Spider veins can have a weblike appearance or resemble spider legs branching outward, hence the name. In medical terms, they’re called telangiectasias, and they commonly stem from a condition called venous insufficiency. They’re often found on the lower body, presenting as red, purple, or blue clusters of veins.

The most frequent culprit behind spider veins is improper circulation in deeper leg veins which causes spider veins to appear at the surface. Leg veins are tasked with carrying blood back up to the heart once it delivers oxygen to the cells. The veins located deeper within the legs transport the majority of blood, but the superficial, or saphenous, veins near the skin’s surface share some of the work in that upward transit. Leg veins rely on valves that close to keep blood flowing upward and against the gravitational pull downward.

When circumstances cause a valve to fail, the blood leaks backwards, causing pressure, bulging, and the development of new spider veins at the surface. This common occurrence affects nearly half of all men, and over half of all women in the United States. Some patients have no symptoms with spider veins, while others have marked discomfort. Common symptoms include leg heaviness, restlessness, cramps, fatigue, pain, and swelling, which often worsen with prolonged standing or sitting. Exercise and proper posture assist in optimizing circulation and eliminating spider vein symptoms.

While spider veins can occur at any age, their onset is primarily in adulthood. Advanced age increases the prevalence. In addition, pregnancy, birth control pills, hormone therapy, leg injury, elevated estrogen levels, obesity, blood clots, and prolonged standing or sitting on the job are risk factors for spider veins. However, the greatest predictor of spider veins is your family history. Individuals whose parents both had spider veins have a 90% likelihood of developing them as well.

Most spider veins are asymptomatic, with the primary complaint being their appearance. But the venous insufficiency that produces spider veins can cause a range of mild to significant symptoms like heaviness, throbbing, cramping, tingling, itching, or burning in your legs. For patients with severe venous insufficiency, symptoms might include ulcerations that heal slowly or discoloration of the skin.

Some spider veins don’t need treatment if they aren’t causing any symptoms. But for symptomatic spider veins, or veins you’d like removed for aesthetic purposes, our vein doctors have excellent solutions, including minimally invasive sclerotherapy.