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More than 80 million people in the United States have problems with their veins, the vessels that return blood to the heart once it has circulated through the body. Many people suffering from venous disorders come to vascular surgeons looking for treatment to either relieve pain or improve the visible appearance of diseased veins.
Veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing in the proper direction. If these valves stop functioning the way they are supposed to, blood can flow backwards and pool in the vein, causing it to stretch. |
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These enlarged blood vessels fall into two groups: spider veins and varicose veins. Spider veins are visible on the surface of the skin as red, blue or purple lines. Varicose veins are larger and deeper and often look like bluish bumps under the skin.
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Varicose Veins
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Veins are blood vessels that carry the blood back from the legs to the heart. Blood is pumped up by the calf muscles while walking. Veins have valves that open and close in such a way as to allow blood to flow in one direction only towards the heart. If valves dysfunction, blood rushes back into the leg veins and they enlarge. They become painful, unsightly and cause heaviness on standing, cramps at night and they can clot or bleed. Ultimately the skin around the ankles gets inflamed (stasis dermatitis) which heals by scar formation. The skin becomes taught, irritated, brownish and reddish in color and ultimately breaks down causing an ulcer to form. The cause of varicose veins could be hereditary, brought on by pregnancy and/or childbirth, previous phlebitis, hormones, previous pelvic pathology, surgery or trauma.
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Spider Veins
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Spider veins, or telangiectasias, are small, thin, blood vessels visible beneath the skin. They appear most commonly on the face and legs and may look like a series of lines, tree branches, or a spider- or web-like shape with a dark center. It is estimated that they affect nearly half of adult women in the U.S.
Spider veins are caused by a variety of factors, including heredity, pregnancy (and other conditions that involve changes in hormone levels), weight gain, long periods of standing, and certain medications. They often appear red or blue, and because they form on the face, thighs, calves and ankles, many patients are bothered by the way they look. Others seek medical treatment for uncomfortable symptoms such as aching, burning, swelling and cramping. The standard treatments for spider veins are sclerotherapy and laser or pulsed light treatments.
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Leg Swelling
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Could be caused by varicose veins among other causes.
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