Spider Veins and Varicose Veins
Large twisted blue or purplish veins visible at the skins surface are known as varicose veins. Any vein in your body can become varicose but it usually occurs in the legs and feet due to the pressure the lower body endures to keep your body upright. It is caused by the weakening of the valves and veins in your legs. Varicose veins are usually hereditary. We are also more prone to get varicose veins as we age. Symptoms include itching, burning, throbbing or cramping in the legs and around the veins. Self-care measures such as exercising, elevating your legs, and wearing compression stockings are used to ease the pain and prevent varicose veins from getting worse. If these measures dont work, see your doctor to discuss medical treatments that are available to close or remove varicose veins.
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- Q What causes varicose veins and spider veins?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyYour heart pumps blood to fuel your muscle tissues. That blood returns to the heart, however, in a slightly different way. As you move your muscles, they milk the blood back up the veins. Valves in those veins ensure that the blood moves in the right... Full Answer
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- Q What are the risk factors for varicose veins?
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There are certain risk factors that predispose people to develop varicose veins. To name a few, these risk factors can include female gender and increase in age. Learn more from Johns Hopkins Medicine about varicose veins. Full Answer
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- Q How does sclerotherapy work?
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Sclerotherapy is a simple procedure during which doctors remove small varicose veins. Doctors inject a concentrated saline or other solution into the varicose vein, which irritates the lining of the vein and causes it to close up or collapse. Healthy... Full Answer
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- Q Who can get varicose veins?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyWomen and older people between 30 and 70 years of age are more likely than others to develop varicose veins. Factors like genetics, weight and having a job that requires you to stand for long periods can also put you at higher risk. Full Answer
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- Q What are the factors that predispose a person to varicose and spider veins?
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Varicose veins occur more frequently in women than in men. People who are overweight, who spend much of their day standing, and women who are pregnant are more likely to develop varicose veins. Age and heredity are also risk factors for developing... Full Answer
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- Q How common are varicose and spider veins?
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Kristi Dark, NursingVaricose veins are an inherited characteristic which may be aggravated by certain conditions like pregnancy, increased blood volume, increased cardiac output, increased venocaval pressure, and progesterone. Varicose veins are three times more common in... Full Answer
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- Q Where do varicose and spider veins appear?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyTypically, spider veins are found on and around the feet, ankles, and legs, but they can also be found on the face. Full Answer
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- Q What should I know before I try sclerotherapy?
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Serious medical complications from sclerotherapy are extremely rare when a qualified practitioner performs the procedure. However risks include: blood clots, skin discoloration (which can take months to one year to fade), severe inflammation,... Full Answer
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- Q What are the benefits of sclerotherapy?
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Sclerotherapy appears to work well for most patients. It is estimated that as many as 50-70% of injected veins may be eliminated with each injection session. Fewer than 10% of patients who undergo sclerotherapy for varicose veins do not respond to the... Full Answer
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- Q How do I treat the visible veins in my legs after having a baby?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, CardiologyThin, red spider veins can be removed by laser treatment. Thick blue veins can be treated by a hypertonic saline solution that burns the walls of the vein so it permanently closes. As for big, bulging, blue veins, they are true varicose veins, and they... Full Answer
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