Spider veins causes, home remedies and prevention

Emergence and treatment of spider veins

Small veins in the skin, which appear like a spiderweb, in red, blue and violet, we call spider veins - in English spider veins. Common varicose veins are larger, tortuous and often darker. "Spider veins" arise in the legs when the blood supply to the blood vessels stops working, and the blood collects in the veins instead of flowing back to the heart. This dilates the veins, feels uncomfortable and often looks unappealing. If left untreated, varicose veins and spider veins get worse over time. Affected are men and women of all ages, but especially women of childbearing age and older women.

contents

• Emergence and treatment of spider veins
• The veins lose their elasticity
• Spider veins are common
• Symptoms of spider veins
• Female hormones?
• Prevent spider veins
• Sauna or not?
• Change the lifestyle
• Treatment with spider veins
• sclerotherapy
• laser therapy
• Radio frequency ablation
• review
• Conventional operation of varicose veins
• Home remedies for spider veins

The veins lose their elasticity

Normally, the blood travels from the heart through the body into the various cells through a network of arteries and blood vessels. Then it returns to the heart through the veins, usually the blood moves in one direction. The movement of the muscles strengthens the veins that pump it to the heart - therefore, muscle training is important for the bloodstream.

Spider veins arise when the blood does not flow back to the heart, but instead collects in the veins. (Image: doroguzenda / fotolia, com)

Veins contain valves that help the blood flow in the right direction, but spider veins have some of it flowing back, causing swelling. Weakness in the veins is due to a weak blood circulation, but it is still not clear why in some people the valves work worse than others.

As the blood flows into the varicose veins, the walls of the veins become stiff and lose their natural elasticity as well as the ability to effectively pump it to the heart. The veins form where valves are inadequate, so they often show up in the skin around perforated veins.

Spider veins are common

Varicose veins in general and "spider veins" in particular are a common phenomenon in adults. These abnormally large vessels usually appear on the legs and become more common with age. Spider veins and varices affect every second adult of both sexes. The dilated veins form close to the subcutaneous tissue. Often they also show i form of facial veins.

Symptoms of spider veins

The small, shimmering veins are not yet a disease in the sense that they cause symptoms that endanger the health. Above all, there are cosmetic problems: Hardly anyone likes to have a "spider web" of swollen veins on the face or in the décolleté.

Some people suffer psychologically from the conspicuous accumulation of blood. One patient writes: "At 15, I already had spider veins pretty close to the genital area. I was terrified that if my friend noticed it, he would say something and that's why we got intimate even in the darker light. "

Others do not suffer so much that they have serious mental problems, but they are uncomfortable with the appearance of the veins. One person said: "Especially in the summer I find it terrible. I also like to wear dresses and skirts and do not feel like standing in front of the mirror forever to lubricate my legs with waterproof makeup. Colors in spite of powder anyway. "

All sorts of varicose veins can cause problematic symptoms: they burn, scratch, swell, those struggling to lift their legs or cramp their legs. When patients stand or sit for a long time, the symptoms increase. The skin changes color.

Many affected women avoid putting on shorts or skirts even in hot temperatures. (Image: Michal Ludwiczak / fotolia.com)

Many women report that their legs swell and feel tired, especially at the end of the day. Some sufferers also notice that the symptoms increase significantly during the period.

For heavier gradients, the legs turn brown-gray, scratch or change their size. Pressure from above produces ulcers at the pressure point. The closer the veins are to the subcutaneous tissue, the more the symptoms appear on the surface. Rarely, the dilated veins even ignite. The technical term for this is phlebitis.
Blood clots may form or bleed

Female hormones?

Women are affected far more frequently than men. Almost 30% of all women who have not been affected develop it during pregnancy. However, these sometimes go back to the delivery.

The number of cases increases dramatically again after menopause, when the reproductive hormones fall off. This suggests that the female hormone balance affects the development of large varicose veins and "spider veins". Estrogen receptors are more common in these than in normal segments of the veins, while the pregnancy hormone progesterone shows more receptors in the normal segments. Many women also report that the pain is worst in the affected areas immediately before the period.

The more babies a woman has, the more the risk of developing varicose veins increases. Some experts believe that uterine growth, and increased pressure, interfere with the pump-and-flow mechanism, which allows the blood to flow to the heart by exerting pressure on the vein walls.

Others, on the other hand, believe that women with a genetic predisposition to dilated veins develop them when they produce the appropriate hormones.

