Can Spider Veins Negatively Affect My Health?

The veins running inside your body are continually at work, carrying blood throughout your system. That’s no small feat. It’s no surprise, then, that some veins can run into issues over time.

Spider veins are an example of that. These small veins become visible because they aren’t working the way they should. This causes blood to build up in weak spots in the vein, which is what enables you to see it beneath your skin.

Because your body has such a large network of blood vessels, these isolated issues of small red, purple, or blue visible veins don’t pose a threat to your health. However, if you’ve noticed spider veins, you should be on the lookout for other vein problems. And that’s where we come in. 

Our team at Vascular & Interventional Associates provides specialized vein care to people throughout northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati, Ohio, area. You can visit us at our office in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, to explore getting rid of spider veins and learn how to watch for more serious vein conditions. 

When spider veins might spell trouble

The main problem with spider veins centers around their appearance. They don’t negatively affect your health, but you might not like seeing the highly visible network of these veins. 

We can help you solve that issue. Before we get into the details of getting rid of spider veins, though, let’s cover one way that they can spell trouble.

While spider veins aren’t dangerous themselves, they can be an early indicator that your veins aren’t working as well as they should. In some people, spider veins are a sign that their body is starting to struggle with chronic venous insufficiency. 

Spider veins don’t necessarily mean you have chronic venous insufficiency, or even that you’ll develop it later. But if you have these visible veins, keep an eye out for the other signs of this more serious vein condition. Chronic venous insufficiency usually causes symptoms in your legs, including:

• Aching
• Cramping
• Varicose veins
• Leathery-looking skin
• Open sores (ulcers)
• Pins and needles/numbness
• Swelling
• Tiredness
• Weakness

If you notice any of these signs of bigger vein problems, talk with our team. With tools like a diagnostic vascular ultrasound, we can help you find out what’s going on with your veins and find the right treatment for you. 

Getting rid of spider veins

Although these veins don’t negatively affect your health, you might not want to walk around with patches of visible veins. To help with that, we offer sclerotherapy. 

During this vein treatment, we inject a specialized solution into the affected blood vessel. This causes the spider vein to close up. Your body redirects blood flow to other healthy veins, and, with time, the treated vein fades because it’s no longer swollen with blood. 

If you want to explore sclerotherapy to treat your spider veins or if you’d like to talk with our team about any vein problems you’ve noticed, we’re here. Call Vascular & Interventional Associates or request an appointment online today.