How to Treat Spider Vein Pathology

You can see spider veins through the skin on your legs; they appear as fine red, purple or bluish lines. Causes of spider veins, according to WebMD.com, include genetic predisposition; working at a job that requires standing most of the time; obesity; hormonal changes including taking birth control pills; and blood clots. If untreated, spider veins may cause pain. Unless your spider veins cause pain or other symptoms, you need not treat them. Many people choose to treat the veins for cosmetic reasons.

Things You'll Need

• Support hose

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Instructions

• 1

  Wear properly fitting support hose. You can buy stockings at medical supply stores, pharmacies or even your doctor’s office.

• 2

  Walk as often as you can.

  Begin or maintain regular physical activity, such as walking daily, to improve circulation through the veins in your legs.

• 3

  Start a weight-loss program if you are overweight to reduce the pressure on your lower extremities and improve your overall fitness.

• 4

  See a physician who specializes in vein pathology. The vein specialist will evaluate your legs and discuss treatment options with you and help you decide whether you want to treat your spider veins and how you will treat them.

• 5

  Ask your doctor about a procedure called sclerotherapy that can be done in a clinic setting. Sclerotherapy uses a solution that damages the vessel walls, which results in the tissue's reabsorbing the damaged spider vein. The average patient requires three to five sessions and the procedure takes approximately 20 minutes with minimal to no discomfort.

• 6

  Discuss outpatient laser treatment with the vein specialist. The specialist inserts into a vein a small laser fiber that delivers pulses of laser light to collapse the vein.

• 7

  Have the vein specialist explain radiofrequency treatment, another outpatient procedure. The doctor inserts into the vein a small needle that delivers radiofrequency energy to the vein wall, causing it to heat, collapse and seal shut, according to WebMD.com.