Varicose veins appear as swollen, twisted veins just under the surface of the skin, most often in the legs. A common condition, varicose veins occur more often in women than in men. Though usually they only cause concern based on the appearance of the legs, in some people varicose veins can cause pain and complications that warrant medical treatment.
Effects
The Merck Manual claims that varicose veins usually occur without symptoms. When they do cause discomfort, patients describe the sensation as a feeling of fullness, pressure or heaviness in the veins, accompanied by fatigue in the legs. Varicose veins can cause the legs to swell, resulting in shallow aching, throbbing or cramping pain. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute rates the pain of varicose veins as "mild to moderate."
Complications
Various complications of varicose veins can cause other painful conditions. Patients with varicose veins can develop extremely painful skin ulcers, especially near the ankles, according to the Mayo Clinic. In other cases, blood clots can form in varicose veins, causing localized pain at the site of the clot. Varicose veins run near the surface of the skin, so development of these clots is referred to as superficial thrombophlebitis.
Causes
Varicose veins develop when damaged valves in the veins allow blood to pool, rather than returning smoothly up the legs and back to the heart. The veins swell with the extra blood, further weakening the valves and compromising the elasticity of the walls of the veins. The veins might twist as they try to accommodate the swelling. All of these factors can contribute to the overall aching and uncomfortable pressure in the legs experienced by some with varicose veins.
Ulcers develop following prolonged exposure to the high pressure in the tissues surrounding swollen varicose veins. Fluid builds up in the tissues and eventually an ulcer forms. Blood clots occur when circulation is compromised in the swollen veins, allowing blood to stagnate and increasing the likelihood of inappropriate clotting.
Prevention
You can take measures to ease the pain of varicose veins, prevent them from worsening, and lower the likelihood of developing new ones. Swollen, achy legs benefit from rest with the feet elevated to relieve back-pressure on the leg veins. Wearing clothing that fits loosely at the waist and groin allows blood to flow freely out of the legs, reducing the potential for swelling.
Exercising regularly can help tone the leg muscles, improving circulation in the legs and relieving pain and swelling from varicose veins. Compression stockings, available over-the-counter or by prescription, uniformly squeeze the legs to prevent blood from pooling and relieve the swelling and aching.
Treatments
People who suffer pain or discomfort can seek medical intervention to seal off or remove the troublesome varicose veins. Laser treatments, sclerotherapy, endoscopic vein surgery or endovenous ablation therapy use various means to seal off varicose veins. Ambulatory phlebectomy or vein stripping surgically remove the varicose veins. Either type of therapy relieves the pain and swelling caused by varicose veins.
