Spider veins and Varicose veins

Previously I have shared something about maintaining healthy veins from an online article.
Today, I will share about the differences between spider veins and varicose veins.

Spider Veins : 
A network of thin blue or red veins just below the skin’s surface on your legs. The pattern made by the tiny veins resembles the branches of a tree or the structure of a spider’s web. Medical term is ‘telangiectasias’

Root Cause :
As skin becomes thinner and collagen decreases in middle age, vein problems are more likely to show up. The root of the problem is weakened vein valves which cause blood to leak back into the tiny branched veins in your legs and collect there. Venous insufficiency or venus reflux is the medical term. It is this leaked blood that becomes visible and unsightly to the naked eye.
We get this network of tiny veins on our legs because of gravity. Your legs bear your whole body weight and the hard task of carrying blood from the bottom of the body up to the heart make legs the main area of risk for for most women.

Risk Factors :

1. Your age -the older you get the more likely you are to get them and they tend to first strike after your forties.
2. Your genes – having family members with thread veins is probably the single most important factor. So check out your mother’s legs – if hers are clear of the problem you have a very good chances of escaping too unless any of the other lifestyle factors take over.
3. Hormonal changes – particularly during puberty, pregnancy and the meopause. Menopause is the big hormonal change after middle age and can contribute to the occurence of vein problems.
4. Taking birth control pills or other medication containing estrogen and progesterone. The longer you take them the higher the risk they may contribute.
5. Pregnancy – quite apart from the massive hormonal changes during pregnancy – your heart has to pump huge amount of blood around your body and this can cause enlargement and pressure on veins even if you didn’t have a problem before.
6. Your weight – being overweight or obese puts pressure on veins and can weaken vein valves. Many women put on weight after mid life and this can directly contribute to the emergence of thread veins and make them worse than they would have been if weight was under control.
7. Continual standing or sitting – if you have to be on your feet all day but not moving around a lot or if you sit down for most of your working day tied to a computer screen then you are more at risk. Standing puts much greater pressure on your vein valves as does sitting in one position for long periods of time.
8. Damage to the veins caused by a leg injury – it doesn’t have to be a massive injury either. Any injury that causes quite severe swelling or bruising can do it – maybe you get hit hard by a ball during a sports game or you knock your leg hard against something. Your injury may heal but at later you may spot patches of the tiny veins emerging at the site of the original bruise. The injury weakened the vein valves and caused the veins to leak.
9. Sun damage – You may only have seen slight skin reddening but this is a form of sunburn and spider veins are more likely to occur where the skin’s surface is damaged by the sun.



Varicose Veins :
Swollen blood vessels, blue or purple in color and generally bulging out from the surface of the skin. They may appear twisted or “ropey” and can be accompanied by swelling of the vein itself and of the skin around it.Most likely places are on the back of your calf or knee and – less commonly – the inside of your thigh.
Varicose veins are generally much bigger, more swollen and can generally be felt as well as seen as compared to Spider veins. Run your fingers lightly over the problem vein and if you can feel it bulging out from the skin it is almost certainly a varicose vein.

Root cause :

Weakened vein walls causing blood to pool in the legs resulting in visible surface veins. In the case of varicose veins the surface vein becomes visibly distended and prominent. 

Physical Symptoms

1. Itchy or flaky skin around the affected vein sometimes accompanied by a burning sensation
2. A feeling of heaviness in the lower legs after standing or sitting still
3. Deep aching in the lower leg area which is difficult to relieve
4. Muscle cramps or pain in the lower legs
5. Moderate to severe swelling around the ankles – the ankle area appears puffy and swollen and the ankle bone may not be visible

Relief for veins problems

Exercising your legs – especially the lower calf muscles. Exercising your legs helps improve circulation and stops blood pooling in the lower leg area – a definite no-no if you want to avoid vein problems now or later.

 Walking is great exercise for the lower leg area – either out in the open or on a treadmill especially with the incline level raised. Try to walk rather than take the car or the escalator or elevator wherever you can.
When you get tired – don’t forget to give your legs a proper break. Lie on the floor on your back with your legs and feet raised up against a wall and a pillow under your hips for comfort.
Rest this way for about five minutes and gravity will help to push the blood back to the heart. Remember it’s gravity you’re up against in dealing with any leg vein problems – it’s the effort your heart has to make to push blood up from the legs that can cause weakened blood vessels and leakage into the outer tissues.

1. Calf raises: You need a stable, firm raised area – something like a low bench or aerobic step. Alternatively the first step on your stairs at home will do. Stand on the step with both feet so that your heels extend over the edge of the step. Make sure you are close to a wall or rail so you can hold on to balance if you need to. Then raise yourself up on your toes and lower your heels down below the step. Repeat 30-50 times. You should feel the stretch at the back of your calf muscles. Do the exercise at least once a day and ideally twice.
2. Tip-toe walking: When you’re working around the house inside or out – go up on tip-toes to do your chores – vacuuming, putting dishes away, walking around the kitchen. You feel the exercise stretching the calf area.
3. Heel walking: Similar to the previous exercise but instead of going up on tip-toe you raise your toes off the ground and take the weight on your heels.
4. Foot rocking: This is ideal to exercise your lower legs when you’re sitting for long periods of time. Raise your toes so that your heel is the only bit of your foot in contact with the floor. A bit like raising your heel over a pedal in the car or playing the piano. Then place the foot back down elevate the heel so your toes are in contact with the floor. Try to do this in one rocking movement with both feet at once.

Active ingredients in spider vein creams

1. Vitamin K – proven to repair veins and capillaries and used extensively by doctors to reduce the appearance of bruises, spider veins and in rosacea skin care.  This ingredient appears in some of the best vein creams.  Its chemical name – phylloquinone, or more commonly phytomenadione (phytonadione).
2. Japanese Pagoda Tree – the extract has been used widely in Europe since the mid-1960s for treatment of various vein conditions including spider veins and has been shown to enhance vein stability, improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
3. Horse chestnut – used for many decades as a herbal preparation for vein problems. It has been shown to reduce inflammation and improve vein wall tone, mend tiny leaks in veins and capillaries, strengthen and improve the elasticity of vein walls.  The extract contains blood thinning chemicals -  aesculin and aescin which reduce pressure on the vein walls and vein valve so preventing leakage.
4. Butcher’s Broom – Studies in the 1950s on butcher’s broom extract discovered that the steroid like properties of the plant can strengthen and tone veins, as well as lessen swelling and inflammation and relieve numbness, cramping, and the “heavy” sensation in the leg which is often a symptom of varicose veins.  The original studies were on very few (20) participants so the data is a little underwhelming to say the least!
5. Grape seed extract – well known for its antioxidant properties, also shown to improve circulation and strengthen connective tissues.  No studies to show any effects in treating vein problems specifically.


Source : Simply Antiaging1, Simply Antiaging2, Antiaging, Cream