What Causes Spider or Varicose Veins?
After blood is carried through your body by way of your arteries your veins carry the blood back to the heart to receive more oxygen. Gravity is pulling on your blood so your body has these tiny valves in the veins that close so the blood can't fall back down.
These valves could possibly leak and the blood could pool. When this happens the veins begin to stretch accommodating the pooled blood. Since these veins are close to the surface of the skin, they can be seen, swollen with blood.
Who Is At Risk?
Approximately 60% of men and women suffer from a vein disorder in America. Women are more affected and it's estimated that 41% of all women will have some sort of abnormal leg veins by the time they are in their 50's.
Women are more common to have varicose or spider veins then men and it tends to run in the family. Some women experienced varicose veins during pregnancy, that could be from hormone changes and the pressure of the growing baby. Other potential causes can be, obesity, aging and menopause.
Heredity, hormones or being born with weak vein valves are great factors.