Varicose Veins I used to laugh at my mother when she complained about her troublesome leg veins. Now that I've got them, they don't seem so funny.
As you now know from personal experience, varicose veins are not a humorous condition. Veins become twisted and swollen as a result of faulty valves in the veins of the legs. When the valves are faulty, they do not close properly causing blood returning to the heart to pool in the extremities.
Some people develop faulty valves in the groin which give rise to the typical long knobbly veins along the leg. Others have a problem with the valves in the perforating veins which cause problems for the ankle.
When I stand up I can see the swollen veins on the calf of my leg but my mother's are much worse and her skin has gone a funny colour.
Varicose veins tend to be annoying and unsightly rather than disabling. They appear as prominent bluish veins either at the back of the calf or inside the leg from the groin to the ankle.
At first they tend not to be too painful but as the veins get larger they can become tender to the touch and the skin around them can be itchy. With severe varicose veins the whole leg can ache and the skin, particularly around the ankle, can become discoloured. This is known as varicose eczema.
What can I do to stop them getting worse?
You can try to rest your legs as much as possible and avoid long periods of standing or sitting. If you are sitting down, try to elevate your legs. Using support tights will help. If the skin becomes itchy, don't scratch it. If you do develop eczema or an ulcer, you really need to go to see your doctor.
Vein surgery may be recommended. The faulty veins are tied off or stripped away and it is now possible to do this procedure with minimal scarring.
A minority of patients who have had surgery find the veins come back, usually in a different location. However, most who opt for surgery report good results.