Show Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on August 20, 2022 During your first trimester, your body begins to change rapidly. Pregnancy will change your body in new and exciting ways, but some changes are less than desirable. Spider veins may appear during your pregnancy's beginning, middle, or end. They are primarily a cosmetic concern, but that doesn't mean they aren't frustrating to deal with. Spider veins, known in medical terms as telangiectasia, appear when small blood vessels are dilated. Spider veins typically appear on your legs and are small, less than 2 mm in diameter. The veins are most noticeable on the thighs, legs, and ankles. Spider veins can be red, purple, or blue. They may look like linear streaks, starburst patterns, or branch out freely. Pregnancy may cause spider veins to appear. Spider veins and varicose veins can both appear during pregnancy, but they are not the same thing. Unlike spider veins, varicose veins are more prominent, bulging veins that can be 4 to 5 mm in diameter and are dark blue. Varicose veins are often more painful than spider veins. They can also be linked to severe other vein disorders. Varicose veins require a more involved treatment plan, unlike spider veins, which are typically treated for cosmetic purposes only. During pregnancy, your hormones change, and your body contains greater quantities of blood. These changes cause tiny red or blue veins to appear on your body. Spider veins can appear on your face, neck, arms, belly, and legs. They don't appear all over your body, but rather, typically in one area. They are most common during the first half of your pregnancy. After your baby is born, the redness tends to fade away. In some cases, though, spider veins can last after childbirth. If that's the case, you can talk to your doctor about options for getting rid of them. Spider veins occur when tiny, one-way valves in the veins weaken. When they weaken, some blood flows backward and stays in the vein. This extra blood puts pressure on the walls of your vein, causing it to bulge and become visible on the surface of your skin. People who stand or sit for long periods are more likely to get spider veins. There also might be a genetic risk for spider veins. Regardless, spider veins become more common during pregnancy. Spider veins rarely have accompanying symptoms. They're a common, mild variation of varicose veins. The primary concern of those with spider veins is typically their appearance. That being said, in rare cases, spider veins may cause a dull discomfort or mild burning sensation in your legs. You can talk to your doctor about treatment options if you start to have these symptoms. However, insurance companies don't tend to cover spider vein treatment because they deem it to be a cosmetic procedure. Laser treatment is the most common option if you opt to get your spider veins taken care of. This treatment is called selective photothermolysis and is designed to avoid causing damage to the outer part of your skin. It can be done in your doctor's office. The treatment works by using a laser to obliterate the affected blood vessel. This type of treatment can be used for spider veins up to 1 mm in size. After treatment, avoid rigorous activities like jogging for 24 hours. You'll also need to avoid direct sunlight on the treated areas for a little while. Your doctor should tell you how to care for the treated area to prevent infection or other problems. An alternative treatment is sclerotherapy. This treatment uses a needle to inject sclerosing agents into your vein. The injection contains chemical irritants that make your vein seal off. There are some self-care tips you can do at home to help prevent spider veins during pregnancy. These tips can help prevent new spider veins from appearing, but they won't get rid of the ones you may already have. Things to try at home include: Compression socks. These types of socks or stockings apply pressure to your legs and help move blood back to your heart. They're great at reducing swelling in your lower legs and reducing your risk for blood clots. Compression socks don't reduce existing visible leg veins, though. Maintain a healthy pregnancy weight. Extra body weight can make it harder for your veins to move blood back to your heart. By staying active, eating healthy foods, and maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight, you are more likely to prevent new spider veins from forming. Rest your legs. Take the pressure off your legs by putting your feet on an elevated surface when sitting. This helps your blood flow more easily back to your heart. During pregnancy, your feet and ankles are likely to swell. Keeping them elevated also reduces the pressure that builds during the day. If you are feeling discomfort in your legs and you think it may be related to your spider veins, you should talk to your doctor. If you notice your spider veins have become swollen, red, tender, or warm to the touch, that may be a sign of a blood clot. Sores or rashes on your legs or near your ankle may call for a visit to the doctor. A drastic change in the appearance of your spider veins is a good reason to talk to your doctor. If the skin on your ankle or calf changes color, there may be underlying issues or a burst vein. Spider veins are typically nothing to worry about. They’re a common part of pregnancy and changing hormones. They typically go away on their own after childbirth, and you can also implement home methods to prevent more spider veins from appearing.
