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Varicose Veins
What
are Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins. The
word varicose comes from the Latin root varix, which means "twisted."
Any vein may become varicose, but the veins most commonly affected
are those in your legs and feet. That's because you stand and walk
upright, which increases the pressure in the veins in your lower
body.
For many people, varicose veins and spider veins — a common,
mild and medically insignificant variation of varicose veins —
are simply a cosmetic concern. For other people, varicose veins
can cause aching pain and discomfort. Sometimes the condition leads
to more serious problems. Varicose veins may also signal a higher
risk of other disorders of the circulatory system.
Varicose veins are a common condition in the United States, affecting
up to 60 percent of all Americans. Women, especially older women,
are more likely than men are to have this problem. Treatment may
involve self-help measures, or procedures by your doctor to close
or remove veins.
 
Signs
& Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of varicose veins may include:
- An achy or heavy feeling in your legs,
and burning, throbbing, muscle cramping and swelling in
your lower legs. Prolonged sitting or standing tends to
make your legs feel worse.
- Itching around one or more of your veins.
- Skin ulcers near your ankle, which represent
a severe form of vascular disease and require immediate
attention.
Types
of varicose veins
Varicose veins are dark purple or blue in color
and may appear twisted and bulging — like cords. They commonly
appear on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the legs.
But, they can form anywhere on your legs, from your groin to your
ankle.
Spider veins are similar to varicose veins, but
they're smaller. Spider veins are found closer to the skin's surface
and are often red or blue. They occur on the legs, but can also
be found on the face. Spider veins vary in size and often look like
a spider's web or a tree branch.
Other types of varicose veins include:
- Venous Lakes. These are pools of blood
in the veins, often found on the face and neck.
- Reticular Veins. These flat, blue veins
under the skin often appear behind the knee.
- Telangiectases. These are fine clusters
of blood vessels similar to spider veins, reddish in color
and often found on the face or upper body.
Occasionally, veins deep within the legs become enlarged.
In such cases, the affected leg may swell considerably. Any sudden
leg swelling that may or may not be accompanied by pain and redness
warrants urgent medical attention, as it may indicate a blood clot
— a condition known medically as thrombophlebitis.
Causes
Arteries carry blood from your heart to the rest of your
tissues. Veins return blood from the rest of your body to your heart,
so the blood can be recirculated. To return blood to your heart,
the veins in your legs must work against gravity. Muscle contractions
in your lower legs act as pumps, while toned, elastic vein walls
help blood return to your heart. Tiny one-way valves in your veins
open as blood flows toward your heart then close to stop blood from
flowing backward.
Varicose veins occur when the valves in your veins malfunction.
As you get older your veins can lose elasticity, causing them to
stretch. When this happens, blood that should be moving toward your
heart may flow backward. Blood pools in your veins, and your veins
enlarge and become varicose. The veins appear blue because they
contain deoxygenated blood, which is in the process of being recirculated.
Some pregnant women develop varicose veins. Pregnancy increases
the volume of blood in your body, but decreases the flow of blood
from your legs to your pelvis. This circulatory change is designed
to support the growing fetus, but it can produce an unfortunate
side effect - enlarged veins in your legs. Varicose veins may surface
for the first time or may worsen during late pregnancy, when your
uterus exerts greater pressure on the veins in your legs. Hemorrhoids
are varicose veins located in and around the anus.
Treatment
Fortunately, treatment usually doesn't mean a hospital
stay or a long, uncomfortable recovery. Less invasive techniques
generally allow varicose veins to be dealt with on an outpatient
basis. Self-help measures such as exercising, losing weight,
not wearing tight clothes, elevating your legs and avoiding long
periods of standing or sitting can ease pain and prevent
varicose veins from getting worse. Varicose veins that develop during
pregnancy generally improve without medical treatment within three
months after delivery.
If your varicose veins don't respond to self-help or if
the varicous veins are severe, your doctor may advise surgical correction:
The surgical treatment of Varicose Veins is carried out
by a Cardiothoracic surgeon.
- Catheter-Assisted Procedures. In one
of these treatments, your doctor inserts a thin tube (catheter)
into an enlarged vein and heats the tip of the catheter.
As the catheter is pulled out, the heat destroys the vein by causing
it to collapse and seal shut. This procedure is usually done for
larger varicose veins. Other catheter-assisted methods use
a blade to destroy varicose veins or radio waves to close
them.
- Vein Stripping. This procedure involves
removing a long vein through small incisions. This is an
outpatient procedure for most people. Removing the vein
won't affect circulation in your leg because veins deeper in the
leg take care of the larger volumes of blood.
- Ambulatory Phlebectomy (fluh-BEK-to-me). Your
doctor removes smaller varicose veins through a series of tiny
skin punctures. Local anesthesia is used in this outpatient procedure.
Scarring is generally minimal.
- Endoscopic Vein Surgery. You might need this
operation only in an advanced case involving leg ulcers. Your
surgeon uses a thin video camera inserted in your leg to visualize
and close veins. Only small incisions are needed.
When it comes to treatment options for varicose
veins, it pays to be a cautious health consumer. Advertisements
claiming "unique," "permanent" or "painless"
methods to remove varicose veins may be appealing, but they may
not actually measure up to those claims. Before undergoing any procedure,
ask your doctor about any health risks and possible side effects.
You may want to inquire about treatment costs, as
well. Most insurance policies don't cover the expense of elective
cosmetic surgery for varicose veins. However, in many cases, if
you have signs or symptoms such as swelling and bleeding, insurance
may cover the treatment.
Current treatments for varicose veins and spider
veins are highly successful. However, it's possible that varicose
veins can recur.
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