If you've noticed blue or red bulging or branching veins in your legs or face, you're not alone. According to The National Women's Health Information Center, more than half of all American women have problems with varicose and/or spider veins. When too much pressure is placed on the veins, the valves stretch and allow blood to pool. Sitting or standing for long periods of time, hormonal changes, sun exposure, obesity, and heredity can cause varicose veins and lead to leg heaviness, tiredness, and pain. Speak to your doctor about the best treatment option, though nothing can prevent future problems except for wearing supportive stockings.

Sclerotheraphy

Best for: Varicose and spider veins
Administered: In doctor's office; no anesthesia
Recovery Time: Immediate

How It Works: Doctors inject a solution that makes the vein walls stick and seal together, stopping the blood flow and turning the vein into scar tissue. Most patients see a 50-90% difference within a few weeks.

Side Effects: minor redness, cramping, bruising, and spots and lines around the injection site that will disappear. Vein inflammation or lumps can be treated with heat, antibiotics, or drained if needed.

Laser Surgery
Best for: Spider veins smaller than 3mm.
Administered: In doctor's office; no anesthesia
Recovery Time: Immediate
 
How It Works: Doctors use a strong laser to beam light into the problem vein, making it fade and disappear. The heat can be painful, but the treatment only lasts for 15-20 minutes. Usually requires 2-5 treatments.

Side Effects: Redness and swelling for a few days; skin discoloration for 1-2 months. Very rarely, burns and scars can occur from poorly executed procedures.

Ablation
Best for: Deep varicose veins in the legs
Administered: In doctor's office
Recovery Time: 1-2 days

How It Works: After inserting a catheter into your vein, doctors then send heat through the tube to destroy the problem vein. Healthy veins take over the blood flow, so surface veins shrink.

Side Effects: Minor Bruises

Ambulatory Phlebectomy
Best for: Large Varicose Veins
Administered: In an operating room using general or local anesthesia, usually on an outpatient basis
Recovery Time: 1-2 days

How It Works: Using a special light, doctors locate the vein, make small incisions, and remove it with surgical hooks.

Possible Side Effects: Slight bruising; temporary numbness

Surgical Ligation and Stripping

Best for: Severe cases of varicose veins
Administered: In an operating room using general or local anesthesia, usually on an outpatient basis
Recovery Time: 1-4 weeks

How It Works: During the operation the problem veins are removed from the leg, allowing healthy veins to take care of the blood flow. The removed veins tend to be surface veins that only affect blood flow to the skin.

Side Effects: Significant leg pain, bleeding and blood congestion, infection, permanent scars, nerve tissue damage around the treated vein. Deep vein blood clots, though anti-coagulants are usually administered to reduce this risk. If administered under general anesthesia, there are possible risks of allergic reaction along with heart and breathing problems.

Endoscopic vein surgery
Best for: Severe cases of varicose veins
Administered: In a hospital under epidural, spinal, or general anesthesia
Recovery Time: A few weeks

How It Works: With this surgery, a small video camera is used to see inside the veins. Then varicose veins are removed through small cuts.

Treatment options have improved dramatically in recent years, but unfortunately there's no cure for varicose or spider veins. Avoid the risk factors as much as possible by breaking up long periods of standing or sitting, not crossing your legs, maintaining a healthy weight, and wearing some kind of support or compression stocking.



Sources:

The National Women's Health Information Center (a division of The U.S. Department for Health and Human Services)
http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/varicose-spider-veins.cfm

Vascular Web
http://www.vascularweb.org/patients/NorthPoint/Varicose_Veins.html