Varicose Vein Common Questions:

What is a Varicose Vein?
Varicose vein are small or large vein that bulge above the surface of the skin and can range from skin colored to red, blue or purple. Most commonly they are seen on the inside or back of lower legs but are also found on other parts of the legs and body. The veins of the lower legs must bring the blood back up to the heart for reoxygenation using the valves inside. The effect of gravity make the task even more difficult. Failure of these valves causes the blood to “pool” in the veins of the lower legs (chronic venous insufficiency). These varicose veins can appear like bulging twisted ropes or raised and straighter in appearance. Varcisose veins can be a single ropey vein or multiple veins branching off. Varicose veins are also found on the upper thighs, genital areas (especially in pregnant women) and abdomen.

What causes Varicose Veins?
A strong family history of varicose veins will predispose a person to developing them in both men and women. This is an inherited weakness of the valves within the veins. Most often then stem from weak valves in larger, deeper veins (venous insufficiency). The surface veins are the lower branches of these veins and are the ones that cause the painful symptoms.

Injuries from sports such as kicks, balls or bats can cause a disruption of the normal veins and the valves within them. Other types of traumatic injury such as leg fractures can also damage these valves. These are usually “non-truncal” meaning that they often don’t stem from valve problems in deeper veins.

Hormonal changes occurring with puberty, birth control medication, pregnancy and menopause (especially with hormone replacement therapy) increase the risk or varicose and spider veins.

Pregnancy causes a large increase in the circulating blood volume of a woman. Along with hormonal changes, this causes vein to expand to accommodate the extra volume. Combine this with the expanding size of the uterus and the pressure it exerts inside the lower abdomen, varicose veins can develop. Usually the vein will return to normal size and function withing 3 months of delivery or cessation of breast feeding. Subsequent pregnancies can cause permanent damage to the valves within these vein and often they will not return to normal and can increase in severity with advancing age.

Obesity, while not a direct cause of varisose veins, can place additional pressure of malfunctioning veins. Most overweight patients we see usually have a strong family history of varicose veins or multiple pregnancies. We very often see people who have had dramatic weight loss showing increased symptoms and more noticeable varicose veins.

Prolonged standing can aggravate existing conditions of venous insufficiency (broken valves in the veins) and will cause increasing symptoms over time in these people. 

More Information:
Varicose Vein Diagnosis and Treatments
Varicose Vein Before and After Pictures
Insurance Coverage
Initial Consultation

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