{"id":390,"date":"2016-07-01T01:37:37","date_gmt":"2016-07-01T01:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/118.127.41.118\/~special2\/?page_id=390"},"modified":"2021-06-07T10:57:56","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T00:57:56","slug":"varicose-veins","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/specialistveincare.com.au\/varicose-veins\/","title":{"rendered":"Varicose Veins"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are Varicose Veins?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted, and raised veins seen in the lower leg, which are usually blue and purple in colour, and can be seen through the superficial layer of the skin. Varicose veins are slightly more common in women than in men and develop as people age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the main causes of varicose veins?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Varicose veins are caused by faulty valves in a vein\/s<\/a>, which break down creating inefficient movement of blood through the legs. This can cause many symptoms such as discomfort, pain, restless legs and leg swelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For mostly unknown reasons, the valves in the veins that are meant to stop blood flowing back down the vein once muscle contractions have \u201cpumped\u201d it up, lose their function. Blood initially passes up the vein against gravity, but then falls down and therefore accumulates. This puts more pressure on the thin vein wall and the veins stretch, ballooning with the extra volume of blood. As a result, the valves below the faulty valve cannot close properly and more blood backflows further down the leg. This is known as \u201crefluxing\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With continued high pressure within the veins, they inevitably enlarge. Depending whether the diseased veins develop near the surface or deeper they may or may not be visible at the skin surface. People can have quite severe venous disease without any clear evidence visually. Many patients have parents who were also affected, so heredity is likely a factor, but with the condition being so common, it is difficult to draw individual conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who is at risk of developing varicose veins?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n