One in four people are affected by varicose veins at some point in their life

Veins move the blood from the feet to the heart, against gravity.  Blood is carried by the deep veins inside the muscles and the superficial veins just under the skin.  The blood moves upwards during walking, as the muscles act as a pump.  The columns of blood are supported by valves in the veins to ensure that the blood travels upwards.  Veins become varicosed when these valves fail and the increased pressure within the veins can lead to tortuosity.

What are the symptoms?

Many varicose veins have no symptoms, but clients dislike them and think they are unsightly.  Some people experience symptoms and these can include leg swelling, aching pain, a feeling of heaviness in the legs and feet, burning, throbbing, itching and night time leg cramps.  Some people do experience pain in their veins but as there are many causes of painful legs, other diagnoses must also be considered.  Patients can find themselves seeing multiple specialists before concluding that veins are the culprit.

If left untreated, varicose veins can result in changes to the skin of the shin area (gaiter region) which include brown pigmentation (hemosiderin deposition) and lipodermatosclerosis (skin inflammation) and eventually ulcer formation.

Who is at risk?

Varicose veins are very common but risk factors include family history, as there is a strong genetic element, older age, sedentary lifestyle and obesity.  A history of deep vein thrombosis may complicate treatment option if there is damage to the valves in your deep veins.  The doctors will ask about your family history and whether anyone has a blood clotting disorder that would pre-dispose to clot formation.