Causes of Spider Veins

Causes, Reasons - Primary and Secondary

Telangiectasias, commonly referred to as spider veins or thread veins afflicts millions of people each year.  Though cosmetic in nature, they generally pose no serious health risk, yet 70% of cases are women, and astonishingly affect 25% of women above 40 years old.  The causes of spider veins are many, and there a variety of treatments and cures available for repair and healing.

Primary Causes

Spider veins, physiologically, are caused by:

• Trapped, coagulated or seeping blood from capillaries
• Malfunction or dysfunctional arterial valves- causing clogging and back-up of blodd flow.
• Weakened, broken or damaged venous wall structure

Effectively, undue pressure, poor vein health, and damage are underlying causes, yet a host of activities, work environment and chemical changes are the reasons for the physical effects.

Secondary Reasons

Damage to the veins in one form or the other lead to telengietatic matting- or the clustering of tree branch discoloration - associated with capillary seeping and damage.  Most damage is a result of several factors heredity, environment and lifestyle, and hormonal changes.

• Hormonal changes Hormone shifts occur during pregnancy and menopause.  Pregnancy adds increased pressure and stress to vein wall and valves as added blood flow is required before childbirth.  Normal hormonal changes during pregnancy and menopause weaken wall structure.  Additionally the body is in overdrive and deficiencies in Vitamin K, C or E can further deteriorate wall health leading to dilation and rupturing.  Similarly, use of oral contraceptives, thyroid problems and medication can create imbalances in hormonal structure.
• Environment & Lifestyle Obesity, smoking, excessive drinking and our lifestyle regimen can have a substantial impact on susceptibility to spider veins.  Smoking and drinking raise blood pressure, especially around the face.  Continued or excessive pressure can and do lead to localized outbreaks in the nose, nostril, and cheeks.  Obesity increases pressure between the outer skin layers and the fine feeder veins and capillaries increasing probability of trapping or clogging.  Constant exposure to the sun also promotes damage.  Oxidization, chronic sunburn, and free-radical damage resulting from UV exposure thins tissue on the bridge of the nose and is a primary contributor of facial spider veins.
• Heredity Just as our bodies appearance and health is affected by genetics, so too is our vascular system. Deep vein thrombosis, acute telangiectasias and pre-mature starburst matting may be the result of underlying chronic poor vascular structure.  Protruding vessels associated with varicose veins is rarely due to damage, but dysfunctional valves.  Early symptoms of spider veins on the legs especially before pregnancy is often a sign of clogging, seepage and leaking due primarily to hereditary factors.

The causes of spider veins can be summed-up as a result of damage or malfunction of veins.  This damage or malfunction is most often due to environmental factors, lifestyle, heredity or hormonal changes.

Treatment ranges from sclerotherapy and saline injections, laser therapy, Vitamin K and Phytotonine® treatments and, for more sever cases, vein removal through surgery.

Preventive actions and proper care can help prevent and heal spider veins.