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Veins have one-way valves that channel blood back to the heart from the extremities. If the valves malfunction, blood flow becomes erratic, congesting the veins and creating either small, red, blue or purple veins on the surface of the skin known as spider veins, or large, deep, ropey and distended veins referred to as varicose veins.
Pain in the legs is frequently caused by these dysfunctional vessels. Symptoms are often made worse by prolonged standing and can include sensations of fatigue, heaviness, aching, burning, throbbing, itching, cramping, swelling and restlessness of the legs. Severe varicose veins can compromise the nutrition of the skin, leading to eczema, inflammation or even ulceration of the lower leg.
The primary predisposing factor for varicose veins is heredity. Other causes include aging, too much standing at work, obesity and leg injury. Significantly, women are more likely than men to suffer from varicose and/or spider veins and have a 50 percent chance of developing them in their lifetime. Hormonal factors include puberty, pregnancy, menopause, the use of birth control pills, estrogen and progesterone. The varicose veins that can result from the heightened hormone levels, blood volume and pressure from the enlarged uterus experienced during pregnancy generally dissipate within three months of delivery. However, abnormal veins become more entrenched with each successive pregnancy.
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For more information about treatments, appointments or seminars, please call
Emory HealthConnectionSM at 404-778-7777 or 1-800-75-EMORY (1-800-753-6679).
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