Is This A Varicose Vein

You feel discomfort and pain and notice a blue rather large vein in your leg. The thought crosses your mind that there may be something wrong with your leg or more specifically the vein in your leg. There are several possibilities here: spider veins which are milder forms of varicose veins or a varicose vein that is just becoming engorged with backup blood that is creating the discomfort, or it could signal a much bigger problem with your circulatory system.

In the United States approximately 25% of women and 15% of men have varicose veins. These men and women may seek help for cosmetic reasons or for ease of discomfort. Some varicose veins could lead to serious circulatory malfunction that may end in loss of a limb or even death, so any vein that is uncomfortable should be assessed by a healthcare professional.

Varicose veins are caused by the pressure put on them, which can happen when you do a lot of standing or walking. Varicose veins can happen anywhere on the body but are most common in the lower body parts.

Those varicose veins that pose problems or are uncomfortable can be treated using self-help measure or through surgical procedures performed by a dermatologist or a surgeon to close or remove the affected vein.

How do you know if what you have is a varicose vein? Some may have them and are unaware of them due to their mild nature. When they do make their presence known it is usually because they are achy or have a heavy feeling about them, burn or throb. The person may also experience muscle cramping and swelling of the lower legs. When you are standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time you will notice these symptoms more. Another symptom is itching around a vein. You may also have a skin ulcer near the ankle part of your foot, which is a severe form of vascular disease and does require immediate attention by your healthcare professional.

Varicose veins in appearance are dark blue or purple and may look as if they are big and twisted and thick looking (bulging). They can appear anywhere on your legs but two common areas are your inside of the leg and the back of the calves.

Two common occurrences of varicose veins are during pregnancy when blood volume increases to support the fetus and especially during the last trimester when the abdomen is greatly enlarged putting more pressure on the lower extremities and also hemorrhoids, which can also occur during pregnancy, are also varicose veins. People who strain a lot due to constipation can get hemorrhoids (varicose veins around the anus).

Those at risk for varicose veins are those who stand for long periods of time like those who are cashiers at banks or grocery stores, those who are overweight, the elderly, women, especially during pregnancy and those who have a family history of varicose veins.

Should self-help measures not improve your varicose veins, it is important to seek the advice of your healthcare professional.

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