Are Painful Spider Veins Dangerous?
Spider veins look like red spider webs on the surface of the skin. So they’re definitely not very pretty to look at. They also cause pain and discomfort. But are painful spider veins also dangerous? And can something be done to make them less painful?
Spider veins can cause mild pain and discomfort. They can even lead to leg swelling and discomfort while sitting or standing. Plus, if the spider veins have formed as a result of underlying vein disease, they can also be dangerous.
If you are suffering from spider veins, it is recommended that you consult your neighboring spider vein treatment clinic. They can make spider veins less painful or get rid of them completely.
In this article, we’ll discuss how painful spider veins can be, how dangerous they are, and how to make them less painful.
Can Painful Spider Veins also be Dangerous?
Spider Veins, scientifically called Telangiectasias, are a small web of blood vessels lying just under the surface of the skin. They look like red spider webs.
It is generally believed that spider veins only look ugly and don’t have any real medical consequences. However, that is not entirely true.
Spider veins can cause mild pain and discomfort, especially when you’re sitting or standing for long periods of time. As such, spider veins are especially painful for teachers, office workers with desk jobs, and other people with jobs that require them to be stationary for extended periods.
In addition to pain and discomfort, spider veins can also lead to leg swelling. This adds to the discomfort and prevents you from moving comfortably.
Oftentimes, spider veins can occur as a result of underlying Chronic Venous Insufficiency. In these cases, spider veins can also be dangerous. Chronic Venous Insufficiency is a serious vein disease in which the valves in the veins don’t function properly. As such, they prevent blood from flowing properly in the correct direction (from legs to the heart). This can cause the blood to flow down and pool around the legs.
If that’s the case, venous insufficiency can also lead to varicose veins, resulting in bleeding, ulcers, infections, and — in the worst cases — Deep Vein Thrombosis. The latter of these is a medical condition in which the accumulated blood clots in the veins. If the clotted blood breaks and gets carried to the lungs, it can also lead to Pulmonary Embolism, which can be fatal.
As such, spider veins are painful and they can also be dangerous if you don’t get evaluated for venous insufficiency.
How to Make Spider Veins Less Painful?
Now that we’ve discussed how painful spider veins can be, let’s look at your options to minimize the pain.
Exercise
Exercising can increase blood circulation in the legs. This can help push accumulated blood from the veins, making spider veins less painful. A few recommended exercises that can relieve pressure include jogging, swimming, or cycling.
Compression Stockings
Compression Stockings apply pressure on blood vessels, thus increasing blood circulation in the legs. As such, they can also make spider veins less painful.
However, when using compression stockings for spider veins, you have to be very careful. If you get ill-fitted stockings, they can worsen the situation and cause irritation.
To avoid that, you should visit a reliable Vein Treatment Clinic that can study your specific condition and have you custom-fitted for the right pair of compression stockings.
Keeping Legs Elevated
Spider veins occur when blood pools around the legs by flowing backward. If you keep your legs elevated, you can use gravity to direct some of the accumulated blood back up your legs and to the heart. This can also make spider veins less painful.
Massage
You can gently massage your legs to improve blood circulation and relieve the pain of spider veins. However, be careful not to apply pressure directly on the spider veins as that might make things worse.
Getting Rid of Spider Veins Completely
All of the previously mentioned methods can only help make spider veins less painful temporarily. They cannot get rid of spider veins completely. Furthermore, if the spider veins have formed as a result of underlying venous insufficiency, they can also get worse with time.
The only way to get rid of spider veins permanently is to consult a phlebologist — that’s what you call a vein specialist. A phlebologist will be able to study your specific condition, evaluate you for underlying vein disease, and determine the right course of action to get rid of spider veins completely.
Generally speaking, spider vein treatment involves minimally-invasive procedures such as Sclerotherapy or surface laser treatment. These are extremely simple procedures with negligible risks. They can be concluded within half-an-hour and the patient can usually resume their daily activities immediately after.
Together with VIP Medical Group, our vein treatment clinic gives patients access to some of the world’s leading vein specialists. They are all Ivy-league educated and they have an excellent track record with their patients, studying their conditions individually to create a treatment plan that’s specific to each patient.
As you can see, painful spider veins can also be potentially dangerous, if left untreated. So book an appointment with a vein treatment clinic today to get yourself evaluated.