How are varicose veins and spider veins treated?
Swollen, twisted veins in the legs are known as varicose veins and spider veins. Varicose veins and spider veins are more common in women. Varicose veins and spider veins can be exacerbated by pregnancy, old age, and obesity. Varicose veins and spider veins are normally painless and do not cause any health issues. Talk to a doctor or nurse about treatment options if they cause symptoms or if you want them removed.
Treatment of varicose and spider veins
If symptoms are mild, the doctor or nurse may recommend home remedies. Compression stockings, which one wears daily and removes at night, may be recommended by the doctor or nurse to improve blood flow in the legs. These techniques may help to manage the symptoms of varicose and spider veins that one already has. They may also aid in the prevention of developing varicose and spider veins.
If compression stockings do not help, or if one is bothered by pain or other symptoms, the doctor or nurse may suggest nonsurgical treatments for varicose and spider veins. One may require surgery if the varicose veins are particularly large or severe.
Some varicose vein treatments permanently seal or eliminate the vein. However, new varicose veins or spider veins can appear over time. Some risk factors for varicose veins and spider veins, such as age and family history, are beyond one’s control. If one develops new varicose veins or spider veins, he/she may require additional surgery or medicinal treatment to remove or block them. Wearing gradient compression support stockings can help prevent the formation of new varicose or spider veins.
1. Home remedies
If varicose veins or spider veins irritate you, you can improve blood flow in the legs by taking measures at home or at work.
Get some exercise on a regular basis. Leg muscles assist the veins in pushing blood back to the heart against gravity. If you have varicose veins or spider veins in the legs, any exercise that strengthens the muscles in the legs will help prevent the formation of new varicose veins or spider veins.
If you are overweight or obese, you must lose weight. Due to the force of gravity, extra weight makes it more difficult for your veins to return blood to the heart. Losing weight may help prevent the formation of new varicose or spider veins.
Do not sit or stand for long periods of time. If you have to sit or stand for an extended period of time at work or at home, take a 30-minute break to stand up and walk around. When you sit or stand still without moving around, the muscles in the legs carry the blood back up to the heart at a slower pace.
Compression stockings aid in the improvement of blood flow in the legs.
Raise your feet. When sitting, rest your feet on a stool as much as possible to assist the blood in the legs return to the heart.
2. Compression stockings
Compression stockings enhance blood flow from the legs by applying pressure to the veins. Compression stockings are available in three types:
Support pantyhose that provide the least amount of pressure on the skin. They may be found in almost any store.
Over-the-counter gradient compression hose that applies a little extra pressure to the foot, ankle, and lower leg, where it is most needed to return blood to the heart. Medical supply stores and some drugstores sell these.
Gradient compression hose of prescription strength, which apply the most pressure to the feet, ankles, and lower legs. To purchase them, one may need a prescription from the doctor, especially if insurance plan covers them. You will also need to be fitted by someone who has completed the necessary training. Medical supply stores and some drugstores sell these hoses.
People with specific medical issues, such as some types of heart disease or heart failure, may be harmed by heavier compression stockings. Ask a doctor or nurse if wearing prescription-strength compression stockings is safe for you, and what strength would be appropriate.
3. Nonsurgical treatment
Swelling, pain, and itching are symptoms of varicose veins, that doctors or nurses may prescribe medications to relieve them. Other non-surgical varicose and spider vein treatments include:
Sclerotherapy: For smaller varicose veins and spider veins, sclerotherapy is the most common treatment. A chemical is injected into the vein by the doctor. Vein walls enlarge, cling together, and close as a result of the chemical. The blood flow is stopped, and the vein becomes scar tissue. After sclerotherapy, the doctor or nurse may advise you to wear gradient compression stockings to help with the healing process. The vein should fade in a few weeks. It is possible that one will need numerous treatments to get it to work. It is also possible that varicose or spider veins will reappear.
Closure system: This system works only on veins that are close to the skin’s surface. This procedure cannot be used to treat deeper veins. The technique uses a form of adhesive injected into the vein to permanently seal it. After the procedure, the normal flow of blood is taken over by healthy veins surrounding the closed vein.
Percutaneous laser treatments: Spider veins and varicose veins with a diameter of less than 3 millimetres can be treated with laser treatment. This method involves sending extremely powerful bursts of light through the skin and into the vein. As a result, the vein gradually fades and disappears. Spider veins in the legs may require multiple treatments. It is possible that varicose or spider veins will reappear.
Endovenous thermal therapy (laser and radiofrequency ablation): The bigger bulging surface veins on the legs are treated with this technique. A tiny tube is inserted into the vein by the doctor during the process. A probe is inserted into the tube by the doctor. The inside of the vein is heated and closed by a device at the probe’s tip. The device seals the vein permanently with radio waves or laser radiation. The regular flow of blood is taken over by healthy veins surrounding the closed vein.
4. Surgical treatments
For very large or severe varicose veins, your doctor or nurse may recommend surgery. Varicose vein surgery includes the following procedures:
Ambulatory phlebectomy: Varicose veins that are just beneath the skin’s surface are removed via this procedure. The doctor creates microscopic slits in the skin and pulls the vein out of the leg with hooks. The vein is routinely removed in one treatment, leaving relatively minor scarring. Many patients are able to resume normal activities the next day following surgery. The normal flow of blood will subsequently be taken over by healthy veins.
Surgical ligation and stripping: This procedure is used to treat bigger varicose veins. Through small cuts in the skin, problematic veins are sealed shut and removed from the leg using this surgery. It may take up to a month to recover. The regular flow of blood is taken over by healthy veins.
The majority of varicose veins and spider veins do not pose any health risks. Larger varicose veins can cause aching, throbbing, and pain, particularly after lengthy periods of sitting or standing. Varicose veins can sometimes result in more serious health issues, such as sores or skin ulcers, bleeding, superficial thrombophlebitis, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There are certain steps one can do at home to improve health and prevent new varicose or spider veins from forming, such as exercising and reducing weight. These steps may also aid in the relief of pain and discomfort in the legs.
Sources:
1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/varicose-veins/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350649
2. https://www.womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/varicose-veins-and-spider-veins
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4722-varicose-veins