Whether you have been diagnosed with varicose veins or not, you’ve probably heard of them before, and you probably have an idea of what they look like. If you have or think you might have varicose veins, here is some information that we hope can help you decide whether or not you should seek treatment.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are characterized by weakened veins that are close to the surface of the skin. They tend to be stretched which is what causes them to be weaker than a normal vein. This occurs when blood pools within a vein due to damaged or malfunctioning valves within the veins themselves. When the blood pools, the vein is forced to expand, stretching and weakening the walls of the vein.

Varicose Veins Symptoms

There are both visible and non-visible symptoms of varicose veins. If you have varicose veins, you may notice your legs feeling achy and heavy after standing or restless when lying down. You also may notice that the skin over your veins is abnormal colored or shiny, and you may experience swollen, itchy, and painful ankles or feet. Injuries to varicose veins tend to bleed more than normal as well.

Diagnosing Varicose Veins

While varicose veins can usually be diagnosed by a simple physical examination, there are also a number of tests that may be done. The Trendelenburg Test requires you to raise your leg to the level of your heart allowing excess blood to leave your leg. Once you stand up, your doctor will watch your legs for varicose veins as they will become visible almost immediately as the blood rushes back to your legs. Another test uses a tourniquet to stop the blood flow to the leg and then uses the same procedure. In addition, ultrasound and venography are tests that may be used to determine what is causing your varicose veins.

Varicose Veins Treatment

Unfortunately, once varicose veins causes the walls of a vein to be weekend and stretched, they will never return on their own. Fortunately, most people are able to find relief without having to undergo any medical procedure. Lifestyle treatment can involve elevating the legs occasionally to reduce swelling and wearing compression stockings to improve circulation. For people who require medical treatment to relive symptoms from varicose veins, there are a number of minimally invasive procedures that can help. Endovenous laser ablation and endovenous radiofrequency ablation use a catheter to seal of the vein using a laser or radio energy. Sclerotherapy is the injection of a solution that irritates the inside of the vein, causing it to swell and stick together, and creating scar tissue and destroying the vein. For the most severe of varicose veins, surgical treatment may be required.