You’ve been told you have varicose veins. You knew the veins in your legs were seeming to stand out more now than they did before, but you didn’t realize that your legs were in this bad of shape. What is happening and why? Varicose veins are somewhat common, especially in older women, though they can occur in many people and at all ages. It’s important to understand why they occur and what causes them so that you can take steps to potentially reduce the risk of developing them or developing the risk factors that they can create.

Why Do Varicose Veins Develop?

Varicose veins occur when there is a weak or damaged valve in your vein. Consider how the process of blood flow works. Once your arteries send blood that’s full of oxygen to your body, it is the vein’s job to send that now depleted blood back to the heart. The job is not an easy one, though. The veins in the legs must work the hardest to push that blood upward, against gravity to get it to your heart. To achieve this, there are one-way valves located within your veins. These open to allow the blood to flow through them in one direction, and shut to keep the blood from going back down.

In some situations, the vein’s walls become weak. The valves that open and close can also become weak. If these become weak, they become loose and stretchy. This allows for them to lose their ability to open and close properly. And, over time, the veins and valves become larger and wider. This creates separation of the valve flaps. As this occurs, the blood that’s supposed to be being pushed upward no longer can do that. The blood backs up and fills in that stretched portion of the vein. This creates bigger and swollen veins. They tend to twist as they continue to try to squeeze blood in the normal way. This is what leads to and what are varicose veins.

If you have varicose veins, it is important to recognize the importance of getting treatment for them. This is especially true when the veins are pronounced and painful. The larger they are the higher the risk is that you’ll develop a life threatening risks such as a stroke. When you come in to see the best varicose vein doctor in Manhattan, NY, we’ll offer treatment options for you.