A sign of a diminished or damaged circulation system, highly visible bulging veins, purple or blue veins, spider veins and skin discoloration are ugly and embarrassing. Unfortunately, they're also painful. Men and women live their lives covering their legs, hiding from the shame of how they look, desperate to find out if anything can be done to help.
Varicose veins are bulging visible veins on the surface of the legs which are caused by the failure of tiny valves inside the veins. When these valves fail, the blood pools and backs up in the legs under pressure. The pressure inside these veins causes numerous branches to blow up like a balloon. Veins bulge out and become visible as a result, and continue to enlarge each year, becoming progressively more unsightly until the vein condition is treated.
People develop a vein condition usually due to factors beyond their control. The most common causes are genetics and family history. In women, the presence of female hormones are designed to dilate blood vessels for pregnancy. These hormones will cause veins to enlarge, which can then cause the tiny valves inside to fail. Since hormones increase during pregnancy, women often see an increase of visible symptoms during this time. Another less common reason is trauma to the veins. Lastly, obesity can also promote vein conditions, however, vein problems are then caused by pressure on the veins from the weight of an obese abdomen instead of abnormal function of the veins.
In addition to leg veins that look disfigured or deformed, patients with vein conditions often develop additional symptoms such as fatigue, poor sleep, aching legs, restless legs, leg cramps, foot or leg numbness, tingling, burning stinging, coldness and swelling. These symptoms worsen at the end of the day and throughout the night, and improve by morning.
Home treatments can improve symptoms but do not help with the visible varicose or spider veins. Things like leg elevation, periodic walking, compression stockings and anti-inflammatory analgesics, and over-the-counter medications & creams may provide some relief, but do not reverse the condition or prevent the progression.