Spider veins can be a very uncomfortable health problem. You may have spider veins if you observe red, blue, or purple smaller veins through your skin. These veins can easily twist, turn, and take form as your body moves. It will be best for you to address spider veins promptly. Some people treat spider veins as a small and negligible problem.
However, spider veins can develop stronger over time and cause more unexpected problems. There are multiple treatment options for spider veins. You should be aware of these treatment options as they can provide you with significant relief from spider veins. Alternatively, you can contact an englewood spider vein treatment specialist to understand more about the treatment of spider veins.
Exploring standard treatment options for spider veins:
- Compression stockings
One of the most common and practical approaches to spider veins is compression or support stockings. If you have spider veins, you should consider wearing a support hose. You must wear a properly fitting support hose to ensure effective treatment. You can wear compression stockings when you feel pain and discomfort due to spider veins.
These stockings create gentle pressure on the legs, preventing blood from pooling in veins. Compression stockings also ensure minimum leg swelling. You can purchase compression stockings from any local surgical supply store or pharmacy. Compression stockings come in forms such as below-the-knee, above-the-knee, or pantyhose.
- Laser treatment
Laser treatments are known to be effective for spider veins. Intense bursts of laser light will be sent onto the vein when considering laser treatment for spider veins. These bursts of laser light tend to make the spider veins fade away and disappear.
The primary benefit of using laser treatment for spider veins is the elimination of needles and cuts during the treatment. Laser treatment is non-invasive and does not involve any injection or solution. You should know that laser treatment can last up to three months.
- Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a surgical method to treat spider veins. For instance, sclerotherapy involves injections for spider veins. The healthcare provider injects solution or foam into the spider veins during sclerotherapy. These injections scar and close the spider veins.
As a result, sclerotherapy injections can make spider veins disappear within a few weeks of treatment. You should know that the same spider vein may need to be injected more than once to make it disappear. However, there is no need for anesthesia when getting sclerotherapy.
- Radiofrequency occlusion
Radiofrequency occlusion mainly involves using a small catheter to treat spider veins. A small catheter will be inserted into the spider vein during the treatment. The catheter will deliver radiofrequency waves or energy to the wall of a spider vein. Due to the radiofrequency energy, spider veins will feel heated.
As a result, these veins will collapse, and your healthcare provider will likely seal them shut. Such a procedure can be done in an outpatient clinical office. The requirement of local anesthesia during radiofrequency occlusion may depend on each case.