Many people whose job requires that they stand or run back and forth on a concrete floor know the discomfort of varicose veins. What exactly do these veins look like? They are veins in your legs that have become twisted and swollen. They can become unsightly and are usually painful. They are most always the result of tension imposed on leg veins by our vertical posture.

Few people realize that the heart is not strong enough to pump the blood up without help, so the pumping action of the leg muscles aids in this process. If the valves of the perforating veins do not function properly, some blood may get pumped the wrong way, back into the superficial veins. They react to the increased pressure by enlarging and twisting. Varicose veins can be seen easily because they lie just under the skin.

In the legs the blood must flow against the force of gravity so it travels upward through the veins. The legs have no heart to push the blood upward along its way. The valves inside the leg have a much more delicate pumping system. Compression occurs in the valves below causing it to close, which causes the valve above to open allowing the blood to travel upward.

Types of veins:

* Deep veins — located in the center of the leg, near the bone and have much support from the muscles and bones.

* Superficial veins — located just beneath the skin and have less support from the muscles and bones. When they develop an area of weakness in the wall the result is a varicose vein.

* Perforator veins — serve as the middleman to connect between superficial and deep leg veins.

Symptoms of varicose veins:

* A prominent bluish swollen vein in your leg. The usual site is at the back of the calf or the inside of the leg between your ankle and groin.

* The vein becomes tender to touch.

* Your whole leg aches and your feet become swollen after a short period of standing or sitting with your legs down. Women find that these symptoms may heighten before and during menstruation.

* Some people have a brown tarnishing of the skin near the ankles.

Treatment:
Try to keep off of your legs as much as possible. When you get a chance to sit down, elevate your legs and do not cross them. Seek help from your physician who will probably recommend an ultrasound to confirm a circulatory problem. If so, you will need to wear support stockings and put them on before you get out of the bed. If your varicose veins are seriously damaged your physician will recommend surgery. During the surgery, the affected veins are stripped from your legs, and since a large section of vein can be separated through a small incision, it does not leave a noticeable scar.

Varicose veins can also be treated through injection therapy known as sclerotherapy. A liquid is injected into the leg to irritate the inside of the wall of the vein. This either causes the vein walls to stick to one another or develop a small blood clot inside the vein. As a result of this procedure the vein is unable to transport blood, causing the body to dissolve the vein. After several treatments, the diseased vein will vanish. The healthy veins left will now take over and carry the blood that the dissolved vein was carrying.

Spider Veins:
Often referred to as broken capillaries, these unsightly veins can occur when the smaller veins of the legs are enlarged. Spider veins can occur not only on the legs but also on the face and other areas of the body. Usually they are passed on through heredity but can occur from injury. The fact that you have spider veins could be a warning that you have a more serious problem. Spider veins can be treated by injection of a solution into the vein causing it to shrink and eventually disappear.

If your job requires that you sit or stand for long periods of time the blood can accumulate in the veins causing little upward flow. The walls of the veins have to stretch to supply the increasing volume of blood. If you do not get much exercise, have a history of hereditary veins or have ill health, the walls may become so stretched that the valves cannot perform properly. When you have a varicose vein the blood is in fact flowing in the wrong direction, downward toward the floor instead of upward.

If you have enough varicose veins in your leg to cause concern make sure you have your physician check them out. By getting early treatment and changing to a healthy diet you can prevent varicose veins from developing into a much more serious problem such as heart disease in later years. Follow your doctor’s orders and elevate your legs as much as possible.

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