In addition to being pregnant, contraceptive pills and menopausal estrogen therapies are potential triggers for varicose veins. In addition, there are risk factors such as advanced age, occupations that force long standing, a family history and obesity (obesity).

Prevent spider veins

A Dr. Wohlfahrt recommends: "The first pillar against connective tissue weakness is regular exercise. Endurance sports are the best way to strengthen the connective tissue. It is important that all muscles work and work evenly. The training must last at least 30 minutes and should be repeated three times a week. "

Sport is therefore perfect for giving the dilated veins no breeding ground. Wohlfahrt says: "The ideal sports for the connective tissue are swimming, water aerobics, cycling and jogging. But also steppers and cross trainers in fitness studios are well suited. The advantage is that you can train in the gym then specifically the individual muscle groups on strengthening devices. "

Water aerobics are great for preventing dilated veins. (Image: AS Photo Project / fotolia.com)

The fine skin veins are a result of poor blood circulation, and any methods that start the bloodstream are good to prevent them. Supports or compression stockings are particularly suitable for long periods of sitting or standing. Shoes with flat heels should be preferred to high heels to prevent both small veins and large varicose veins.

These are also caused by a strong pressure on the legs, which causes the blood not to flow through the legs as it should. A simple way to relieve pressure on the legs is to lift them over the heart.

Too much salt also promotes dilated veins. To reduce salt, so prevent them.

The weight plays a significant role. Keeping your body level at a level that manages to feed healthy and exercise the body regularly minimizes pressure on the veins.

Sauna or not?

Affected discuss whether to go to the sauna or not. That can not be answered flat rate. When heated, the vessels of the superficial veins dilate. As a result, the red-bluish lines emerge stronger. That's not a problem.

You should refrain from a visit to the sauna if you get swollen legs or leg pain from the heat in the sauna.

After the sauna and after a hot shower or a thermal bath, you should shed your legs cold. The cold causes the vessels to contract, and the blood gets better to the heart.

Change the lifestyle

Lifestyle changes can help alleviate the symptoms - but do not dissolve the spider veins that have already formed. A mindful behavior reduces the discomfort and increases the quality of life.

Daily physical activity that relieves the muscles makes it easier for lower leg veins to pump blood to the heart. Walking, swimming or cycling are good options to keep the varices at bay.

Obesity additionally presses on the veins of the lower leg area. If someone already has varicose veins and weighs too much, the treatment of these veins is not as effective as normal weight. Losing extra pounds slows future venous problems and strengthens the success of any therapy.

Lifting the legs at the end of each day takes the pressure off the lower veins that work against gravity all day. Elevating even helps to heal existing varicose veins. You can put several cushions underneath your legs to bring them above the level of the heart and so promote the blood circulation in the lower extremities.

Elevating the legs promotes blood circulation in the lower extremities and can even relieve existing varicose veins. (Image: Clarini / fotolia.com)

Treatment with spider veins

The venous expert Aljoscha Greiner says: "There are fine and finest spider veins. The therapy depends on the extent and the condition of the skin veins. Sclerotherapy is the most commonly used sclerotherapy. "

Such desolation is unproblematic. Greiner explains: "This is a treatment that is carried out on an outpatient basis and takes only about 15 minutes on average. However, several sessions (usually 3-4) are often needed to remove the annoying veins almost completely. Since the treatment only affects the uppermost skin layer, the patient only feels small punctures in the skin. Anesthesia is usually unnecessary. "

In addition, there is a step therapy for all levels, says Greiner: "Depending on the findings, the step therapy includes a mini-surgical procedure for the vein veins, the sclerotherapy of the individual spider veins, micro sclerotherapy with loupes for fine veins and laser therapy for the finest veins . "

As a rule, the statutory and private health insurance companies pay for or reimburse all medically necessary treatments. Spider veins and mini-varicose veins, so-called reticular varices, are usually disturbing only for aesthetic reasons and otherwise do not cause any discomfort. The treatment of dilated veins is therefore a purely cosmetic benefit that is not covered by the statutory health insurance.

sclerotherapy

An effective method is sclerotherapy, which consists of injecting a solution into the affected vein. This injection contains salt, fatty acids and glycerin. The vein collapses, allowing the blood to flow back into the bloodstream. Sclerotherapy does not feel worse than a normal injection, lasts only a few minutes and does not result in downtime. Seldom is there bruising, usually everything gets cleared up in a week or two.

