Varicose veins are swollen, twisted, and sometimes painful veins that have filled with an abnormal collection of blood.
In normal veins, valves in the vein keep blood moving forward toward the heart. With varicose veins, the valves do not function properly, allowing blood to stay in the vein. Blood that pools causes the vein to swell.
This process usually occurs in the veins of the legs, although it may occur in other parts of the body. Varicose veins are common, but they usually affect women.
Causes include:
Standing for a long time and having increased pressure in the abdomen may lead to varicose veins, or may make the condition worse.
The diagnosis is made based on the appearance of the leg veins when you are standing or sitting with your legs dangling.
The health care provider may order a duplex ultrasound exam of the extremity:
You will be asked to:
You may need surgery or other treatment for:
Vein stripping is surgery to remove varicose veins in the legs. It is usually only done in patients who are having a lot of pain or who have skin sores.
Less invasive treatments for varicose veins are:
Varicose veins tend to get worse over time. You can ease discomfort and slow varicose veins from getting worse by taking care of them.
Veins may become swollen or inflamed. This is called thrombophlebitis.
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if:
Varicosity; Varicosis
Freischlag JA, Heller JA. Venous disease. In: Townsend CM, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2012:chap 65.
Nijsten T, van den Bos RR, Goldman MP, et al. Minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of saphenous varicose veins. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009;60:110-119.
Updated by: Neil Grossman, MD, MetroWest Radiology Associates, Framingham, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M. Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc.
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