A lot of people see varicose veins but don’t do much about them. About 20 to 25 percent of women and 10 to 15 percent of men have them. They look like swollen, twisted veins that stick out just below the skin of the legs. Some people think of them as a cosmetic problem. Others have to deal with pain, heaviness, and tired legs that get worse as the day goes on.
The main problem is simple. Veins in the legs have tiny one-way valves that keep blood from going back to the heart. When those valves get weaker or don’t close properly, blood builds up in the vein, making it stretch and swell. A clinic like Metro Vein Centers focuses on finding out what’s wrong with these valves and offering treatments that fix the problem at its source. But it’s important to know why varicose veins happen before looking into treatment options.
What Causes Varicose Veins
Some people are more likely to get varicose veins because of many things. Most of the time, it’s not just one thing that causes it.
Aging and Genetics
One of the biggest causes is getting older. As you get older, the walls of your veins lose their elasticity and the valves wear down, which makes it harder for blood to flow in the right direction. Genetics is also very important. If your parents had varicose veins, your chances go up a lot because the structure of the vein walls is partly inherited from them.
Pregnancy and Hormonal Changes
Pregnancy causes the body to make more blood, which puts more pressure on the veins in the legs. Changes in hormones also relax the walls of veins, which makes them more likely to stretch. Sometimes, varicose veins that show up during pregnancy get better after the baby is born, but not always. Hormonal drugs, like birth control, can also increase the risk.
Lifestyle and Occupational Factors
If you work in retail, nursing, or teaching, you have to stand for long periods of time, which makes the veins in your legs work harder against gravity. Equally, it’s not better to sit at a desk all day. Being overweight also puts stress on the veins, and smoking over time hurts the walls of blood vessels.
How Varicose Veins Are Treated
Over the years, treatment has changed a lot. The choices we have today are much faster and better than the ones we had a generation ago.
Conservative and Lifestyle Management
For mild cases, doctors often suggest making small changes every day. Compression stockings put steady pressure on the legs, which helps blood flow better. Walking every day is a natural way to improve circulation. Lifting your legs for 15 to 20 minutes a day can help reduce swelling, and keeping your weight in check can help your veins. These steps can slow down the disease and make it less painful.
Minimally Invasive Treatments
If varicose veins keep causing problems, the next step is usually to try minimally invasive treatments. The most common choices are:
- Sclerotherapy is a treatment that involves injecting a solution into a vein to close it off and make it fade.
- Endovenous laser therapy uses a thin catheter to send controlled heat into the vein to seal it from the inside.
- Radiofrequency ablation is similar, but it uses radiofrequency energy to close the vein.
After any of these treatments, blood naturally flows through healthier veins that are nearby. They are done in a clinic and usually take less than an hour. Most patients can go back to their normal activities the same day.
When Varicose Veins Signal Something Deeper
A lot of people think that varicose veins are just ugly and don’t care about them. But sometimes they can mean that you have chronic venous insufficiency, which means that the veins in your legs have trouble getting blood back to your heart. The American Heart Association says that if venous insufficiency is not treated, it can cause swelling that gets worse, changes in the skin, and ulcers. Always put the most emphasis on early evaluation.
Keep an eye out for these warning signs:
- Swelling in the lower legs that doesn’t go away with rest
- Skin around the ankles that looks darker or feels thicker than normal
- A feeling of heaviness or tiredness in the legs that doesn’t go away
- Sores on the legs that take a long time to heal
If any of those sound familiar, you should see a vein specialist as soon as possible. They can use ultrasound to look under the skin and suggest the best way to deal with your problem.