A completely painless method of treatment is called crypto-sclerotherapy. Here, the doctor distributes a puff of cool air that numbs the skin. The third option is foam sclerotherapy. Here foam adheres to the venous walls. It takes longer to get results.

laser therapy

A laser is an extremely focused light beam. A doctor can use this to treat the spider veins and varicose veins. The heat from the laser damages the vein and leaves a tissue scar that closes the vein. A closed vein loses its source and dies. After one or two years, she disappeared.

The simple laser treatment starts on the outside of the skin. It can fight through the lines through and small varicose veins, which lie directly under the skin surface. Usually it takes more than one treatment. The entire therapy lasts 6 to 12 weeks.

The translucent skin veins can be removed by a simple laser treatment. (Image: jutaphoto / fotolia.com)

The use of laser beams in the vein destroys larger varicose veins in the legs. Such treatment replaces an operation. A laser probe is inserted into the vein with a catheter - through a small puncture in the skin, usually just above or below the knee or on the back calf, depending on where the vein is located.

The precise frequency of the laser (1470 nm) targets only the tissue of the venous wall, causing damage that the body tries to repair. The "repair" leaves scar tissue and often the body replaces the entire vein with a new strand. Then sometimes the remaining scar tissue is absorbed by the body.

For such internal treatment, the leg is anesthetized. A conductive sheath is placed in the vein - for example, from the calf to the thigh. The laser is directed so that the tip protrudes straight out of the end of the sheath. Anesthetic fluid is placed around the vein, then the doctor activates the device.

When the vein is permanently closed, the body directs the blood through healthier veins. No other tissue in the leg is damaged by the treatment. The doctor observes the vein on an ultrasound screen. Laser is less painful than ligating and releasing the vein, and the wound heals faster. However, local anesthesia or a light sedative is necessary.

Radio frequency ablation

Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment for varicose veins. The doctor also uses heat here to destroy the tissue. As with the laser, a scar forms, closing the vein. The difference is that instead of using laser energy, the physician uses radio frequency energy to heat and damage the vein wall.

review

An affected person writes on www.onmeda.de: "In January 2010 I came across radio-wave therapy in search of a minimally invasive method in which I could work as a self-employed person the very next day.

The examination revealed that both legs had defective valves and failed veins, and it was recommended to drain the saphenous vein on the left and magna and parva on the right with a radio-wave catheter, rework with the superheated steam catheter in the same session, and sprout veins with the Eliminate skin laser.

The outpatient surgery was performed in mid-March under general anesthesia (about 2 hours). It was my first general anesthetic, and I had great respect for it. Everything went well and except for a few bruises and a wanted thrombosis in the area of ​​the hot steam catheter treated varices on the left leg, there were no problems and I was absolutely free of pain and could actually work again the next day.

In the meantime, everything has disappeared without trace hardening in the area of ​​the varices, including the spider veins and punctures for the catheter. "

Conventional operation of varicose veins

An affected person writes on www.gutefrage.net about the conventional operation: "Have a few years ago remove my varicose veins in the right leg. 1 day inpatient stay and then again fully usable. Normally one is written sick longer, but should run, so that I could work as a self-employed again. Have some small scars, but now hardly visible. No more swollen leg, no pain, although I was not recommended wearing regular support stockings. But they are also available in many colors. Well, I would have it done again. "

Basil is considered a proven home remedy for spider veins due to its high vitamin K content. (Image: dusk / fotolia.com)

Home remedies for spider veins

Basil contains a lot of vitamin K, which in turn plays an important role in the health of the blood vessels by keeping the calcium flowing. This slows down the congestion and helps to prevent the small Hautädchen. Vitamin K also boosts the production of thrombin. This protein strengthens the flow in the healthy veins, so that the damaged veins are not blocked by blood. A study by the University of Maastricht showed that basil in daily meals helps to reduce the spider veins, after about six weeks.

Lemon oil, which is massaged about three times a day in the affected area, relieves the swelling and helps to open the bloodstream. Since stagnant blood can cause the varicose veins, lemon oil strengthens the healing process.
Apple cider vinegar weakens the symptoms associated with dilated veins. Like lemon oil, it strengthens the flow system of the blood. It can be put on the affected area as a compress. The compress stays on the skin for about 20 minutes. Run the application for one month, twice a day. (Somayeh Khaleseh Ranjbar, translated by Dr. Utz Anhalt)
Specialist supervision: Barbara Schindewolf-Lensch (doctor)