Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted, painful superficial veins resulting from poorly functioning valves. Varicose veins are common. They mostly affect women. Varicose veins are also called varicosity and varicosis.

Varicose Veins are often mistakenly believed to be a cosmetic problem. The fact is, Varicose Veins is very much a disease - one with cosmetic manifestations and often little pain, but a disease nonetheless. Endeavor to manage this disease instead of just shrugging it off saying "I wear saris/salwar kameezes/trousers all the time anyway. Who's going to see my legs?"

Enlarged veins, which appear as either varicose veins or spider veins, are quite common, especially among the aging female population. According to The National Women's Health Information Center, as many as 60% of all American women and men suffer from some form of vein disorder. Women, however, are more affected by 50%. 41% of women in their 50s, in fact, suffer from abnormal leg veins.

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that are visible just under the surface of the skin. They form when blood flow in the veins slows due to a weakened valve. A valve is a one-way flap that stops blood from flowing backwards. When this happens, blood collects, and a varicose vein develops.

Causes

Veins are blood vessels that normally carry blood from the foot and leg upwards, back to the heart. Blood will not normally travel downwards in the reverse direction as there are one way valves inside the veins that prevent this occurring. In some people faults can develop in these valves (we do not know why for most), and blood is permitted to travel not only towards the heart, but can also travel backwards (reflux) towards the foot, especially on standing. Veins that reflux are said to be incompetent or to have incompetent valves. Over time this leads to a higher pressure in the veins and they gradually become swollen and varicose, although this can take many years.

Causes include congenitally defective valves, thrombophlebitis, and pregnancy. Prolonged standing and increased pressure within the abdomen may increase susceptibility to the development of varicose veins or aggravate the condition.

The squeezing of leg muscles pumps blood back to the heart from the lower body. Veins have valves that act as one-way flaps. These valves prevent the blood from flowing backwards as it moves up the legs. If the one-way valves become weak, blood can leak back into the vein and collect there. This problem is called venous insufficiency. Pooled blood enlarges the vein and it becomes varicose. Spider veins can also be caused by the backup of blood. Hormone changes, inherited factors, and exposure to the sun can also cause spider veins.

Symptoms

The first sign of varicose veins is a swelling along the course of the veins. This may be followed by muscular cramps and a feeling of tiredness in the legs behind the knees. In some cases, the normal flow of blood towards the heart may be reversed when the patient is in an upright position. This results in veinous blood collecting in the lower part of the legs; the skin becomes purplish and pigmented, leading to what is known as varicose eczema or varicose ulcers. Both these conditions cause severe pain.