Varicose Veins – Facts, Causes and Treatments

The most common disease of the veins is varicosis, abnormally distended veins beneath the skin usually becoming more and more numerous, bulbous and tortuous as time goes on and eventually becoming apparent to the casual observer. 

It is thought that few people develop varicose veins during their lifetime who have not inherited a genetic predisposition to it. Blood flow back from the legs is against gravity and normally assured by valves permitting flow in one direction only. These extremely delicate structures can lose integrity by damage or stretching. Progressive stretching of veins leads to more valve incompetence and more and more sequestration and stagnation of blood in leg veins. In predisposed persons, stretching often begins in teenage years or maybe pregnancy but varicose veins may not manifest until much later in life and for no other good reason at all. 

Any vein can become varicose, but most commonly affected veins are those found in the legs and feet. This usually happen because standing and walking upright increases pressure in the veins of the lower body which causes malfunction of the veins and results in varicose veins.

The Causes Of Varicose Veins

Some factors that can be considered a cause of varicose veins, include heredity, hormonal abnormalities, long periods of standing or sitting, and pregnancy. Before a suitable treatment can be suggested, it is necessary to determine the cause of varicose veins.