Veins are essential blood vessels that push blood back to the heart, absorbing more oxygen to support vital bodily functions. Vein health helps you look and feel your best, although there are several common vein conditions to be aware of. This includes reticular and varicose veins, which both have a similar blue colour. However, there are some key differences to consider when thinking about varicose veins prevention and management. Here’s everything you should know about reticular veins vs. varicose veins.
What Are Reticular Veins?
Let’s start with reticular veins, which are similar to spider veins, except they are slightly larger, typically around 1mm to 3mm compared to spider veins that measure less than 1mm. Reticular veins are smaller and flatter with fewer twists than varicose veins, and while you can feel varicose veins under the skin’s surface, you typically can’t feel reticular veins.
Blue or green reticular veins can be identified by their small size, dilated appearance, and usual tenderness, itching, and burning symptoms. You may find reticular veins in the legs, face, and breasts, so keep an eye out and contact a vein solutions specialist if your symptoms become more severe.
What Are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are seen as a larger cousin to reticular and spider veins, as they are larger, around 3mm or more, and may even be painful to touch so close to the surface of the skin. Another key difference between reticular and varicose veins is that varicose veins do not lead to tiny spider veins, while reticular veins may branch or feed into spider veins.
Also, varicose veins symptoms can be more severe than the slight discomfort experienced with reticular and spider veins. For example, chronic aches, swelling, and discolouration are all possibilities with varicose veins, which explains the importance of proper varicose veins prevention techniques.
How Should You Treat Reticular and Varicose Veins?
Once you know the answer to “what are varicose veins?”, you may be wondering how to treat varicose veins symptoms. Both varicose veins and reticular veins can be treated with direct vision sclerotherapy and microsclerotherapy, two very similar vein solutions that are often the first choice for local vein clinic treatments.
Experts in varicose veins prevention and treatment target abnormal reticular and varicose veins with injections as part of a sclerotherapy session. The entire treatment takes just half an hour as a detergent solution is injected through a micro-needle targeting the affected vein, which collapses and eventually dissolves. This treatment does not need anaesthesia, so the recovery time is fast, and the entire process is generally pain-free, whether you have reticular veins, varicose veins or both.
Schedule a Vein Clinic Consultation in Melbourne
If you have more questions regarding varicose veins and how they differ from reticular veins, the vein solution specialists at Vein Care in Melbourne can help. Get in touch with our trusted vein clinic today and schedule a consultation for varicose veins symptoms.
