![]() "Muscles in the legs help your veins push blood back to the heart, against the force of gravity. ![]() This is especially important if you have a sedentary job during the winter months. "It is important to stay active in the colder months as this can helps the blood flow and keeps people warm. This in turn reduces the chances of aching of the legs, leg swelling, damage to the skin such as eczema, brown stains (haemosiderin), and leg ulceration."ĭr Whiteley's winter guide to good vein health "The faster the flow of blood in the veins, the less chance of blood clotting (such as superficial venous thrombosis and deep vein thrombosis) and of inflammation caused by venous stasis. In addition, movement makes the muscle pumps in the leg contract, which in turn pumps the venous blood back to the heart. "However, there are easy ways to improve circulation in the winter months, such as following a simple exercise plan or wrapping up warm."ĭr Whiteley goes on to explain that exercise increases the amount of blood flow down the arteries which keeps them healthy by the release of nitric oxide into the arterial wall. "The cold weather can slow down the rate at which blood is pumped around the body as the arteries and blood vessels become more constricted," says Dr Whiteley. In terms of veins, this means that it's important to move our legs to pump blood back to the heart. This said, we can look after our venous health during the winter months when temperatures drop and affect our circulation. ![]() Simply put, there is no evidence to suggest that cold weather causes spider veins. Deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in the deep veins).Superficial venous thrombosis/' phlebitis' (a blood clot in the superficial veins).Whiteley advises that people with spider veins also have a small risk of developing other health complications, although this is because they have common risk factors, not because spider veins are themselves a direct cause of the complications. More rarely, people with spider veins complain of symptoms including leg fatigue, cramps, itching, or burning.ĭr. If spider veins are impacting your life in this way, there are cosmetic treatment options to reduce their visibility. One study found that 17% of 223 people with spider veins met the criteria for a body dysmorphic disorder diagnosis. Unfortunately, the appearance of these small, spider-like lines can make some feel self-conscious, leading people to cover the affected areas or even avoid certain social occasions. Most complaints are purely aesthetic, as some people don't like how they look. The good news is most people who have spider veins don't experience any significant medical symptoms or complications. When should I be worried about spider veins? Therefore, spider veins on the legs are almost always due to underlying hidden varicose veins or incompetent perforator veins." "In both cases, valves inside the veins stop working properly allowing blood to fall back down the leg and pool in the veins under the skin. Sometimes this is from a high pressure 'incompetent perforator' vein (veins that prevent backflow of blood down to other veins) in the lower leg. The commonest is when pressure from underlying hidden varicose veins allows blood to fall into the surface veins, dilating them and making them visible. "Spider veins can occur for different reasons. These two common venous conditions also occur for different reasons, as Dr Whiteley describes: "Varicose veins occur when the valves in our veins stop working properly, meaning the blood falls down the veins when standing up, rather than flowing upwards towards the heart (chronic venous insufficiency). Spider veins are different to varicose veins, which are larger and protrude from the legs. People often refer to them as 'thread veins' although they are called 'telangiectasia' medically." ![]() "They may be red, purple or blue and most often appear on the legs or face in the form of thin lines, webs or branches. "Spider veins are small, dilated blood vessels that are visible through the skin," explains Professor Mark Whiteley, consultant venous surgeon and founder of The Whiteley Clinic.
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