Should You Ignore Painful Varicose Veins?

You may be surprised to learn that varicose veins may not be just a cosmetic issue

- Aileen Chow

Many of us sport a fine “spider web” of veins on our legs and sometimes think that those are varicose veins. Are spider vein different from varicose veins and should we be worried if we have them? Will they go away naturally with time?

WHY DO THESE VEINS SHOW UP?

Spider veins appear just below the skin surface as very fine red or blue lines. Varicose veins, meanwhile, are bulging and twisted veins that can be seen and felt under the skin. Both develop when the valves and walls of veins are weak, causing blood to pool in the veins.

In the case of varicose veins, one-way valves in the veins that prevent back-flow of blood (on its way back to the heart) becomes blocked or damaged. This, exacerbated by gravity, increases pressure in the veins and cause them to be enlarged, twisted and bulging under the skin. In medical terms, trouble with the veins is called Venous Insufficiency.