Varicose veins and varicose vein treatments can be confusing—especially with all this contradictory information floating around on the internet. Beyond this, medical terms can sometimes be challenging to grasp (or remember how to spell). The following will explore a few of the things you might want to keep in mind before pursuing vein treatments for varicose veins, spider veins, or venous stasis.

Figure Out What Your Condition Actually Is

We’re big fans of the internet, of course, we are, but it’s all too easy to misdiagnose ourselves using information shared by well-meaning (or sometimes, not well-meaning) strangers online. Many things can be going on with your veins, and we’ll explore some of them here today, but for the most accurate information, you’ll want to speak to a doctor who has access to your medical history.

Understand What Varicose Veins Are

Varicose veins are swollen, knotted, or twisted veins due to damaged walls or weakened valves within your veins. They tend to appear as blue or dark purple. These can occur anywhere you have veins on your body but tend to be found on the legs just under the skin’s surface. This being said, not all veins you can see beneath your skin are varicose. It’s actually pretty normal to see some of your healthy veins beneath the skin.

It is estimated that nearly 1 in 4 adults in America deals with varicose veins. Pregnant women are also more susceptible to developing varicose veins.

Compare That With Spider Veins

Similar to varicose veins, spider veins are damaged veins, but they are smaller and much closer to the surface of the skin. They can appear as blue, red, or purple in color and tend to show up on the face and legs. Often spider veins are caused by a condition called venous insufficiency resulting in the valves of the veins not working correctly. () Unlike varicose veins, these are not usually harmful or painful. Most of the time, spider veins are treated is for cosmetic reasons.

Think About Venous Stasis

Sometimes also called venostasis, this is a condition whereby blood swirls, slows down, or pools inside leg veins. This can be caused by malfunctions in vein valves, sitting for too long, or varicose veins. If left untreated for too long, pain, swelling, and the risk of blood clots can increase.

There Are Multiple Treatment Options

You don’t necessarily have to dive straight into invasive treatments. The professionals behind the ultimate vein guide point out that if you have no discomfort and aren’t bothered by the sign of your vein problem, you might not need any treatment. Some people find wearing compression socks to be enough to handle their vein issues. Some find minimally invasive procedures, like laser treatments, to be sufficient. Ligation, stripping, sclerotherapy, and surgery are all also potential treatment options. Part of determining what sort of treatment is ideal for you and your veins will involve an ultrasound. This process will be used to find the abnormal vein.

Lifestyle Adjustments Might Be Part Of Your Treatment

While genetics, gender, and age have an impact on your risk of developing vein issues, several other factors have been known to increase the risk. Extra body weight pressure on leg veins can contribute to these issues. You might be required to look into lifestyle changes that help contribute to a healthy weight as part of your treatment plan.

As well, hormonal levels can impact your veins as estrogen has been known to weaken vein valves. You might need to look into birth control options that don’t impact your veins or manage the amount of estrogen-mimicking compounds you absorb through genetically modified foods, fragrances, or other chemicals commonly found in households.

Further, extended periods of sitting or standing have both been linked to vein problems as it requires the veins in your legs to work harder to pump the blood up towards the heart. Remaining in the same position for several hours at a time, therefore, can greatly increase the risk of developing vein problems. Make sure you’re taking proper breaks and changing up your position every half hour no matter what your job and daily life requirements are.

The above information should get you started on the road to recovering from vein problems. Of course, every person is different, and therefore, everyone’s treatment plan is going to look different as well. Speak to your doctor about what you can do to deal with the vein problems you already have as well as the steps you can take to help reduce the chances of getting them again.