Tag: varicose veins

Varicose veins and spider veins may seem like interchangeable terms for the same thing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Here’s the low-down on the causes, symptoms and treatments for both varicose veins and spider veins. Spider veins are the less serious of the two and are seen as small discoloured veins that have a spider-web like appearance typically on the legs. These veins rarely cause problems with pain and can be left untreated. In contrast, varicose veins occur due to faulty values in veins of the legs. Blood is able to therefore flow in the wrong direction causing bulging veins, which appear blue and purple. These veins can cause problems of pain, numbness in the legs and in some cases, leg ulcers.