Leg Pain After Exercise: What Does It Mean?
There’s soreness, there’s injury, and then there’s pain due to an underlying health problem. This blog dissects the common causes of post-exercise leg pain to help you know when and where to get help.
What Causes Spider Veins and How Can You Banish Them?
Do spider veins have you seeing red, purple, and blue? We know how frustrating it can be dealing with both the cosmetic and physical symptoms of spider veins. That’s why our team at Advanced Vascular Solutions makes your vein health a priority.
Here’s everything you should know about where your spider veins come from and how we treat them.
Causes of spider veins
Your veins are the roadways in the complex network that is your circulatory system. As blood makes its way back to your heart, your veins act as one-way valves to prevent blood from flowing backward.
When your veins weaken, some of your blood leaks backward and collects, causing congestion and visible spider veins.
Virtually anyone can get spider veins — and for a variety of reasons, too. Some of the most common causes of spider veins include:
- Genetics and family history of spider veins
- Obesity
- Increased age
- A history of blood clots
- Conditions that cause pressure in the abdomen, including tumors and constipation
- Occupations that require long periods of standing
- Injury and trauma
- Previous vein surgery
- Overexposure to UV rays
Anything that puts pressure on your veins or compromises your vein’s strength can result in those pesky, purplish zigzags.
A note on your hormones
Hormones also play a role in your likelihood of developing spider veins — namely, estrogen and progesterone. These two female sex hormones cause your veins to dilate, which impacts valve functioning and allows blood to flow in the wrong direction. This also means that women are much more likely to get spider veins than men are.
Some hormonal changes you go through that impact your veins include pregnancy, puberty, and menopause. Some hormonal treatments like birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy can also impact your vein health and result in spider veins.
Your treatment options
Spider veins are annoying and unattractive, but the good news is that they don’t have to be permanent. We offer a variety of safe and effective vein treatments and conduct a thorough review of your health history before recommending a course of action. Depending on your needs we may recommend sclerotherapy or radiofrequency ablation.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy involves injecting a special chemical solution into your visible spider vein. The chemical disrupts the lining of the rogue blood vessel, causing it to collapse and close. Your body naturally reroutes blood through a healthy vein, and over time your spider vein vanishes from sight.
Radiofrequency ablation
With radiofrequency ablation, we insert a catheter into your spider vein and deliver powerful pulses of radiofrequency energy to quickly seal the malfunctioning vein. As with sclerotherapy, your body eventually reroutes blood flow and processes the now unnecessary vein.
Tips for avoiding spider veins in the future
There’s no guarantee that you’ll never get spider veins in the future; however, there are a few simple things you can do to significantly reduce your risk, including:
- Getting regular exercise to improve circulation and vein strength
- Managing your weight
- Not crossing your legs when sitting
- Elevating your legs when resting
- Wearing compression stockings
- Avoiding standing for long periods of time
Together, we can help you find the perfect combination of advanced treatments and lifestyle adjustments that keep spider veins at bay.
Want more information? Ready to take the first steps towards healthier veins? We’d love to talk with you. Call or click to request an appointment at our Sebastian, Florida office today.
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