Varicose veins

Often there is no specific cause. Risk factors include obesity, not enough exercise, leg trauma, and a family history of the condition. They also occur more commonly in pregnancy. Occasionally they result from chronic venous insufficiency. The underlying mechanism involves weak or damaged valves in the veins. Diagnosis is typically by examination and may be supported by ultrasound. In contrast spider veins involve the capillaries and are smaller.

Treatment may involve life-style changes or medical procedures with the goal of improving symptoms and appearance. Life-style changes may include compression stockings, exercise, elevating the legs, and weight loss. Medical procedures include sclerotherapy, laser surgery, and vein stripping. Following treatment there is often reoccurrence. Varicose veins are very common, affecting about 30% of people at some point in time.They become more common with age. Women are affected about twice as often as men. Signs and symptoms Aching, heavy legs. Appearance of spider veins (telangiectasia) in the affected leg. Ankle swelling, especially in the evening. A brownish-yellow shiny skin discoloration near the affected veins. Redness, dryness, and itchiness of areas of skin, termed stasis dermatitis or venous eczema, because of waste products building up in the leg. Cramps may develop especially when making a sudden move as standing up. Minor injuries to the area may bleed more than normal or take a long time to heal. In some people the skin above the ankle may shrink (lipodermatosclerosis) because the fat underneath the skin becomes hard. Restless legs syndrome appears to be a common overlapping clinical syndrome in people with varicose veins and other chronic venous insufficiency. Whitened, irregular scar-like patches can appear at the ankles. This is known as atrophie blanche. Complications Most varicose veins are reasonably benign, but severe varicosities can lead to major complications, due to the poor circulation through the affected limb. Pain, tenderness, heaviness, inability to walk or stand for long hours, thus hindering work Skin conditions / dermatitis which could predispose skin loss Skin ulcers especially near the ankle, usually referred to as venous ulcers. Development of carcinoma or sarcoma in longstanding venous ulcers. Over 100 reported cases of malignant transformation have been reported at a rate reported as 0.4% to 1%. Severe bleeding from minor trauma, of particular concern in the elderly. Blood clotting within affected veins, termed superficial thrombophlebitis. These are frequently isolated to the superficial veins, but can extend into deep veins, becoming a more serious problem. Acute fat necrosis can occur, especially at the ankle of overweight people with varicose veins. Females have a higher tendency of being affected than males.