Spider Veins

What are Spider Veins?

Spider veins are a mild type of varicose veins—enlarged or twisted veins that are visible through the skin surface as sunbursts or spider webs, usually on the legs or feet.

Learn more about the signs and symptoms of spider veins, along with preventative steps, and the treatments we offer to help reduce their appearance.

What Causes Spider Veins?

Like varicose veins, spider veins are caused by increased blood pressure in the superficial veins. While they aren’t considered a serious medical condition, spider veins can cause discomfort or embarrassment since they may be very noticeable.

Risks

Several risk factors can increase your chances of developing spider or varicose veins:

Family history of spider or varicose veins
History of blood clots
Overweight or obesity
Older age
Sedentary lifestyle or prolonged standing
Leg injury
Pregnancy
Smoking
Using oral contraceptive pills or hormone replacement

Signs & Symptoms

The most obvious symptom of spider veins is the appearance of thin, sunburst- or spider web-like red veins that are visible through the skin. Additional symptoms of spider veins or more serious varicose veins may include:

Common signs and symptoms of Spider Veins may include:

Color changes in the skin
Sores on the legs
Rash
Feelings of heaviness, burning, or aching in the legs

Treatment

Most cases of spider veins are not serious, but you might seek treatment for cosmetic reasons or to alleviate any discomfort they may cause. Call your physician if the spider or varicose veins make walking or standing uncomfortable or if you experience swelling or bleeding.

At Vascular & Interventional Specialists, we provide non-invasive treatment for spider veins using subcutaneous injections that eliminate swollen or painful veins. This procedure, called sclerotherapy, involves the injection of a solution directly into the spider veins that causes them to collapse and disappear.

Prevention of Spider Veins

While there are some causes (like pregnancy or genetics that may be unavoidable) there are some prevention measures you can take:

Regular exercise
Maintaining a healthy weight
Avoid crossing legs
Wear compression socks

Please Call Your Vascular Specialist to Schedule an Appointment

VIS is here to help. If you are at risk for spider veins or have experienced one or more of the signs & symptoms, please reach out to schedule a screening. We’ll walk this journey with you.

If you are experiencing chest pain or tenderness, back pain, persistent hoarseness when speaking, cough or shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body, sharp pain in your upper back that radiates downward, or pain in the chest, jaw, neck, or arms, seek urgent medical attention by dialing 911.