Varicose veins, also called varicose veins or varicose veins, are enlarged, twisted and painful superficial veins that are visible directly under the skin. They occur when the blood flow in the veins slows down due to a faulty valve. A valve is a one-way valve that prevents blood from flowing back. So, if it is weakened and less able to perform this function, the blood will accumulate and form a varicose vein. Enlarged veins, which appear either as varicose veins or spider veins, are not uncommon. The National Women’s Health Information Center has found that up to 60% of all American men and women suffer from venous disease. However, women are 50% more affected. In fact, 41% of women in their 50s have abnormal leg veins, which shows that enlarged veins are particularly common among the aging female population.
Varicose veins are often mistakenly considered an aesthetic problem. In fact, they are actually a disease, although those who do develop cosmetic manifestations and generally have little physical discomfort.
If you find that you have developed varicose veins, you should seek help for your condition instead of avoiding the problem. Don’t ignore your condition just because you can wear pants or long clothes to keep them out of sight.
How varicose veins develop
Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the lower body to the heart. When a person gets up, the muscles in their legs contract, which causes blood to pump from the lower body through the veins to the heart. When blood is transported to the heart, valves in the veins prevent blood from flowing. If errors occur in these valves, blood can seep into the vein and accumulate there. The result is venous insufficiency, a condition in which blood moves not only to the heart but also from the heart (reflux) to the foot. The accumulated blood then enlarges the vein and it becomes varicose.
Reflux veins are considered incompetent or have incompetent valves. Over time, the pressure in the veins increases and leads to swelling and varicose veins, although this has been happening for many years. This reflux of blood is also one of the causes of spider veins. Other reasons for the formation of spider veins are hormonal changes, hereditary factors and exposure to the sun.
Although the conditions for the development of varicose veins are largely unidentifiable, the causes include congenically defective valves, thrombophlebitis and pregnancy. A longer standing position and high abdominal pressure can also worsen the disease or increase sensitivity to its development.
Symptoms observed
The first symptom of varicose veins is swelling along the veins, subsequent muscle cramps and a feeling of fatigue behind the knees. Sometimes the direction of blood flow to the heart is reversed when the patient is in an upright position, which causes the problem of accumulation of venous blood in the lower leg. Soon, purple, pigmented skin forms, which leads to horribly painful conditions such as varicose veins or varicose ulcers.