Mysterious Varicose Veins

What are Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are any veins that become gnarled and enlarged. Veins most commonly affect and having the greatest probability of becoming varicose are the veins located in the legs and feet. This is a direct result of gravity since standing and walking increase the pressure exuded on the veins in the lower body.

The majority of the populations troubled by varicose veins and spider veins, which are a milder variation of varicose veins, are mainly concerned with the appearance of these veins. However, some people suffer from aching pain and discomfort that is associated with varicose veins. Varicose veins can lead to more serious problems and also may serve as a signal that a person is at high risk for circulatory issues. Varicose veins treatments vary widely from self-care measures to procedures that close or remove troubling veins.

Symptoms
Varicose veins are dark purple or blue in colour and appear to be twisting, bulging, and knotting up within the legs and feet. Most people afflicted with varicose veins do not have painful symptoms, but a few people have had to deal with these symptoms as well. The painful symptoms include an achy, heavy feeling in the legs, burning, throbbing, muscle cramping and swelling in the lower legs, increasingly worse pain after sitting or standing for a long period of time, itching around one or more veins and skin ulcers near the ankle. Skin ulcers indicate a serious form of vascular disease that requires medical attention immediately.

Causes and Risk Factors
There are two main causes attributed to the onset of varicose veins. The first is one that no one can do anything about, age. As a person ages, they also increase their risk of developing varicose veins. This is due to the veins losing elasticity, which results in the veins stretching. This results in blood flowing backwards, and pooling in the veins, which causes the ugly varicose veins. The 2nd main cause is pregnancy. Pregnant women often get varicose veins because a pregnant woman has an increased volume of blood within the body, but reduced blood flow from the legs to pelvis.

In addition to the main causes of varicose veins, there are also risk factors, some of which can be avoided or reduced to minimize the likelihood of having varicose veins. These factors include age, sex (woman are more likely to have varicose veins), obesity, family history, and sitting or standing for long periods of time.