Your Varicose and Spider Veins Removal Questions Answered
Here are some common questions men and women have about varicose veins and spider veins, along with the answers. If your veins look strange to you, you may find the answers you seek here. Read on for more.
Q. What are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins large, visible veins that twist around in odd shapes and patterns. They are most often located on the legs and are caused by pooling of blood in the veins there. Most of the time, they are not painful. However, they can be. Whether they are painful or not, they are unsightly. Most people who have them either cover up their legs or have the veins removed.
Q. What are Spider Veins?
Spider veins are thin veins that are almost spider web-like in size and appearance. They are usually red or purple in color. Spider veins can be found anywhere on the body, either as just one vein or as clusters of them.
Q. Are Spider Veins Harmless?
They are usually harmless, but if there are a lot of them, it may become an appearance issue, and removing them becomes desirable.
Q. Are Varicose and Spider Veins Dangerous?
While spider veins are usually not dangerous, they can occasionally be indicative of an underlying medical condition. It is always a good idea to get them checked out with your doctor if they are a recent appearance on you; just to be sure everything is good.
Varicose veins are normally harmless, too. However, they can cause problems (or be the sign of a problem) more often than spider veins. They bleed easily if cut even slightly. Sometimes even a bump on a varicose vein will cause the skin to break open over it and bleed. The pooling blood that causes them can also cause the legs to swell and become discolored. Ulcers can form over varicose veins, too.
On rare occasions, blood clots can form in varicose veins, causing infection and a medical emergency that requires surgical removal of the clot and the vein before it has a chance to break loose and cause great harm to the rest of you. Antibiotics can clean up the infection, but the clot always has to be removed for your own safety. Fortunately, this is a rare side effect of varicose veins, but one to look out for if you have them.
Q. How are Varicose and Spider Veins Treated?
Both varicose and spider vein removal San Diego can be treated with Sclerotherapy. This is a much less invasive and offers a faster healing time than the traditional removal surgeries of the past. It involves no cutting and can be done in a doctor’s office, with no downtime afterward.
For more information on varicose and spider vein removal in San Diego, please contact Laser Clinique for your initial consultation with P. Alexander Ataii M.D.
