Take a look at this question and answer exchange we found @ http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Dermatology/facial-spider-veins-on-children/show/974988 We think of older people as having spider veins, varicose veins and other related vein issues. But children can also have spider vein conditions as you will see below:

Questions: My 9 yr old daughter has a spider vein on her upper facial cheek. What is the recommended treatment? Laser or cautery? What is the scarring possibilities?

Response: Girls aged between five and nine are usually more susceptible to spider veins. These are superficial blood vessel or a clusterCluster headaches of blood vessels that can appear following trauma or injury, or sometimes for no apparent reason. Confirm diagnosis first with your doctor, discuss possible treatment suited for her and ask for a referral. Pulse dye laser treatment is usually more effective than other treatments such as cautery and liquid nitrogen treatment. The alternatives have greater risk of side effects. Take care and best regards.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

Patients who suffer from varicose veins often talk about itching of the skin which makes them more acutely aware of their condition. This is an interesting article which we have digested from Merck which provides more information. See: http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec03/ch036/ch036d.html

The precise cause of varicose veins is unknown, but the main problem is probably a weakness in the walls of superficial veins. This weakness may be inherited. Over time, the weakness causes the veins to lose their elasticity. They stretch and become longer and wider. To fit in the same space that they occupied when they were normal, the elongated veins become convoluted. More important than the elongation is the widening of the veins, which causes the valve cusps to separate. When the person stands, the blood is pulled backward by gravity and is not stopped because the valve cusps are separated. Thus, blood flows backward, rapidly filling the veins and causing the thin-walled, convoluted veins to enlarge even more. Some of the connecting veins, which normally allow blood to flow only from the superficial veins into the deep veins, also enlarge. If they enlarge, their valve cusps also separate. Consequently, blood squirts backward into the superficial veins when the muscles squeeze the deep veins, causing the superficial veins to stretch further.

Symptoms and Complications
Besides being unsightly, varicose veins commonly ache. Many people, even some with very large veins, have no pain. The lower part of the leg and ankle may itch, especially if the leg is warm after a person has been wearing socks or stockings. Itching can lead to scratching and can cause redness or a rash, which is often incorrectly attributed to dry skin. The pain is sometimes worse when varicose veins are developing than when they are fully stretched.

Only a small percentage of people with varicose veins have complications, such as dermatitis, inflammation of the veins (phlebitis), or bleeding. Dermatitis produces a red, scaling, itchy rash or a brown area, usually on the inside of the leg above the ankle. Scratching or a minor injury, particularly from shaving, can cause bleeding or development of a painful ulcer that does not heal. Ulcers may also bleed. Phlebitis may occur spontaneously or result from an injury. Although usually painful, phlebitis that occurs with varicose veins is rarely harmful.

Tags: Causes by platinum
No Comments »

Most of us equate varicose veins and spider veins as leg related manifestations. But they can appear in other interesting locations:
One writer asked: I have a vein under my tongue. It’s very large, it pops out like a hernia. I can not find anything on this. Help, please!

Response: Varicose veins are considered a harmless issue with most elderly patients unless irriated. But they can appear in places not typically considered common such as under your tongue. When this occurs you should have an examination to make sure there are not other vein or related issues.

What are often thought of as vein disease issues can also be spider veins which are more of a cosmetic problem for both men and woman. They will appear as red or blue lines and appear in the nose, on your chin, your face even your arms. While spider veins are not attractive and not painful most patients would like them removed.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

Anti Fatigue Kitchen Mats
Research has proved that the more comfortable the worker, the more is his productivity! Let’s take a look at the comfortable anti fatigue kitchen mats. The kitchen is a place where you have to stand for a long time. Prolonged standing in the same position on a hard surface decreases the blood circulation in the legs. The muscles of the legs tend to become constricted and the blood circulation is reduced in the constricted muscle area. When you stand, gravitational force acts on your body and all the fluids in the body flow towards your legs. The heart has to pump blood faster, which results in fatigue and you get stressed out at the end of the day after cooking. Prolonged standing is a major cause of swollen legs and ankles, which may result in pain and discomfort. The veins in the legs work to carry the blood back to the heart. When the valves of these veins do not function properly, it may lead to the varicose veins. Varicose veins are enlarged veins that may be at times painful.

