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Information on Varicose Veins

Article Summary: Some people have weak venous valves, in these cases gravity forces large quantities of blood back down into distal parts of the vein. This pressure overloads the vein and pushes its wall outward. After repeated overloading, the walls lose their elasticity and become stretched and slack

Some people have weak venous valves, in these cases gravity forces large quantities of blood back down into distal parts of the vein. This pressure overloads the vein and pushes its wall outward. After repeated overloading, the walls lose their elasticity and become stretched and slack. Such enlarged and convoluted veins, caused by incompetent valves, are called as varicose veins.

Varicose veins are enlarged veins that are swollen and raised above the surface of the skin. They can be dark purple or blue, and look twisted and bulging. Varicose veins are commonly found on the backs of the calves or on the inside of the leg. They develop when valves in the veins that allow blood to flow toward the heart stop working properly. As a result, blood pools in the veins and causes them to get larger.

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins. The word "varicose" comes from the Latin root "varix," which means "twisted." Any vein may become varicose, but the veins most commonly affected are those in your legs and feet. That's because standing and walking upright increases the pressure in the veins in your lower body.

If you’re suffering with varicose veins, spider veins or any other venous disorder, you know how these problems can hurt – physically and emotionally. So you’ll be glad to know that modern technology makes it easier than ever to resolve them.

Veins are blood vessels that return deoxygenated blood from the outer parts of the body back to the heart and lungs. When veins become abnormally thick, full of twists and turns, or enlarged, they are called varicose veins. Generally, the veins in the legs and thighs have a tendency to become varicosed.

Approximately 25 percent of women and 15 percent of men in the United States have varicose veins. The condition is usually the result of problems with valves within the veins of the leg. When one or more of the valves fails to close properly, the veins conduct blood back into the leg instead of up to the heart. As blood accumulates, abnormal pressures dilate the superficial vein system, causing the veins to bulge and become visible.

In normal veins, valves in the vein keep blood moving forward toward the heart. With varicose veins, the valves do not function properly, allowing blood to remain in the vein. Pooling of blood in a vein causes it to enlarge. This process usually occurs in the veins of the legs, although it may occur elsewhere. Varicose veins are common, affecting mostly women.

Veins can become buldge with pools of blood when they fail to circulate the blood properly. These visible and bulging veins, called varicose veins, are often associated with symptoms such as tired, heavy, or aching limbs. In severe cases, varicose veins can rupture, or open sores (called "ulcers") can form on the skin. Varicose veins are most common in the legs and thighs.

When you are in the upright position, the blood in your leg veins must work against gravity to return to your heart. To accomplish this, your leg muscles squeeze the deep veins of your legs and feet. One-way flaps, called valves, in your veins keep blood flowing in the right direction. When your leg muscles contract, the valves inside your veins open. When your legs relax, the valves close. This prevents blood from flowing in reverse, back down the legs. The entire process of sending blood back to the heart is called the venous pump.

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Peter Hutch
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