Spider Veins Overview

What Are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are dense clusters of small veins that appear just underneath the skin’s surface. They might be reddish, bluish, or purple in color, and they usually appear in dense clusters that expand outwards from a central point, similar to branches or spider webs. Spider veins usually occur on the legs or feet, but they can also appear anywhere else on the body. A circulatory disorder known as chronic venous insufficiency is usually the root cause of spider veins.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Spider veins are usually caused by an underlying circulatory disorder known as chronic venous insufficiency. The human body contains two types of blood vessels – veins and arteries. The veins are responsible for carrying blood from the extremities of the body, such as the legs and arms, to the heart. Healthy veins contain one-way valves that only allow blood to flow towards the heart, often against the force of gravity. Venous insufficiency is a medical condition wherein the vein valves collapse and blood flows backward and pools in the leg veins. The accumulation of blood in leg veins leads to the formation of unhealthy spider veins below the skin’s surface.

Chronic venous insufficiency may happen because of numerous underlying factors. According to the Office of Women’s Health in America, over 54% of women and 45% of men experience spider veins and varicose veins in the United States. Patients with spider veins often experience other symptoms of vein disease as well, such as leg heaviness, restless leg syndrome, frequent leg cramps, and leg pain. Furthermore, vein disease worsens with long periods of inactivity, such as sitting or standing still for extended periods, so you may experience some comfort when you move around or exercise.

Who Is at Risk for Spider Veins?

The incidence of spider veins is fairly high in both sexes in adulthood, but women are more likely to develop vein problems than men. That’s because estrogen and progesterone, the hormones more abundant in women, can weaken the vein valves, increasing the risk of vein disease. For that same reason, the risk of spider veins increases with pregnancy, hormone therapy, and birth control pills. Genetic predisposition is one of the leading risk factors for spider veins – if both your parents have a history of vein problems, you have a 90% chance of vein disease. Other risk factors for spider veins and vein disease are a history of blood clots, leg injuries, and jobs that involve long periods of sitting or standing still, such as driving, nursing, and teaching.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Spider veins are usually asymptomatic, but they might be accompanied by the signs and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency. The earliest warning signs of vein disease include leg heaviness, frequent leg cramps, leg pain, restless leg syndrome, itching, swelling, tingling, and more. Extreme vascular disease can also lead to the formation of leg ulcers or skin changes on the legs.

What Are the Symptoms of Spider Veins?

Fortunately, the actual spider veins are often asymptomatic, primarily affecting our appearance. However, the venous insufficiency that causes them can produce many bothersome symptoms, like cramping, aching, burning, throbbing, heaviness, itching, swelling, or tingling in the legs. Patients with more severe cases of vascular disease might also experience changes in their skin and difficulty healing from ulcerations they develop.

How Do Doctors Treat Spider Veins?

Spider veins are asymptomatic, and they’re not always caused by vein disease. If you don’t have any pain, leg heaviness, or other symptoms of vein disease, you might not need vein treatment. However, you should still consult a vein doctor to determine if you have underlying vein disease and for aesthetic purposes. Your vein doctor may use sclerotherapy to remove the unsightly spider veins, restoring your leg’s beauty.