Varicose veins
When veins become visibly twisted and swollen, they are known as varicose veins. They most commonly occur in the legs.
Veins have the job of taking blood back to the heart. In the leg there are 2 groups of veins. Superficial veins lie near the skin. They collect blood which passes through perforators to the deep veins in the leg muscles. When the leg muscles are used, as in walking, they act as a pump sending the blood up to the heart.
The perforators have one-way valves in them to overcome the effects of gravity, which otherwise would cause the blood to run back into the superficial veins and down to the feet whenever we stood up. When these valves aren't working properly this happens, causing the ugly swelling of varicose veins.
Varicose veins are initially painless but with time can cause an aching pain in the legs, an itchy rash (varicose eczema) and ulcers.
They can't always be avoided, as many pregnant women know, but regular exercise and keeping your weight down will help. Once they have appeared it is important to keep your legs up when not doing anything and to avoid standing still for any length of time. Elasticised support stockings or panty-hose can be very helpful.
Without treatment, varicose veins tend to get worse with time. One exception to this is varicose veins that develop during pregnancy, which generally get better within several months of the birth.
The best treatment for varicose veins is surgery. This can be very effective for many years and usually leaves little in the way of scars. A treatment called sclerotherapy, which involves injections into the veins, blocking them off, is another form of treatment.
If you have varicose veins, talk to your doctor about them. It is wise to deal with them before they start to cause problems.
Last Reviewed: 14 June 2008
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