The appearances of varicose veins leave many people feeling depressed and frustrated. It is natural to wonder why these bulging veins have shown up on your body, but the answer is not always the same for every patient. To find out more about why varicose veins happen, it is important that you first understand how the veins work within the body.
The Veins and Their Valves
Your veins are responsible for sending blood back to the heart after it has moved through the body. The vein valves are one-way valves that are there to make sure that the blood flows in the right direction. The valves have tho small flaps known as cusps.
The cusps are pushed open when blood flows through them on its pathway to the heart. If blood were to start moving backwards, the cusps should come together to stop the flow from moving in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, the valves sometimes stop functioning properly, and this is where varicose veins begin.
Why Varicose Veins Occur
Varicose veins typically occur when there is some type of problem with the valves. While the particular cause of varicose veins may be different from one person to the next, the issue can almost always be traced to the valves. When the valves fail to function or function improperly, the blood can start moving backwards.
With this backwards movement, the blood will begin to pool in the veins. The result of this collection of blood is a stretching of the veins. Since the veins are not meant to withstand this amount of blood at one time, this stretching will often be painful. As the veins stretch with the collected blood, they will bow outwards, even pushing the skin of the legs outwards in some cases.
Varicose veins look like knotted or twisted ropes and are usually a purplish or dark blue shade. Not only are these veins very unattractive, they can cause a number of problems. In addition to the pain, varicose veins can cause cramps, itching, and even ulcers.
We offer several safe and effective solutions for varicose veins. Call us for an appointment to discuss varicose vein treatments anytime!