What causes varicose and spider veins?

Varicose and spider veins are not skin conditions; they reflect developments in your blood vessels. Since they are such a frequent cosmetic concern, however, you may end up consulting a dermatologist or other cosmetically-oriented physician about getting rid of them.

Veins are blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood on its return trip back to the heart. Since we spend much of your time upright, veins have to work against gravity to push blood back to the heart. Ordinarily, muscular activity of the legs and valves inside the veins prevent blood from flowing backward. When the valves become less efficient for some reason, blood begins to creating bumpy, distended varicose veins.

Why do varicose and spider veins develop? Here are several reasons:

Both men and women can develop them but they're more common in women, the hormones estrogen and progesterone may play a role, since puberty, contraceptive pills, and hormone replacement therapy after menopause seem to encourage their development.

Another common cause: pregnancy. This may be due partly to hormones, partly to maternal weight gain. In particular, the weight of the abdomen might partially restrict blood return from the legs and contribute to the formation of varicose veins.

In general, being overweight places greater strain on leg veins. A complicating factor is that overweight people are more likely to develop other medical conditions that can impair healthy blood flow, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

If you stand for long periods, this increases your risk of varicose and spider veins. It's simply that much harder for your veins to fight gravity and do their job.

High-heeled shoes stress leg veins further by forcing your calf muscles to stay contracted for long periods of time.

A tendency to get varicose and spider veins seems to run in families. If your parents and siblings develop them, you could, too.

Sometimes an injury can damage veins and set the stage for later problems.

Facial spider veins, especially visible in fair complexions, may be related to sun exposure in some people. Heavy alcohol drinkers and people who eat a lot of spicy or hot foods also seem more likely to develop spider veins on the face. On the other hand, many people with facial spider veins develop them even if they avoid all risk factors.

For further information, call Lee Ji Ham Skin Clinic, Tel: 706-7600/ Fax: 704-7740.

Updated: 12/23/1999, by Chung Hae-shin

Korea Herald