#Ultrasound for varicose veins skin#

The surgeon marks the site of injection on your legs while you stand.

Afterwards, you need to allow extra time for walking around. Sclerotherapy procedureThe actual sclerotherapy procedure takes at least one-and-a-half hours. Small veins need compression for around three to six days, while bigger veins need about six weeks. A compression stocking worn on the leg helps to speed this process. Leg veins clear up slowly after sclerotherapy and may take up to two to six months to resolve, depending on their size. In time, the walls of the collapsed vein heal together, and the sealed vein can no longer carry blood. The irritant prompts the vein to spasm and collapse in on itself. Treatment of varicose veins and spider veinsSome varicose veins and spider veins can be treated by sclerotherapy, which is the injection of irritant chemicals (sclerosants) into the affected vein.

Avoid wearing high heels, as they affect the proper functioning of the larger veins.

Prevention of varicose veins and spider veinsSome suggestions that may help to prevent varicose and spider veins include:

blood clots forming within veins (thrombophlebitis).

#Ultrasound for varicose veins skin#

brownish ‘stains’ on the skin surface, caused by the eruption of capillaries.Symptoms of varicose veinsProblems can occur if the faulty valves are located within the veins that go through the calf muscles (deep veins). being immobile for long periods – for example, being confined to bed.Such hormonal changes occur during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause.įactors that may increase your risk of developing varicose veins include: Changes in oestrogen levels in a woman’s blood may have a role in the development of varicose veins. Women seem to get the problem more often than men. However, in many cases, they run in families.

Varicose vein disease can cause many health problems, such as blood clots, venous eczema, skin breakdown and ulceration, and, rarely, skin cancers.Ĭauses of varicose veins and spider veinsWe do not know the causes of varicose veins and spider veins. Treatment of varicose veins and spider veins is not just for cosmetic reasons. Surgery is usually used on only the larger varicose veins, while sclerotherapy can help with smaller veins. These problem veins can be treated in two main ways. They are mostly found on a person’s legs or face. They are often red or blue, and can look like tree branches or spider webs.

Spider veins are like varicose veins, but smaller and closer to the surface of the skin. Varicose veins are knobbly, twisted and darkish-blue in appearance. Over time, the affected veins distend with blood (become ‘varicose’). If these valves fail to close properly, blood pools in the superficial veins. One-way valves inside the veins prevent the blood from travelling backwards. The muscular action of our calves helps to pump the blood against the force of gravity towards the heart. In our legs, blood is collected in the superficial veins, just below the skin surface, and delivered to deeper veins that run within our calf muscles. Veins carry deoxygenated blood back to our heart.