about varicose veins
The function of veins is to bring blood back to the heart. Because the veins of the legs work against gravity, they contain one-way valves to prevent the blood from flowing backwards as it travels back to the heart. If the one-way valve becomes weak, some of the blood can leak back down the vein, causing the veins to become congested or clogged. This causes what is known as vein reflux, or venous reflux.
Venous reflux is a condition that develops when the valves that usually keep blood flowing out of your legs become damaged or diseased. When this occurs in the superficial veins, the congestion will cause the veins to abnormally enlarge, which in turn leads to either varicose veins and/or spider veins. When this happens over the long term, complications such as thrombophlebitis, deep vein thrombosis, chronic venous stasis disease and venous stasis ulcers, can occur.
What is a Varicose Vein?
Varicose veins are swollen bulging veins under the surface of the skin that can be dark purple or blue in color. Although varicose veins can occur anywhere in the legs, they most often occur in the calves and behind the knees. Varicose veins are often due to incompetent valves in the veins which allow the blood to pool and stretch-out the veins below.
While many varicose veins are asymptomatic, patients with bulging veins often complain that their legs feel heavy, or ache, and often their legs throb or feel more uncomfortable as the day goes on. Typically, these symptoms are worse at the end of the day and with prolonged standing. It is thought that these symptoms are due to a stretching of the veins as the blood abnormally pools in the leg vessels when the patient is standing.
>> For more information on normal vein function:
>> For more information about varicose veins:
American College of Phlebology