In the most serious cases, surgery may be required.
These veins can cause dull discomfort that may get worse as you age, but severe pain is uncommon.
Causes
Your veins are part of your circulatory system.
Staras / Getty Images
This causes the veins to become abnormally large, resulting in either varicose veins or spider veins.
Exercise
Regular exercise can improve your leg strength, circulation, and vein strength.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity can increase your risk of varicose veins and spider veins.
eldemir / Getty Images
Losing excess weight can reduce the pressure on your legs and improve circulation.
Elevating your legs allows blood that has pooled to drain away and flow back to your heart.
If you’re always on your feet, try taking breaks every 30 minutes.
Conservative care, such as with lifestyle changes and compression therapy, may be used to manage mild cases.
The most common treatment for small varicose veins or spider veins is sclerotherapy.
Laser therapy can also be used to treat problematic veins.
Surgical removal of the vein may be necessary for more serious cases.
A Word From Verywell
Varicose veins and spider veins are quite common.
Varicose veins can appear as purple veins on the legs and other areas of the body.
They can also be red or blue in color.
Spider veins are not likely to go away on their own.
In fact, they can get worse over time if left untreated.
Spider veins can be safely and effectively treated using laser therapy or sclerotherapy.
2014;130(7):582-7. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.008331
Heller JA, Evans NS.Varicose veins.Vasc Med.
The Vein Institute of Hunterdon.Best exercises to reduce varicosevein symptoms.
American Academy of Dermatology.Leg veins: Why they appear and how dermatologists treat them.
WomensHealth.gov: Varicose Veins and Spider Veins Fact Sheet.
