Blue veins and spider webs on your legs are no small thing: They’re a major sign of a serious illness brewing inside your body.

Often people do not pay attention to the blue veins appearing on the legs or thighs and they ignore it considering it to be just a minor problem. But according to health experts, these abnormally visible blue veins on the skin clearly indicate some serious health problem developing inside the body. If they are not treated properly in time, this condition can take the form of black marks, eczema and large painful wounds on the feet.

Why are raised blue veins visible on legs?

Dr. K.K., Senior Vascular and Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi. According to Pandey, the blue veins visible on the upper surface of the legs and thighs are actually a network of veins, which are connected to the system of thick and large veins located inside the legs.

Under normal circumstances, the veins on the upper surface collect impure blood and send it to larger veins located deeper, from where this blood passes through the heart to the lungs to be purified. However, if there is any kind of blockage in the internal veins or the blood does not flow properly, then this impure blood starts accumulating on the lower surface of the skin, due to which the veins turn blue and emerge outwards.

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) and DVT are the main causes

There are two main reasons responsible for bulging blue veins:

• Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI): In this disease the valves present inside the veins become weak. Due to this, the impure blood moving upwards starts coming back downwards and starts collecting under the skin. This is called primary varicose veins.

• Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): In this condition, blood clots suddenly form in the veins of the legs, due to which the path of blood ascending through the veins is completely obstructed. When impure blood accumulates in excessive amounts in the veins, they expand like a spider’s web and become large, which are called ‘secondary varicose veins’.

Special caution necessary for pregnant women

If spidery blue veins appear on the legs or thighs during pregnancy, women should immediately become alert. The main reasons for this could be excessive pressure of the uterus on the veins or blood clotting due to DVT. In such a situation, an experienced vascular surgeon should be immediately consulted. If suddenly there is swelling in the entire leg, do not be careless at all, because these clots can slip and block the veins of the lungs due to which the patient starts breathing and can pose a threat to life.

Accurate treatment is possible with modern technology

If accumulation of blue veins is seen in any part of the thigh or leg, then the exact reasons are detected through modern tests like Doppler Study, CT venogram and digital subtraction venography. Following are the main methods of its treatment:

• Venous Angioplasty and Stenting: This procedure is adopted when there is permanent blockage in the veins. If this is not possible, then venous bypass surgery is resorted to.

• Laser Technology and RFA: If the problem is due to CVI rather than blockage, laser technology or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is used. After this modern technology, the patient can return to his normal work from the very next day.

• Medications and Compression Stockings: If the lesion is in the early stages and there is no blockage of the veins, the condition is controlled using special types of compression stockings, special exercises and medicines.