July 12

How to Prevent Spider Veins

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There are a few ways to prevent spider veins that deal with lifestyle changes. While most heredity causes of spider veins cannot be prevented, making certain changes in your daily life can reduce the risk of spider veins caused by non-hereditary issues. Read the guide below to learn more. 

Spider veins are those pesky veins that are easily seen on our legs and lead to a less than desirable appearance. Spider veins are caused by many different factors including family history, age, gender, standing or sitting for long periods of time, obesity, and hormone therapy. Just because you have certain risk for developing spider veins, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will have spider veins, it only means that your risk to develop them is higher. There is no single way to determine who might develop spider veins. 

"If you don’t have spider veins, but do have a risk for developing them, there are some ways to prevent spider veins."

Physical Modifications to Prevent spider veins

There are a few different risks that can be modified to try to prevent spider veins, which are obesity and prolonged standing/sitting.

1. If you are overweight or obese, try to focus on weight loss through healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Those that carry excess weight put more stress on the veins in the legs, leading to spider veins.

2. If you work a job which requires prolonged sitting or standing in one position, try to move around at least 1-2 times every hour to allow for circulation of blood through the veins. If you are unable to move around as often, try performing standing or sitting calf raises and avoid crossing your legs while sitting in a chair.

Lifestyle choices to prevent spider veins

Other than modifying risks, there are still other tactics that can be used to prevent spider veins.

1. Using sunblock is important to prevent sun damage and skin cancer, but also can prevent the appearance of spider veins. Damage to the skin from UV radiation causes loss of collagen and thinning of the skin, which can make spider veins more visible. With regular use of sunblock, this can protect the skin and prevent easy visibility of the spider veins.

2. Be mindful of what you wear on a daily basis, whether for leisure or for work. Tight fitting clothing and high heel shoes can prevent adequate circulation in the legs. Try to avoid clothing that is too small or that even has tight waist lines. 

3. When choosing shoes, low heel or flat shoes are best, as they allow for the calf muscles to contract more, squeezing blood out of the legs.

4. Lastly, it is beneficial to elevate your legs at the end of the day or throughout the day. The legs must be elevated above the level of the heart to allow for excess blood to move from the legs and towards the heart.

Video: Spider Vein Treatment

talk with your doctor about which prevention may be best for you

Spider veins have an unsightly appearance, but they may also cause fatigue in the legs, cramping in the legs, and swelling in the legs. The above tactics may help to prevent the development of more spider veins, but you should speak with your doctor about specific treatments that may be available to treat your already existing spider veins.

spider vein Treatment with Dr. Almeida

Contact Dr. Jose Almeida is a board certified vascular surgeon, at the Miami Vein Center and a leading expert in the care of spider veins.


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