Medical Questions » Legs Questions » Question No. 566
| Question: | I am a 20 year old woman who has spidery varicose veins, and despite regular exercise, they have not gone away. My questions to you are: Is having varicose veins a sign of heart or artery disease? Will exercise get rid of them? What else can be done to get rid of them? Are there any negative effects upon the body other than their ugliness? |
| Answer: | —Varicose veins are not a sign of heart or artery disease. They are caused by a failure of the one way valves in the veins that normally only allow blood to flow towards the heart. If these valves in the veins leak, blood pools in the veins and they dilate, further damaging the valves and wotsening the problem. Prolonged standing and pregnancy are the usual causes.
— Unfortunately, exercise will not get rid of them, but appropriate leg exercises
during pregnancy and in jobs such as a shop assistant or hairdresser, may
prevent the problem.
—Varicose veins can be treated with support stockings, injections into the veins to destroy them, or surgical removal of the veins. The form of treatment depends on their severity and position.
— Occasionally they can ache, they will bleed copiously if cut, and in older
patients they may lead to the development of skin ulcers, but otherwise their
main effect is on the appearance of the legs rather than the health of their
owner.
|
|
|
