Treatment of Varicose
Veins and Venous Stasis Ulcers
Varicose veins affect up to 20% of men and 30%
of women at sometime in their lives. They appear as swollen or
twisted veins and are most commonly visible beneath the skin on
the legs.
For most people they are mainly a cosmetic problem. For others,
they can cause a variety of symptoms and medical complications.
 Blood
flow from the legs
Blood is pumped from the heart to the legs through arteries. Once
it has given up the oxygen and nutrients it was carrying, blood
returns towards the heart through the veins. To do this from the
legs, blood in the veins must flow upwards, against gravity. One-way
valves inside the veins prevent the blood from flowing backwards.
The muscles in the legs help this flow. Each time the calf and
thigh muscles contract when walking, veins deep inside the leg
are squeezed. The valves ensure the blood travels upwards.
Surface and deep veins
Blood from the outer layers of the leg collects into veins near
to the surface. These surface, or superficial, veins are connected
to the deeper veins inside the leg by "perforator" veins.
When blood does not flow properly from the surface veins to the
deep veins, pressure can build up in the surface veins. This results
in blood pooling and the visible sign of varicose veins.
 Causes
of varicose veins
The reason varicose veins develop
is not fully understood. Only humans seem to be affected by the
condition, suggesting it is related to our upright posture.
One of the basic problems is damage to the valves. This means
that blood can't travel up the veins as well as easily, and is
more likely to pool. It is possible that people inherit a tendency
to weak valves. Alternatively, the vein walls may become weak,
which causes bulging of the vein and so damage to the valves.
 There
is a greater risk of getting varicose veins during pregnancy, and
if you are very overweight. Many other factors have been blamed
for varicose veins, such as standing for long periods, crossing
the legs while sitting, smoking and poor diet. However, there isn't
strong scientific evidence to support these theories.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
The symptoms from varicose veins don't necessarily
match their size, and many people have no symptoms at all apart
from their unsightly cosmetic appearance.
Mild symptoms include:
- aching or discomfort in the legs
- itching of the skin of the legs
- swelling of the ankles
More severe symptoms are usually associated with the complications
of varicose veins. These include:
Thrombophlebitis
One or more veins close to the surface of the skin can become painful
and reddened, due to inflammation or blockage of the vein. This is
different to the more dangerous blockage of the deeper veins, known
as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which could require hospital treatment.
Bleeding
Swollen veins near to the surface can bleed dramatically if the leg
is cut or bumped. This bleeding can become a medical emergency if
it cannot be stopped. The person affected should be laid down, the
leg elevated (the feet raised above the hips) and pressure should
be applied over the bleeding point. Then seek medical help.
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