How are varicose veins and spider veins treated?

The following are the ways to treat varicose and spider veins

1. Support (compression) stockings. 

The foremost conservative approach is to wear properly fitting support stockings, particularly once the veins cause pain or discomfort. They produce mild pressure within the leg. That keeps blood from pooling in veins and conjointly helps with leg swelling. These stockings will usually be purchased at any surgical supply store and at some pharmacies. They are available in below-the-knee, above-the-knee, and leotard designs.

2. lifestyle changes. 

Smart skin hygiene, weight loss (if needed), and walking will facilitate treating varicose veins and spider veins. you'll be able to conjointly try:

• Not standing or sitting for long periods while not taking an opportunity

• Not sporting high heels for long periods. Shoes with lower heels will facilitate the tone of calf muscles and improve blood flow through the veins.

• Elevating your legs while sitting, resting, or sleeping -- ideally, to A level on top of your heart

• Not crossing your legs at your knees or ankles

• Physical activities that move your legs, which can improve tone

3. Sclerotherapy. 

This procedure will eliminate the pain and discomfort of unhealthy veins and forestall complications, like ulcers or vein injury. it's going to even be used merely to enhance the look. Sclerotherapy uses an extremely targeted saline (salt) resolution or a specially created detergent that's injected directly into the vein. The chemical irritates and scars the within of the vein, creating it to collapse and causing the vein to disappear step by step over three to six weeks. It might take usually 6  months for larger veins to disappear. During sclerotherapy treatments, you will feel little needle pricks as your doctor injects the veins. you'll be able to conjointly expertise temporary muscle cramping. Afterward, you’ll have to be compelled to wear medical-grade compression stockings for a couple of weeks. The procedure is easy, comparatively cheap, and might be performed in an outpatient setting.

4. Endovenous laser ablation 

could be a procedure within which tiny low optical maser fiber is inserted into the vein. Your doctor can build a tiny cut close to the vein and place it in an exceedingly small tube. a tool at the tip of the tube heats up the within of the vessel. Pulses of optical maser lightweight are delivered within the vein, causing the vein to collapse. Endovenous ablation medical care is minimally invasive and usually safe and complication-free. There are, though, risks, together with infection, injury to the vessel, inflammation of the vein, and, rarely, heat injury to nerves, though this usually goes away in an exceedingly short time. In extraordinarily rare cases, blood clots that kind within the veins will visit the lungs.

5. Radiofrequency occlusion. 

A tiny low tube is inserted into the vein. The tube delivers radiofrequency energy to the vein wall, inflicting it to heat, collapse, and seal shut. The procedure is usually tired associate degree patient or workplace setting, typically below anesthesia.

6. Surgery. 

Surgical techniques to treat unhealthy veins embody ligature (tying off of a vein) and removal (removal of an extended phase of the vein). ancient vein removal and ligature involves fastening veins shut and removing them through little cuts in your skin. The surgery takes 2-3 hours and is normally treated for outpatients. Full recovery takes 1-2 weeks. Although vein removal and ligature are usually safe, risks embody infection at the incision website, bruising, or irritation of a nerve that runs by the veins that are stripped. In scrutiny vein surgery, your doctor can build a tiny low cut in your skin close to the vein and use a little camera at the tip of a skinny tube to maneuver through the vein. Then they'll use a surgical device at the camera’s finish to shut the vein.

Another procedure, ambulant operation, permits the removal of huge surface veins through terribly little incisions that don't want stitches. Surgery could also be performed using native, spinal, or anesthesia. Most patients come back home on a constant day because of the procedure. First, the doctor can define or mark the vein to be removed, then inject anesthesia into the skin. They'll build a little cut and use a medical instrument or an outsized needle to hook the vein through the gap. Next, they'll take away the vein phase by phase. Afterward, you’ll have to be compelled to wear compression stockings for a minimum of one week. An increased version referred to as transilluminated power operation involves fewer cuts and less pain, bleeding, and scarring. Your doctor can insert a fiber optic light-weight below your skin while constantly time injecting saline and a native anesthetic mixture. This makes a silhouette of the veins to guide the placement of an instrument that cuts the vein into little items and suctions them out.

Surgery is usually wanted to treat giant varicose and spider veins, ones that become severe enough to cause skin ulcers or sores.

7. Lasers and intense periodic lightweight. 

Surface optical maser or intense periodic light-weight treatments, like Vasculight and PhotoDerm, are alternative choices. These devices use heat to by selection injure or destroy abnormal veins. A plus of those treatments is that no needles or sclerosing solutions are required; but, there could also be some minor discomfort. facet effects do occur, together with discoloration or staining and blister formation.

For varicose veins to be treated with success, many sessions could also be needed, typically at 6-week intervals. optical maser medical care is best for tiny varicose veins and spider veins, however, lasers also are employed in blood vessel ablation medical care to treat large varicose veins. Doctors may use optical maser medical care as an extra treatment once sclerotherapy, blood vessel medical care, or surgery for larger varicose and spider veins.

Intense pulsed light therapy (IPL) uses high-intensity periodic light-weight to shrink the size of varicose veins and little spider veins. IPL differs from optical maser medical care, which uses one emitted wavelength, by talking a spectrum of sunshine.  IPL might facilitate once sclerotherapy or optical maser medical care doesn’t work. Not everybody with varicose or spider veins has pain or alternative symptoms. they could wish the veins removed, however, for cosmetic reasons.