Varicose veins are unusually swollen veins that may bulge near the surface of the skin. These blue, red, or purple veins sometimes look squiggly or ropelike and are most likely to show up on your legs, though in pregnancy it's possible to get them on your lower pelvic area, buttocks, or elsewhere. (Hemorrhoids are just varicose veins in the rectal area.) Many women first develop varicose veins – or find that they get worse – during pregnancy. You may have little or no discomfort from varicose veins, or they may make your legs feel heavy and achy. The skin around a varicose vein may also itch, throb, or feel like it's burning. The symptoms tend to be worse at the end of the day, especially if you've been on your feet a lot. What causes varicose veins during pregnancy?As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on the large vein on the right side of your body (the inferior vena cava), which increases pressure in your leg veins. Veins are the blood vessels that return blood from your extremities to your heart, so the blood in your leg veins is already working against gravity. And when you're pregnant, the amount of blood in your body increases, adding to the burden on your veins. Your progesterone level also rises, relaxing the walls of your blood vessels. You're more likely to get varicose veins if other members of your family have had them. They're more common in women than men, and if you have them, they tend to get worse with each successive pregnancy and as you get older. Being overweight, carrying twins or other multiples, and standing for long periods can also make you more likely to get them. The good news for some women is that varicose veins may improve or disappear after you give birth, especially if you didn't have any before you got pregnant. And if they don't get better, you can look into various treatment options after your baby is born. You may have also noticed tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin, especially on your ankles, legs, or face. These are called spider veins because they often appear in a spider-like pattern, with little branches radiating out from the center. (Though sometimes they may look more like the branches of a tree or separate thin lines with no specific pattern.) These don't cause discomfort, and they typically disappear after delivery. How can I prevent varicose veins in pregnancy?You may be able to prevent, or at least minimize, varicose veins while you're pregnant if you:
Can compression stockings help prevent varicose veins?Yes. Compression stockings put pressure on your veins and increase the blood flow from your legs. There are three kinds of compression stockings:
Put on the stockings before you get out of bed in the morning (while you're still lying down) and keep them on all day to prevent blood from pooling in your legs. You may have heard advice that sleeping on your left side can help prevent varicose veins. The theory goes that because the inferior vena cava is on the right side of your body, lying on your left side takes the weight of your uterus off the vein, relieving the pressure on the veins in your legs and feet. Although providers sometimes recommend it anyway, there's no proof to support the claim that sleeping this way prevents varicose veins. Are varicose veins in pregnancy ever serious?Varicose veins may itch or hurt, and they can be unsightly, but they're generally harmless in the short term. Treatment, if needed, can usually be postponed until after you have your baby. However, a small percentage of people who have varicose veins develop small blood clots near the skin's surface (superficial venous thrombosis). When this kind of clot develops, the vein may feel hard and cord-like, and the area around it may become red, hot, tender, or painful. Call your doctor or midwife if you think you have one of these clots because they can be serious. During pregnancy, they can be treated with warm compresses and will usually subside in a few days or weeks. Occasionally the area surrounding a clot becomes infected. You may develop a fever or chills in that case, and you'll need to be treated promptly with antibiotics. Also, call your provider right away if:
In rare cases, superficial venous thrombosis can progress to deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a more serious condition in which a clot develops in deep veins, usually in the legs, and could become inflamed or travel to the lungs and be life-threatening. Pregnancy makes DVT more likely whether or not you have varicose veins, but DVT isn't common: Your chance of developing it – either during pregnancy or in the weeks after you give birth – is about 1 in 1,600. (Women with blood clotting disorders, obesity, multiple gestation or who are on prolonged bedrest have a higher risk.) If you develop DVT, you may have no symptoms, or you may have sudden, painful swelling in your ankle, leg, and thigh. It may hurt more when your foot is flexed or when you're standing, and you may have a slight fever as well. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your provider immediately. You may need to have an ultrasound exam of the affected area. And if you do have one of these clots, you'll need to be hospitalized and treated with blood-thinning medication. Left untreated, the clot could break away and travel to the lungs, resulting in a life-threatening condition called a pulmonary embolism. Signs of a pulmonary embolism include shortness of breath, painful breathing, a cough (or coughing up blood), a panicky feeling, and a rapid heartbeat. If you have any of these symptoms, call 911. How should I treat my varicose veins after pregnancy?After you give birth, it's a good idea to continue to wear compression stockings, exercise regularly, don't sit or stand for long periods of time, and elevate your legs whenever possible. Varicose veins often improve within three to four months after giving birth, though sometimes it takes even longer – and sometimes they don't improve much at all. (This is more likely if you've had multiple pregnancies.) If your varicose veins persist and become too uncomfortable to live with, or even if you're just unhappy with how they look, ask your provider to refer you to a specialist to find out about other treatment options. Learn more: |
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