Submitted by Drs. Bohn, Nielsen, Castillo, Benson, and Wright
Spider veins are dilated blood vessels that form just under the skin and result in small red, blue, or purple clusters of veins near the skin’s surface. Besides the appearance of the veins, other symptoms may include skin redness, itching, a firm, tender, and warm vein, and, for some patients, pain and swelling. The pressure of body weight, gravity, and the task of moving blood from the lower extremities to the heart can cause spider veins in the legs. Your risk for spider veins is increased by pregnancy, heredity, weight gain, and being in an occupation that requires standing or sitting for long periods.
Not all the visible veins on your legs are spider veins. Some of your visible veins may be larger size reticular or even varicose veins. A vein specialist is able to examine your legs, determine what types of vein problems are present, and recommend the appropriate treatment for you.
Depending on the severity of your spider veins, walking, anti-inflammatory medications, cold compresses, and compression stockings may help improve them. However, the treatment of choice is sclerotherapy. Spider veins will not get better without treatment.
Sclerotherapy is a simple in-office treatment that uses a very fine needle to inject a solution into the veins, called a sclerosant, which irritates the lining of the veins and causes them to collapse and be reabsorbed into the body. The surface veins become no longer visible. Some patients may need several treatments to eliminate their spider veins, and the results will continue to improve over time. Patients typically return to their normal activities immediately after sclerotherapy. If you have varicose veins in addition to spider veins, an Endovenous Laser Ablation may be recommended to treat the varicose veins before sclerotherapy is begun.
Call 309-862-4000 to schedule a complimentary evaluation with one of their physicians or request an appointment online at www.ILveins.com. The Vein Specialists are located in Bloomington at 3302 Gerig Dr. with additional locations in Eureka, Peru, Streator, and Springfield.