You have heard of people who get varicose veins, but do you know what they are and where they come from? I bet you think that only the elderly develop the disease. It is not true. Young people, especially women, can also develop them. Read on to find out what they are and if you are at risk of catching them.
Varicose veins are simply large knotty or twisted veins. The most commonly affected veins are in the legs and feet. But every vein in your body can become varicose. Most of the time, it’s just an aesthetic problem, but sometimes they can cause painful pain, pressure, and more serious problems. They can also be a sign of other disorders of the circulatory system.
This disease affects approximately 25 percent of the female population and 15 percent of the male population. Signs and symptoms are often a feeling of pain or heaviness in the legs, accompanied by burning or throbbing. You may have muscle cramps and swelling in your lower legs. You may experience severe itching on one or more of your veins. If you develop skin ulcers in the ankle area, you should seek medical attention immediately, as this is a sign of serious vascular disease. You can see a varicose vein because it has a dark purple color and is chain-like and twisted. But what is causing this often embarrassing and painful situation?
The function of your veins is to bring blood back to your heart. To do this, however, the veins must act against gravity. The muscle contractions in your legs help pump blood to the heart.
As you age, you lose the elasticity of your veins, which reduces their ability to contract and pump blood to the heart. The result is a buildup of blood in your veins which leads to constipation or swelling.
The purple color is a result of the blood without oxygen in your veins. Pregnant women can also develop problematic veins due to the increased blood volume in the body during pregnancy. Blood flow to the lower half of the body is reduced as the circulatory system sends more blood to the uterus to support the growing fetus. The side effect of this can be long blue or purple road maps on your legs.
In addition to age and pregnancy, there are other risk factors for developing sore and throbbing legs. This includes sex. Women are at a higher risk of developing problematic veins than men because hormonal changes can relax the vein walls.
If this health problem occurs in the family, your chances of developing it increase. Being overweight puts extra pressure on your veins, making them varicose. Long experience will contribute to their development.