Home » Health & Wellness  » Common ailments  » Varicose veins These are like ugly streams that run down your thighs and calves. Apart from preventing you from wearing those skirts, they can be very painful.

Also known as varicosis or varicosity, varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins with non-functioning valves.

In normal veins, valves in the vein keep blood moving forward toward the heart. With varicose veins, the valves do not function properly, allowing blood to remain in the vein. Pooling of blood in the veins results in enlargement of the veins.

This usually occurs in the veins of the legs, although it may occur elsewhere, too. Varicose veins are common, affecting 1 out of 10 people, mostly women between the ages of 30 and 60. Causes include congenitally defective valves, thrombophlebitis and pregnancy. Prolonged standing or sitting, poor posture, and increased pressure within the abdomen will both increase the susceptibility or aggravate the condition.

Primary varicose veins occur because of congenitally defective valves or without a known cause. Secondary varicose veins occur because of other conditions such as pregnancy, when women develop varicose veins. This is because the enlarged uterus exerts pressure on the veins that drain the legs.

FAQ's on Varicose Veins

1. What causes varicose veins? A failure of the valve in the vein - mainly in the leg. If the valve fails, blood, which is supposed to flow from your feet up to your heart, starts to run back down. That puts pressure on the vein further down and causes stretching. It is not just women who suffer with varicose veins. Men also get them, although not as often - that's because they don't get pregnant!
2. What are the symptoms? Varicose veins can make the legs ache, itch, and cause cramps or swelling of the ankles. Serious cases can lead to leg ulcers or phlebitis, which cause red, inflamed and very tender varicose veins. In extreme conditions, a venous thrombosis can occur. This is when the blood clots deep in the vein and can lead to a blocked artery. The condition is potentially fatal, but is very rare.
3. Why do some people get them and not others?Pregnancy is one of the biggest causes. The sheer bulk of the baby, as well as an increase in blood volume, means there is more pressure on the veins which drain the legs. The connective tissues also soften, particularly in later pregnancy, so the veins stretch, the valves get pulled apart and then start to leak. Having lots of children makes them worse because with each pregnancy it is harder for the veins to regain their elasticity.

4. Is it true that tall women are more susceptible? The longer your legs, the greater the pressure on your veins. Being tall in itself won't cause varicose veins, but if you've already got them, it might make them worse.
5. My mother has terrible varicose veins - does that mean I will develop them, too? There is often a strong genetic link. If both parents have them, you are more likely to develop the condition. If it is just one parent, the probability is much lower. But it is possible to get varicose veins, even if there is no family history of them.
6. Do they get worse with age?
You can develop varicose veins at any age. Some people don't get them until they are in their sixties, while others suffer with them as teenagers. They do tend to get worse the longer you have them, though, so seek medical advice as soon as possible - they are much easier to treat in the early stages.
7. My varicose veins itch sometimes - does it matter if I scratch them? If you scratch the area, you can get venous eczema - a nasty, red, itchy rash which can be eased with a cortisone cream - but the underlying problem requires surgery. Itching is a sign that the pressure in the vein is quite high and you should have it checked out by your GP.
8. How effective is operation? The most successful operations not only remove the vein, but also seal its leaking valve. Sometimes this doesn't happen, and doctors have to re-operate on a patient who has had unsatisfactory surgery elsewhere. Using a scan helps to plan the operation successfully.
9. Are there other ways of getting rid of them? Unfortunately, only surgery can seal a leaky valve. The veins can be injected with a solution which causes them to close up but it is not very effective and can leave a brown smudge under the skin surface.
10. What can I do to help prevent them? Any activity that exercises your legs is good, and you should avoid sitting with your legs crossed. If you have a genetic tendency towards varicose veins, there isn't a great deal you can do to avoid them.