our office.
3) No Downtime
There is little downtime involved with this treatment option because there is no need for an anesthetic. You can go about your day immediately after receiving treatment without any visible signs other than compression stockings on the treated leg.
4) Reduced Risk of Bleeding
There is only a small risk of bleeding because ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy allows for precise injection into each targeted vein. This also minimizes the chance of overdose.
5) Guaranteed Results
With ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy, the doctor can treat each of the targeted veins one at a time. This means that you’re less likely to need multiple treatments and will get guaranteed results.
6) Minimal Discomfort
You likely won’t need to take any pain medications after treatment. There is little discomfort involved with this process, and it can be easily managed thanks to numbing medication applied at the injection site.
Laser Removal Treatment
If you’re looking for an advanced solution to treat these veins, laser removal might be your best bet because it specifically targets these problematic blood vessels. During this treatment, the doctor uses lasers or intense pulsed light (IPL) energy to heat up and destroy excess blood flow in the target area.
The goal is to eliminate venous reflux by collapsing any enlarged vein walls through thermal damage. This causes those problematic veins to fade over time. It can take around three to six months before the treated veins disappear entirely.
What Causes Spider Veins?
These veins can appear due to sun damage, genetics, or spending too much time standing or sitting down. Let’s discuss these causative factors in detail:
Sun Damage
Sun damage speeds up the natural breakdown of collagen and elastin in your skin, leading to weak capillaries that don’t function properly. As a result, you’re more likely to see those small veins appear under your skin surface as they attempt to carry blood to nearby areas.
Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal imbalances such as pregnancy and menopause can cause changes in your body’s blood flow, leading to the development of these veins. Menopause causes hormonal changes that affect your body’s ability to produce estrogen and progesterone in the same quantities they did before this life stage began. As a result of these fluctuations, you might experience an increase in venous pressure or decreased collagen production.
In addition, pregnant women are more at risk of developing these veins because the pressure on blood vessels is even greater for them.
Heredity
If your parents or siblings have these problematic veins, you might be more likely to develop them too. This is because genetics are believed to play a role in the formation of these problematic veins.
Weight Gain or Loss
When you’re overweight, your body produces excess estrogen, which can contribute to increased pressure on your blood vessels and weakened walls. The result of this imbalance often leads to the formation of these pesky veins.
When you’re underweight, you might experience anemia, which weakens muscle contractions that push blood through capillaries toward major arteries throughout your lower extremities. This slows down blood circulation and causes uneven pressure distribution, leading to the development of this condition.
Occupations That Involve A Lot of Standing
People who are on their feet all day, such as waitresses or cashiers, can be at risk of developing these veins. That’s because they’re putting more pressure on their legs due to standing for extended periods.
Common Signs and Symptoms
Spider veins are typically a cosmetic problem with little pain. However, if these problematic veins become irritated or inflamed, they might cause the following:
Tingling and Burning Sensation in Your Legs
When these veins are irritated or inflamed, you might experience tingling, itching, and burning sensations on the surface of your skin. It becomes even harder to ignore their presence if they become more sensitive to touch due to inflammation.
You can also expect pain if a spider vein gets ruptured by too much pressure from increased blood circulation throughout this area. Note, if one of the veins bursts under high venous pressure but doesn’t heal properly or quickly enough, you might develop chronic leg ulcers.
Aching Pain in Your Legs
These veins can cause aching pain in the lower parts of your legs. That’s because increased blood pressure against the walls of these capillaries can damage them and cause significant pain as blood squeezes through.
However, this condition is not always painful during the early stages of its development. If your condition is mild or just getting started, there’re still some signs you might experience:
- Darkening of the skin around the veins
- Change in skin color around the veins
- Increase in size of the veins
How Often Should I Go for Sclerotherapy Treatment?
There is no set time frame on how long it takes to clear up these veins. It just depends on the size of each vein and the number of treatments you need for them to disappear completely. On average, many people only require two or four sclerotherapy sessions before they see significant improvements.
How Long Does It Take for Veins to Heal After Sclerotherapy Treatment?
These veins typically fade away within two to three months. However, they might take up to six months before they disappear entirely after the first treatment session.
How Long Do the Results of Sclerotherapy Last?
These veins generally return if you don’t make lifestyle changes that’ll prevent them from returning. However, results of sclerotherapy last anywhere from two years to a lifetime. After two years, some people only require one additional touch-up treatment session for new spider veins not to appear again.
Schedule An Appointment Today!
Spider veins are a common problem that many people suffer from. Sclerotherapy and laser removal treatments work well to clear up these veins and return your legs to normal functioning within a few months. Visit us at Zenith Vascular & Fibroid Center in Memphis, TN, to learn more about how we can treat your condition.
