Elevate to Eliminate Spider Veins

Spider veins are visible networks of red or blue lines that often appear on your legs. Known to be a significant cosmetic nuisance, these vein networks can also lead to uncomfortable symptoms like heaviness in the legs, aching and swelling. While you can’t get rid of spider veins that have already formed without proper medical treatment, you can reduce their appearance and their symptoms with simple steps you can take at home.

Cause of Spider Veins

Spider veins that appear on the lower legs are typically caused by an underlying condition known as chronic venous insufficiency or CVI. The veins are responsible for carrying blood back to the heart after the arteries carry the oxygenated blood throughout the body. Because the veins don’t have the additional assistance of a pumping heart to move blood through, they rely on small valves inside the vessels that keep blood flowing in a single direction.

The veins in the lower legs have an especially difficult job because they have to push blood back up the legs against gravity and the body’s own weight. With a little assistance, these vessels tend to be the most prone to damage over time. As the valves begin to wear out, blood refluxes back into the vein and causes the vessel to swell and become visible on the skin’s surface.

Giving Veins a Boost

If gravity is a culprit in spider and varicose vein development, it makes sense that eliminating this pressure would improve the condition of the vessels. Elevating the legs is a good way to accomplish this. To get the greatest benefit, however, it is best to get those legs above the heart to make blood flow back to the heart as stress-free as possible.

When you have a bit of time throughout the day, use that break to elevate your legs. Prop them up with a few pillows to position them higher than the heart. You may begin to notice an improvement in both the symptoms and the appearance of your spider veins over time.

Treatments Offer Permanent Results

While you may be able to successfully manage your spider veins with home practices like elevation, you will not be able to eliminate those tangled networks completely. At Center for Vein Restoration, we offer minimally-invasive spider vein treatments that permanently eradicate damaged vessels without a major disruption to your daily life. To learn more, contact Center for Vein Restoration.