Anti-fatigue kitchen mats are the solution to these problems. Using the anti-fatigue kitchen mats is a good solution to reduce stress and enable you to work for longer hours without stress. The anti-fatigue kitchen mats work to provide subtle movements of calf muscles and leads to less constriction of muscles in the legs. The anti-fatigue kitchen mats provide a cushion to your legs, which reduces the feeling of being tired at the end of the day.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

This question was asked by one of our staff members. We found some interesting answers in Google Answers which are show here:

Does doing weight lifting or tennis cause vericose veins for women?
What are the other factors that cause this? Are there effective
remeies to vericose veins?

Response: Our veins bring blood back to the heart from the rest of the body. Varicose veins form when weak or damaged valves permit blood to flow backward; as the blood builds up and pools inside, the vein begins to swell. The dark bluish color is caused by the normal depletion of oxygen in venous blood which is returning to the heart (arterial blood which comies from the heart is bright red.)

Small varicose veins called spider veins often appear on the surface
of the legs, and varicose veins can also form deeper in the legs,
where they can cause problems with circulation. In addition to the
legs, varicose veins may also form elsewhere in the body; when they are located in the anal area they are called hemorrhoids. Although varicose veins can be unsightly and can cause pain, they are very common (nearly 50% of middle-aged adults have them) and are usually not dangerous. However, since all varicose veins have the potential for serious complications, they should be examined by a physician. Keep in mind that, although we can assist you with general information, Google Answers is not a source of authoritative medical advice.

Response: “Exercise that works the legs, such as walking, biking, or jogging, strengthens your leg muscles and helps pump blood toward the heart.
This prevents pooling, reduces varicose veins, and helps ease any
pain. Avoid sports like weight lifting, though. These can increase
pressure on the legs and make varicose veins worse.”

Health: What You Need to Know About Varicose Veins

http://www.health.com/health/wynks/VaricoseVeinsWYNK2000-MAL/whatyoucando.html

While aerobic exercise is generally beneficial for patients with
varicose veins, some doctors warn against “high impact” sports such as tennis. Almost all vein clinics caution patients not to engage in vigorous, pavement-pounding forms of exercise after vein treatments, lest the varicosities worsen.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

This is a pretty common question. I thought the answer from http://www.veinandlaser.co.nz/faq-veins.html was pretty good.

Usually varicose veins are hereditary, with a parent or close relative also having them. If this is the case, nothing you do, or do not do, would prevent you from developing them if you going to. Often patients will complain that they the only one to get them, while their brothers & sisters haven’t!

However, what you do, once you already have varicose veins, can make them more or less bothersome. Pregnancy is often the time when women first notice them and they worsen with sucessive pregnancies. Prolonged standing can make varicose veins a lot worse, increasing swelling and discomfort.

Sometimes varicose veins are as a result of a leg injury or a previous deep vein clot.

Hormonal changes often seem to trigger the development of veins – adolescence (especially males), pregnancy and menopause, but often there is no apparent reason.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

This is from a recent article from The Telegraph in the UK.

Nearly half of British women hate their legs – and one in six will not show their pins to their partners, it has been revealed.

A total of 47 per cent of the nation’s women are ashamed of their legs and six out of ten are too embarrassed to wear skirts and dresses in public.

Cellulite, varicose veins, excess fat or being too pale emerged as the top reasons why women will not get their legs out.

Researchers also found 17 per cent of women think their legs have kept them back in life and 63 per cent said they would be feel more confident if they were happier with their legs.

A further 28 per cent of women were so self-conscious they said they would not wear a bikini on holiday, with 49 per cent opting to wear a sarong to cover them up or use a towel at the pool.

The study also revealed many women hate their legs so much they will only wear a skirt or dress twice a week this summer.

Women worry about their legs at least twice a day, and spend an hour and a half thinking about their legs, weight and dress size, the study found.

Participants voted Beyoncé, Cheryl Cole and Elle Macpherson as having the best legs.

“It’s saddening to hear how many women hate their legs and it seems that often this comes down to a lack of confidence,” psychologist Corinne Sweet said.

