VARICOSE
VEINS
Varicose veins are
veins that have become enlarged and twisted. The term commonly refers to the
veins on the leg, although varicose veins occur elsewhere. Veins have leaflet
valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards (retrograde). Leg muscles pump
the veins to return blood to the heart. When veins become enlarged, the leaflets
of the valves no longer meet properly, and the valves don't work. One cause
of valve failure is Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT), which can cause permanent damage
to the valves. The blood collects in the veins and they enlarge even more. Varicose
veins are common in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to
high pressure when standing.
Besides cosmetic problems, varicose veins are often painful, especially when
standing or walking. They often itch, and scratching them can cause ulcers.
Serious complications are rare. Non-surgical treatments include sclerotherapy,
elastic stockings, elevating the legs, and exercise. The traditional surgical
treatment has been vein stripping to remove the affected veins. Newer surgical
treatments are less invasive (see radiofrequency ablation) and are slowly replacing
traditional surgical treatments. Since most of the blood in the legs is returned
by the deep veins, and the superficial veins only return about 10%, they can
be removed or ablated without serious harm.Varicose veins are distinguished
from reticular veins (blue veins) and telangiectasias (spider veins) which also
involve valvular insufficiency, by the size and location of the veins.(1)
source
(1) wikipedia
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