Varicose veins
- Swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins that develop when healthy vein walls and valves become weak
- Usually develop on the legs, but also can form in other parts of the body
- Unsightly and unattractive
- May cause leg pain, swelling, tingling, and restless legs
- Typically do not cause medical problems, but can lead to leg swelling, pain, blood clots, and ulcers
- Follow-up care after treatments
Spider veins
- Smaller, thinner, milder version of varicose veins
- Appear close to the surface of the skin
- Sometimes surround larger varicose veins
Symptoms
Varicose veins
- Dark-blue or purple appearance
- Legs that ache or feel tired, tender, burning, throbbing, itchy, or cramped
- "Bulging" veins that appear raised on the skin surface
Spider veins
- Tiny groups of red, blue, or purple veins
- Spider web-like, branch-like, or thin-line patterns
Risks factors for varicose and spider veins
- Age (varicose veins typically occur as you get older)
- Gender (women are more likely than men to develop varicose veins)
- Being overweight
- Pregnancy
- History of blood clots in the legs
- Standing or sitting for long periods of time
- Lack of physical activity
- Family history
Diagnosis
- Varicose veins can be diagnosed by a physical exam.
- A Duplex ultrasound is performed in the majority of patients.
- This test uses sound waves to measure blood flow and determine how much blood is flowing backward or pooling in the leg.
Treatments for varicose veins and spider veins
Non-surgical treatments
- Elevating your legs above your heart several times each day
- Compression stockings that gently "squeeze" your legs and push blood toward your heart
Medical treatments
- Microphlebectomy (also known as stab or ambulatory phlebectomy), an outpatient procedure that uses small incisions in the skin to remove varicose veins
- Venous ablation, a catheter-based outpatient procedure that uses heat (via radiofrequency or laser technology) to close and seal a vein
- Sclerotherapy, an outpatient procedure that involves injecting a chemical solution directly into the vein, which stops blood flow and causes the vein to collapse and disappear over time:
- Conventional liquid sclerotherapy
- Ultrasound-guided foam sclerotherapy
Last reviewed:
August 2017