Varicose Veins
Information, Causes, and Symptoms
What are Varicose Veins?
Normal veins are blood vessels that return deoxygenated blood cells for the outer parts of the body back to the main organs such as lung and the heart.
Varicose veins are when a vein becomes thick and full of twists. Legs and thighs are where varicose veins occur the most.
They can form anywhere in the body.
Veins on the leg are known as deep or superficial.
Causes For Varicose
There are many theories for why varicosities occur in veins, but the general conclusion is that the valves in veins are the cause.
Valves prevent the flow of blood going backward through the vein. The vein’s function is to move blood moving toward the heart.
Some experts believe that inherited problems can cause people to have few valves or the valves not to function properly.
People can be born with complications in the vein wall. The abnormality will result in valves to separate and become leaky.
So, when a person with a badly functioning valves stands up the blood flow reverses and flows down to the superficial veins. When actually it should be flowing to the heart.
Factors the can cause varicose veins:
- Prolonged standing.
- Overweight or distended stomach.
- Pregnancy is associated with a higher content of blood volume thus pressing a chance to have varicose veins.
- Straining: Basically any person who is straining for prolonged periods causes an increase in the blood flow to the leg veins which may result in varicose veins.
- Any surgery or trauma to the leg: any operation that interrupts the normal blood flow.
- The older you are will also increase your chances of getting varicose veins.
Symptoms
Varicose veins are usually easy to see and can be a cosmetic annoyance for people.
Symptoms as follows:
- Legs often feel heavy, ache, and feel itchy.
- Veins bulge or stick out from under the skin and feel slightly ropey.
- May have severe pain upon standing or even get cramps in legs at night.
- Symptoms can intensify after a long day of standing at work or an event.
There are some cases where people have no symptoms at all.
Varicose veins are mainly a cosmetic problem.
Varicose veins can develop thrombophlebitis, which is a blood clot that works in conjunction with inflammation of a vein.
Blood clots in superficial veins are easy to detect but are normally harmless.
A person may feel an area of pain and tenderness along with redness and swelling.
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