Varicose Veins and Spider Veins
Varicose veins and spider veins can cause discomfort, self-consciousness, and potential complications. Alternately, they can be relatively harmless. The only way to know whether your veins merit medical treatment is to have them examined by a qualified physician.
What causes varicose veins?
Your blood is carried from the heart throughout the body by arteries, and then returned to the heart by veins. These veins contain valves that open and close to direct deoxygenated blood toward the heart and prevent it from remaining in the limbs.
If the valves within veins have difficulty functioning properly, the blood can flow backwards and pool in places. This causes veins to dilate, twist and bulge, becoming varicose.
Varicose veins most often occur in the legs because of the difficulty leg veins have returning blood upwards to the heart.
A single individual’s varicose veins may have multiple causes. There are a few common factors that tend to increase the likelihood of developing varicose veins, including:
- Heredity
- Pregnancy
- Profession (if work requires standing for sustained periods)
- History of DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
- Obesity
- Injury / trauma
- Being female
- Excessive, intense exercise
What causes spider veins?
Spider veins are more superficial than varicose veins, created by deeper feeder veins within the skin. Spider veins are red, blue or purple and typically appear in groups or clusters. They can occur across the face and body.
Spider veins can be caused by a wide variety of factors. Some of the most common include:
- Fair skin, through which veins show more easily
- Low body weight
- Obesity
- Aging
- Smoking
- Hormonal fluctuations (typically caused by birth control, during pregnancy, or by menstruation or menopause)
- Heart disease
What are my vein treatment options?
We are proud to be the first in Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland to provide the most clinically advanced treatment options for varicose and spider veins. Veins are our specialty, and our interventional radiologists have decades of experience with a wide range of treatment options.
Schedule a vein assessment to learn more about which treatment option is ideal for your veins, your preferences, and your overall experience. Minimally invasive vein treatments allow our physicians to treat problem veins without requiring significant downtime.
- EVLT – Endovenous laser therapy closes leaking veins to treat broken valves and varicose veins, and has a high success rate. Treatment is typically performed with only local anesthesia.
- Phlebectomy – Phlebectomy involves tiny incisions made in the surface of the skin. Your doctor removes diseased veins through these incisions. The procedure is minimally invasive and ideal for a wide range of patients.
- Varithena – Vein and Laser Institute is the first clinic in the area to offer this advanced vein closure foam. Varithena is administered using an ultrasound machine, allowing for a minimally invasive procedure.
- VenaSeal – This FDA-approved vein closure system is also one of the newest and most advanced varicose vein treatments available in the Northwest Indiana area. VenaSeal employs an adhesive to closing leaking veins.
- Excel V – Patients with spider veins can receive downtime-free, effective laser treatment with the Excel V. This technology targets visible blood vessels to improve frustrating spider veins on the face, legs, chest and more.
Vein Treatments Near You
If you’re interested in learning more, request a consultation at one of our three convenient offices across Northwest Indiana. We offer vein treatments in Crown Point as well as Valparaiso. Request your appointment today to take the first step!
Schedule a Varicose Veins or Spider Veins Consultation
Call (219) 736-8118 or fill out the online form below
By submitting this form you agree to be contacted via phone/text/email.
Schedule a Varicose Veins or Spider Veins Consultation
Call (219) 736-8118 or fill out the online form below. For most insurances, no referral is required.
By submitting this form you agree to be contacted via phone/text/email.