•  Blood & Circulatory Disorders

Those bulging blue rivers and tiny red tributaries that course up and down your legs (and sometimes your arms) are blood vessels that have become swollen and twisted. (The word "varicose" is derived from the Greek for "grapelike.") Normally these veins, which are near the skin's surface, carry blood from your feet and hands back to your heart. Whenever you move your limbs, muscle contractions squeeze the veins and propel the blood upward toward your ticker; one-way valves in the veins prevent it from flowing back down.

But if you've inherited a tendency to develop varicose veins, your vein walls and valves may start to weaken as you age, a trend that allows blood to pool in the veins and causes them to balloon out against the skin. The problem is compounded if you sit or stand still for long periods, wear tight clothing, or carry a lot of excess weight, all of which can hamper circulation. In some people, these veins are merely unsightly. Others may suffer itching, cramping, or fatigue. Symptoms may worsen just before your period or while you're on birth-control pills or hormone-replacement therapy, since hormonal changes cause blood-vessel walls to relax.

More than half of all women and more than a quarter of all men will develop varicose veins as they age, particularly if their parents did. Almost all women get some during pregnancy, when increased blood volume and the weight of the growing fetus put pressure on leg veins and a surge in the hormone progesterone makes vessel walls more elastic. Fortunately, swollen veins usually go back to normal once the baby is born.

If the veins are small, you may be able to reduce or hide them. Taking a cool bath or putting cold compresses on your legs can temporarily shrink swollen veins. And you can make them less visible by wearing cover-up makeup on your legs or darkening your skin with sunless tanning lotion. Some herbal experts recommend taking horse-chestnut-seed extract or gotu kola to strengthen vein walls and reduce swelling, but there are no good studies to back them up. If you're really bothered by the symptoms, you can try wearing compression stockings. These thick elastic leggings, which you can buy at the drugstore, are tight at the ankles and grow gradually looser farther up the leg. They keep blood from pooling by squeezing your legs from below and providing support for surface veins.

If you're determined to get rid of your varicose veins for good, you can have them surgically removed in an outpatient procedure that requires only a local anesthetic. Another technique, called sclerotherapy, is less intrusive and is effective in treating small veins. The doctor injects a saline or detergent-like solution into each vessel, causing it to collapse and shrivel up, and rerouting the blood to other, healthier veins. Both treatments are relatively quick and painless, with minimal scarring. But if you're prone to varicose veins, they may show up again elsewhere, and neither procedure is cheap. The cost can run to several thousand dollars, although some insurance companies may cover either procedure if your doctor deems it medically necessary.

Exercise regularly to improve your circulation, tone your leg muscles, and keep your weight down. Change positions or shift your weight frequently if you must sit or stand for long periods, and don't cross your legs or wear tight clothes. If you're pregnant, sleep on your left side to keep the weight of the fetus off the major vein that runs down the right side of your back, and put your feet up every chance you get. (Keep a box or stool under your desk at work.)

They aren't pretty, but they're usually harmless. See your doctor, however, if you notice a tender, reddened area on the surface of a vein and experience leg pain, fever, or a rapid heartbeat. These could signal a blood clot. Also check with your doctor if your legs are significantly swollen, the skin near the veins has changed color, or there are sores on the veins that won't heal. These symptoms indicate a more serious circulation problem.

References

First published April 26, 1999
Last updated November 19, 2007
Copyright © 1999 Consumer Health Interactive and OneBody, Inc.

Or Find More On:

Back to top of page