Don’t be spooked by spider veins

By Dr. Sonja Stiller, Center for Advanced Vein Care

Telangiectasia may sound like a scary condition, but it’s not. You’ve likely heard of it by its common name: spider veins. These are fine, threadlike veins on the surface of the skin. They’re often red but can also appear blue or purple. They frequently show up in a characteristic fan or sunray pattern, giving them their arachnid-inspired name.

For many people spider veins are a cosmetic concern, often treated by practices like ours. But they can also be a warning sign that something more sinister is going on beneath your skin, especially if accompanied by leg pain, itching, burning or restless legs syndrome.

The important thing is not to self-diagnose your leg discomfort by saying, “I overdid it working in the yard,” “I’m just getting older” or “It must be something I ate.” Remember, Ebenezer Scrooge self-diagnosed when he said to the ghost of Jacob Marley: “You may be an undigested bit of beef…There’s more of gravy than of grave about you.”

He turned out to be dead wrong.

If you’re not happy with the look of your legs because of spider veins, it’s best not to have them treated with a cosmetic procedure until after you’ve been examined by a doctor who can uncover any underlying issues.

Remember, today’s high-tech vein treatments are virtually pain-free. They’re nothing like the horror stories we used to hear from our grandmothers about painful stripping surgery. These days, there is nothing to be afraid of.

Give our office a call if you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• chronic leg pain
• fatigue
• itching
• burning
• inflammation
• leg cramps
• restless legs syndrome

Dr. Sonja Stiller is a diplomat of both the American Board of Emergency Medicine and the American Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine. She is the founder of the Center for Advanced Vein Care, a Tier 1 provider with Lake Health Hospital System, located at 7200 Mentor Avenue, in Mentor. For an appointment, call 440-710-1140. More info can be found at YourHealthyVeins.com.