Varicose veins are a medical condition that is more liable to affect women than men. It’s a common medical condition, affecting up to 3 out of 10 adults. Varicose veins are mostly developed in the lower parts of the body such as legs, feet or particularly calves. Mostly they aren’t threatening but in some cases, varicose veins can lead to severe health conditions and can require medical attention. Read our latest blog to know more and you can connect with Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital for the best medical assistance and 24/7 emergency care.

What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are twisted enlarged veins due to swelling that just appears under the skin, it causes blue or dark purple bulges. Any vein in the body can turn into a varicose vein but it is more common in the legs.

What are the Causes of Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins occur when the walls of veins get weakened and the pressure of the blood flow in them increases. It happens to the veins that are very close to the skin also known as superficial veins, these are the veins that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart and the blood passes through a network of one-way valves, in varicose veins these valves get damaged and do not work properly causing blood to clot in the veins. Instead of passing through a network of valves, blood gets pooled in the veins and the pressure builds up causing veins to swell out and twist. Superficial veins have less support for the muscles in comparison to veins that are deep inside the body. Weakness of walls and valves of the veins can happen due to several reasons such as normal aging, sitting or standing for prolonged periods, hormones and overweight etcetera.

What are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins?

There are various recognizable symptoms of Varicose Veins and one can easily spot them.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins include:

Itchiness: Veins that are turning into varicose due to damaged valves can cause itching or burning sensation around them.

Swelling: Varicose veins can cause swelling in the legs, feet or ankles.

Skin Discolouration and Sores: One can spot discolouration of the skin or some changes in the skin colour around varicose veins and some sores can also occur due to it.

Aching Pain: One can experience aching pain after standing or sitting for a long time and can get muscle cramps because of varicose veins and feel heaviness in the legs.

Bulge-out Veins: The most common symptom of varicose veins is the bulging of veins and getting twisted because of the blood pressure in them. Varicose veins turn blue or purple and can easily be spotted.

Risk Factors of Varicose Veins

It’s very common in adults and affects almost 30 to 50% of the adult population. Several factors can cause varicose veins. Factors such as:

Family History: It can pass through generations and one can inherit this medical condition if it runs in the family.

Hormonal Changes: During pregnancy and menopause, women change hormonal levels which can allow walls of the vein to stretch and cause varicose veins.

Aging: During the aging process, veins lose their elasticity and become stiff and because of this valves don't work efficiently, leading to varicose veins.

Sedentary Lifestyle: Too much sitting or standing reduces the circulation of blood and can put you at high risk of getting varicose veins.

Excess Weight: Excess weight can also increase the risk of getting varicose veins by putting extra pressure on superficial veins.

Prevention and Treatments

There are several measures, which one can adopt to prevent and treat varicose veins. For prevention, people can do a lot of things like maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle, taking after a prolonged period of sitting or standing or doing some exercises to increase the blood flow in the veins which will help in reducing the possibility of getting varicose veins.

Treatments

Treatments for varicose veins mostly include self-care measures because medical attention may not be needed for varicose veins if it is not that severe. However, one should always get medical treatment if it worsens.

Treatment methods include:

1. Lifting of the legs: Lifting the legs above the waist can help improve blood flow to your heart and can reduce the chances of valve failure in veins.

2. Massage: A gentle massage to the affected region can also improve the condition of varicose veins and reduce swelling.

3. Compression socks or stockings: Using compression socks or stockings helps in pushing blood to the upper body, they gently squeeze your legs, preventing blood clotting or blood pooling in your legs.

4. Sclerotherapy: In this method, a saline solution is injected into the varicose veins by a medical professional to stop them from carrying blood.

5. Laser Therapy: Laser energy is used to destroy the affected veins, this method is also known as ablation.

6. Regular Exercise: Exercising regularly can also play a pivotal role in curing varicose veins. Exercising helps in blood circulation, which prevents blood from pooling.

Conclusion

Varicose veins often considered as a minimal issue can affect one’s life if left untreated. Over time veins tend to lose their effectiveness and can be affected by increased blood pressure in them due to some factors causing varicose veins. Understanding these risk factors, one can intervene early and take early steps to prevent themselves from varicose veins. Contact Neotia Getwel Multispecialty Hospital, which provides 24x7 medical assistance and emergency services for the treatment of varicose veins.

Disclaimer

Though all attempts are made to provide correct information on the subject, inadvertent & typographical errors arising out of manual intervention cannot be ruled out. It is requested to bring any such discrepancies to the notice of the blogger for correction.