Varicose VeinsSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Varicose Veins
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 over time.
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 poor enough, problems such as leg swelling and pain, blood clots, and skin changes may be present.
Risk factors include:
- Older age
- Being female (hormonal changes from puberty, pregnancy, and menopause can lead to varicose veins, and taking birth control pills or hormone replacement can increase your risk)
- Being born with defective valves in the veins
- Obesity
- Pregnancy
- History of blood clots in your legs
- Standing or sitting for long periods of time
- Family history of varicose veins
Symptoms of varicose veins include:
- Fullness, heaviness, aching, and sometimes pain in the legs
- Visible, swollen veins
- Very small veins that you can see on the surface of the skin, called spider veins.
- Thigh or calf cramps (often at night)
- Mild swelling of feet or ankles
- Itching near the varicose veins
- Restless leg symptoms
If flow of blood through the veins becomes poor enough, symptoms may include:
- Leg swelling
- Leg or calf pain after sitting or standing for long periods
- Skin color changes of the legs or ankles
- Dry, irritated, scaly skin that can crack easily
- Skin sores (ulcers) that do not heal easily
- Thickening and hardening of the skin in the legs and ankles (this can happen over time)
Your provider may suggest that you take the following self-care steps to help manage varicose veins:
- Wear compression stockings to decrease swelling. These stockings gently squeeze your legs to move blood up toward your heart.
- DO NOT sit or stand for long periods. Even moving your legs slightly helps keep the blood flowing.
- Raise your legs above your heart 3 or 4 times a day for 15 minutes at a time.
- Care for wounds if you have any open sores or infections. Your provider can show you how.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Get more exercise. This can help you keep off weight and help move blood up your legs. Walking or swimming are good options.
- If you have dry or cracked skin on your legs, moisturizing may help. However, some skin care treatments can make the problem worse. Talk to your provider before using any lotions, creams, or antibiotic ointments. Your provider can recommend lotions that can help.
If only a small number of varicose veins are present, the following procedures may be used:
- Sclerotherapy. Salt water or a chemical solution is injected into the vein. The vein hardens and disappears.
- Phlebectomy. Small surgical cuts are made in the leg near the damaged vein. The vein is removed through one of the cuts.
- If the varicose veins are larger, longer, or more widespread on the leg, your provider will suggest a procedure using such a laser or radiofrequency, which can be done in the provider's office or clinic.
UPMC Heart And Vascular Institute (Vascular Surgery)
Dr. Eric Hager earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, then completed a residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. He completed a vascular surgery fellowship at UPMC and joined the division of Vascular Surgery in 2012. Dr. Hager is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 15 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Varicose Veins, Arterial Insufficiency, Venous Insufficiency, Stent Placement, and Thrombectomy. Dr. Hager is board certified in American Board Of Surgery and American Board Of Surgery. Dr. Hager is currently accepting new patients.
Northwell Health Physician Partners Vascular Surgery And Vein Care At Huntington
An internationally recognized vascular surgeon and vein specialist, Antonios P. Gasparis, MD, FACS serves as System Chief for Ambulatory Vascular and Vein Program at Northwell Health. Dr. Gasparis completed his residency in General Surgery at SUNY Syracuse, followed by a fellowship in Vascular Surgery at SUNY Stony Brook. He was on the faculty at Stony Brook from 2003-2023 and Professor of Surgery. During his tenure, he held multiple administrative positions and developed an internationally recognized venous program. Dr. Gasparis has been on the Board of several national organizations and is the Past-President of the American Venous Forum, the premier national society on venous disease. He is a true educator, running multiple educational programs in venous disease. He is a researcher and innovative surgeon who cares deeply for his patients and their families. Dr. Gasparis is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 16 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Varicose Veins, Venous Insufficiency, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Angioplasty, and Thrombectomy. Dr. Gasparis is board certified in American Board Of Surgery/General-Vascular Surgery.
Bristol Surgical
"Sidney Collins, MD, FACS, has a simple philosophy when it comes to treating patients, ""Faith, hope and love,"" he says. ""Everyone has a story to tell. If you listen closely and read between the lines, you can uncover it."" A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Collins spent 20 years in the United States Army before moving to the Appalachian Highlands to complete his general surgery residency. When he’s not treating patients, Dr. Collins enjoys spending time with his kids. “Whatever they like to do is always fun for me.”". Dr. Collins is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Varicose Veins. He is also highly rated in 8 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Varicose Veins, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA), Familial Colorectal Cancer, Hernia Surgery, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Collins is board certified in American Board Of Surgery.
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.
Contact your provider if:
- Varicose veins are painful.
- They get worse or do not improve with self-care, such as by wearing compression stockings or avoiding standing or sitting for too long.
- You have a sudden increase in pain or swelling, fever, redness of the leg, or leg sores.
- You develop leg sores that do not heal.
Summary: Patients with cirrhosis are frequently hospitalized due to an acute decompensation of their liver disease including bleeding, jaundice, encephalopathy, and volume overload. Volume overload is associated with increased mortality from acute hypoxic respiratory failure, hemorrhage from esophageal varices, and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. Clinical practice guidelines describe sodium restriction ...
Summary: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is a key therapeutic intervention for complications of portal hypertension. However, the risk of post-procedural hepatic encephalopathy (HE) limits its broader clinical application. In the management of gastroesophageal variceal bleeding, the primary goal of TIPS is to reduce the portosystemic pressure gradient (PPG) to less than 12 mmHg (16 cmH...
Published Date: May 10, 2024
Published By: Neil Grossman, MD, Saint Vincent Radiological Associates, Framingham, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Iafrati MD. Varicose veins: surgical treatment. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 154.
Pascarella L, Marston W. Venous disease. In: Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 21st ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022:chap 65.
Sadek M, Kabnick LS. Varicose veins: endovenous ablation and sclerotherapy. In: Sidawy AN, Perler BA, eds. Rutherford's Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 155.