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Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged
veins. The word varicose comes from
the Latin root varix, which means
"twisted." Any vein may become
varicose, but the veins most commonly
affected are those in your legs and
feet. That's because you stand and
walk upright, which increases the
pressure in the veins in your lower
body.
For many people, varicose veins and
spider veins — a common, mild and
medically insignificant variation of
varicose veins — are simply a
cosmetic concern. For other people,
varicose veins can cause aching pain
and discomfort. Sometimes the
condition leads to more serious
problems. Varicose veins may also
signal a higher risk of other
disorders of the circulatory system.
Varicose veins are a common condition
in the United States, affecting up to
60 percent of all Americans. Women,
especially older women, are more
likely than men are to have this
problem. Treatment may involve
self-help measures, or procedures by
your doctor to close or remove veins.
Signs and
symptoms of
varicose veins
may include:
-
An achy or
heavy
feeling in
your legs,
and burning,
throbbing,
muscle
cramping and
swelling in
your lower
legs.
Prolonged
sitting or
standing
tends to
make your
legs feel
worse.
-
Itching
around one
or more of
your veins.
-
Skin ulcers
near your
ankle, which
represent a
severe form
of vascular
disease and
require
immediate
attention.
Varicose veins
are dark purple
or blue in color
and may appear
twisted and
bulging — like
cords. They
commonly appear
on the backs of
the calves or on
the inside of the
legs. But, they
can form anywhere
on your legs,
from your groin
to your ankle.
Spider veins are
similar to
varicose veins,
but they're
smaller. Spider
veins are found
closer to the
skin's surface
and are often red
or blue. They
occur on the
legs, but can
also be found on
the face. Spider
veins vary in
size and often
look like a
spider's web or a
tree branch.
Other types of
varicose veins
include:
-
Venous
lakes.
These are
pools of
blood in the
veins, often
found on the
face and
neck.
-
Reticular
veins.
These flat,
blue veins
under the
skin often
appear
behind the
knee.
-
Telangiectases.
These are
fine
clusters of
blood
vessels
similar to
spider
veins,
reddish in
color and
often found
on the face
or upper
body.
Occasionally,
veins deep within
the legs become
enlarged. In such
cases, the
affected leg may
swell
considerably. Any
sudden leg
swelling that may
or may not be
accompanied by
pain and redness
warrants urgent
medical
attention, as it
may indicate a
blood clot — a
condition known
medically as
thrombophlebitis.
If your varicose veins don't
respond to self-help or if they're
more severe, your doctor may advise
one of these treatments:
-
Sclerotherapy. In this
procedure, your doctor injects
small- and medium-sized varicose
veins with a solution that scars
those veins. The process closes
the veins, forcing your blood to
reroute to healthier veins. In a
few weeks, treated varicose
veins should fade. Although the
same vein may need to be
injected more than once,
sclerotherapy is effective if
done correctly. In addition, a
new and improved type of
sclerotherapy, called
microsclerotherapy, uses
improved solutions and injection
techniques that increase the
success rate for removal of
spider veins. Sclerotherapy
doesn't require anesthesia and
can be done in your doctor's
office.
-
Laser surgeries.
Doctors are using laser
procedures more commonly to
close off smaller varicose veins
and spider veins, especially on
the upper body and the face. In
the past, varicose veins in the
legs didn't respond consistently
to laser treatments, and some
doctors doubted whether laser
surgery actually worked. Now,
however, new technology in laser
treatments can effectively treat
varicose veins in the legs.
Laser surgery works by sending
strong bursts of light onto the
vein, which makes the vein
slowly fade and disappear. No
incisions or needles are used.
-
Catheter-assisted procedures.
In one of these treatments, your
doctor inserts a thin tube
(catheter) into an enlarged vein
and heats the tip of the
catheter. As the catheter is
pulled out, the heat destroys
the vein by causing it to
collapse and seal shut. This
procedure is usually done for
larger varicose veins. Other
catheter-assisted methods use a
blade to destroy varicose veins
or radio waves to close them.
-
Vein stripping. This
procedure involves removing a
long vein through small
incisions. This is an outpatient
procedure for most people.
Removing the vein won't affect
circulation in your leg because
veins deeper in the leg take
care of the larger volumes of
blood.
-
Ambulatory phlebectomy
(fluh-BEK-to-me).
Your doctor removes smaller
varicose veins through a series
of tiny skin punctures. Local
anesthesia is used in this
outpatient procedure. Scarring
is generally minimal.
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