Tags: Interesting Vein News by platinum
No Comments »

Some of us may confuse Varicose Veins and Spider Veins. This simple overview might be helpful.

Varicose veins are larger than normal size veins which are typically flesh colored, purple, deep purple and blue. Varicose veins appear to be like cords. They are often twisting and they bulge out from your skin.
Varicose Veins are swollen and raised above the surface of the skin most commonly on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg.
The main difference is size. Spider veins are like varicose veins only smaller. They are often red or blue and are closer to the surface of the skin than varicose veins. They can look like tree branches or spider webs with their short jagged lines. Spider veins can be found on the legs and face. They can cover either a very small or very large area of skin.

So why do varicose veins and spider veins appear in the legs most often?
The force of gravity, the pressure of body weight, and the task of carrying blood from the bottom of the body up to the heart make legs the primary location for varicose and spider veins. Compared with other veins in the body, leg veins have the toughest job of carrying blood back to the heart. They endure the most pressure. This pressure can be stronger than the veins’ one-way valves.

Varicose Veins and the most common symptoms
• Your legs aching and feel heavy and uncomfortable at night and often after exercising.
• Appearance of spider veins in the affected leg.
• Your ankles may start to enlarge and swell
• A brownish-blue shiny skin discoloration near the affected veins.
• Redness, dryness, and itchiness of areas of skin – termed stasis dermatitis or venous eczema, because of waste products building up in the leg.
• Minor injuries to the area may bleed more than normal and/or take a long time to heal.
• In some people the skin above the ankle may shrink the fat underneath the skin becomes hard.
• You may experience “restless legs syndrome” as a common symptom.
• Whitened, irregular scar-like patches can appear at the ankles. This is known as atrophie blanche.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

You will likely hear a great deal of information for treating varicose veins and spider veins from your doctor such as endovenous thermal ablation (endovenous laser treatment or radiofrequency ablation), and foam sclerotherapy are not as well studied, especially in the longer term.
You will also hear them tell you the first course of action may be what some refer to as conservative treatments. Here is one example of a conservative varicose vein treatment regimen:

“Conservative treatment of varicose veins or spider veins”
The symptoms of varicose veins can be controlled to an extent with the following:
• Elevating the legs often provides temporary symptomatic relief.
• “Advice about regular exercise sounds sensible but is not supported by any evidence.”
• The wearing of graduated compression stockings with a pressure of 30–40 mmHg has been shown to correct the swelling, nutritional exchange, and improve the microcirculation in legs affected by varicose veins. They also often provide relief from the discomfort associated with this disease. Caution should be exercised in their use in patients with concurrent arterial disease.
• anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or aspirin can be used as part of treatment for superficial thrombophlebitis along with graduated compression hosiery – but there is a risk of intestinal bleeding. In extensive superficial thrombophlebitis, consideration should be given to anti-coagulation, thrombectomy or sclerotherapy of the involved vein.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »

With varicose veins it is important to keep in mind what causes varicose veins issues. Here is a brief reminder to help you better understand varicose veins and the factors you can control.
These factors increase your risk of developing varicose veins:

 Family History – Do other members of you direct family have varicose veins? If that is the case as those members when they first had varicose veins. If they have then the chances increase that you could have varicose vein issues.

 Sex and Varicose Veins – There is a great likelihood that a female will have varicose vein issues. Changes in hormones, pregnancy and menopause can lead to varicose vein symptoms. While women experience varicose veins more frequently than men, varicose veins are also and issue with men particular when considering age, physical activity, and weight

 Weight and Activity – With regard to varicose vein issues you can not control your age, sex or family history. You can control your weight to reduce varicose vein issues since obesity is an issue which increases the risk of varicose veins. Standing or sitting too long in the same position are also varicose vein concern factors. Downward pressure of an overweight person can contribute to varicose veins.

 Your age. It seems that varicose veins become a factor from the early 30s and beyond. Thus the risk of having varicose veins increases as your age increases. As you age the nature process of your vein valves which regulate your blood flow becomes a wear issue. So the valves may operate less effective resulting in varicose veins.

See more about varicose vein risk factors.

Tags: Uncategorized by platinum
No Comments »