Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, and enlarged veins that you can see under the skin. They are often red or blue in color. They most often appear in the legs, but can occur in other parts of the body.
Varicosity
Normally, one-way valves in your leg veins keep blood moving up toward the heart. When the valves do not work properly, they allow blood to back up into the vein. The vein swells from the blood that collects there, which causes varicose veins.
Varicose veins are common, and affect more women than men. They do not cause problems for most people. However, if the flow of blood through veins becomes worse, problems such as leg swelling and pain, blood clots, and skin changes may be present.
Risk factors include:
Symptoms of varicose veins include:
If flow of blood through the veins becomes worse, symptoms may include:
Your provider may suggest that you take the following self-care steps to help manage varicose veins:
If only a small number of varicose veins are present, the following procedures may be used:
William Marston is a General Surgeon and a Vascular Surgeon in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Dr. Marston has been practicing medicine for over 34 years and is rated as an Elite doctor by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 25 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Venous Insufficiency, Varicose Veins, Peripheral Artery Disease, and Osteomyelitis. He is licensed to treat patients in North Carolina. Dr. Marston is currently accepting new patients.
Mark Whiteley is in Guildford, United Kingdom. Whiteley is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 4 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Varicose Veins, Pelvic Congestion Syndrome, Venous Insufficiency, and Telangiectasia.
Raffaele Serra is in Catanzaro, Italy. Serra is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 13 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Varicose Veins, Peripheral Artery Disease, Venous Insufficiency, and Gangrene.
Varicose veins tend to get worse over time. Taking self-care steps can help relieve achiness and pain, keep varicose veins from getting worse, and prevent more serious problems.
Call your provider if:
Published Date : June 16, 2020
Published By : Deepak Sudheendra, MD, RPVI, FSIR, Director of DVT & Complex Venous Disease Program, Assistant Professor of Interventional Radiology & Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, with an expertise in Vascular Interventional Radiology & Surgical Critical Care, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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Sadek M, Kabnick LS. Varicose veins: endovenous ablation and sclerotherapy. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 155.