Spider veins: innocent or dangerous?

Spider veins: innocent or dangerous?

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - You've most likely seen them on your legs or on someone elses.

"Those squiggly ugly small veins that appear out of the blue," said Cardiologist Dr. Carl Fastabend.

They're called spider veins and they just so happen to be pretty common among women.

And every day life can cause them to come up.

"Injury to the blood vessels that becomes prominent and they become red or blue," Fastabend adds. "A lot of times they come after pregnancy or deliver, people with standing occupation, a casino worker, a nurse or hairstylist."

And if these veins are keeping you from wearing shorts or your favorite dress in the Louisiana heat, there are some options for you.

"Treatment is very effective," Fastabend says. "We have medications we inject right into the veins that scars them makes, them have no more blood flow and it makes them disappear."

But it's important to know, not all of these veins are innocent.

"If you have spider veins and no symptoms, that's fine," Fastabend said. "However, don't ignore it, if you have tiredness, aches, swelling in your leg, that could mean something more significant that would need evaluation and different types of treatment."

The Southwest Louisiana Vein Center is hosting a free seminar to address spider veins and give some options on what you can do to get rid of them on April 16th at 3:30.

Attendance is free.

Copyright KPLC 2018.  All rights reserved.