Denver Vein Center

Varicose Veins

What Are Varicose Veins and Their Symptoms

Varicose veins affect up 40% of Americans

TLDR Summary

Varicose veins are a very common problem in the U.S. Up to 40% of Americans may show signs of venous valve insufficiency, which is the root cause of varicose veins. Women, advanced age, history of deep vein blood clots, and family history of varicose veins are the major risk factors. Diagnosis is made by experienced vascular physician and ultrasound technologists, and treatment is typically done in office using a select number of FDA-approved techniques.

What are Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that appear just beneath the surface of the skin and can be felt by hand. They are most commonly found in the legs and around the ankles. Varicose veins may be focal in location, or present as a long chain that runs down the leg. Most of the varicose veins develop over a long period of time and become symptomatic later in life.

Your veins are made out of a smooth muscle tube and multiple 1-way check valves within the tube to prevent blood backflow. Venous insufficiency happens when these check valves fail. The valves can fail for a number of reasons (see below) and put back pressure on the rest of the veins. Over time, these veins dilate and become varicose veins.

What are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins

Varicose veins can have a wide range of symptoms. In early stages, they may only be a cosmetic concern. However, as time goes on, many patients will have one or more of the following symptoms:
  • Aching and heaviness in legs
  • Fatigue of the legs
  • Burning or itching over the varicose veins
  • Swelling of the legs
  • Skin discoloration and inflammation
  • Hard lumps over the varicose veins (clotting of the veins)
  • Bleeding of the varicose veins
  • Open sores and ulcers in the skin, usually around the ankle areas
While some of the symptoms such as fatigue and swelling are insidious and chronic, symptoms such as bleeding and wounds are much more serious. It's typically recommended that varicose veins to be treated before they get to more advanced stages of clinical disease.

What are the Causes of Varicose Veins?

  • Family History

    Varicose veins has a significant hereditary component. If you have one parent with varicose veins, your chance of having them is approximately 40%. If both of your parents have varicose veins, you chances of getting them are nearly 90%!

  • Prolonged Standing

    In developed countries, people who need to stand and walk for long hours (nurses, teachers, factory workers) have higher tendencies to develop varicose veins. While it is true that prolonged standing does subject one's legs to more gravity and venous pressure, whether this is the direct cause of varicose veins is unclear. It is possible that people who stand longer experience more symptoms of varicose veins.

  • Blood Clots

    Patients who had blood clots in the past are more susceptible to developing varicose veins. Blood clots can scar the delicate valves in the veins, render them permanently damaged. This in turn creates venous reflux and downstream varicose veins.

  • Female Gender

    Women are 2X more likely than men to develop varicose veins secondary to various hormonal changes in life. Pregnancy puts women especially at risk for symptomatic venous disease. This is because the physiologic changes and the physical weight of the baby increase the venous pressure in the legs significantly.

  • Height and Weight

    People who weight more are at higher risk for varicose veins dues to increased central venous pressure. Tall people are also at higher risk for varicose veins as their legs see more hydrostatic pressure throughout their lifetime.

  • Age

    Everything gets better with age except for our health. Age > 55 is a signifiant risk factor for symptomatic venous disease, and older individuals tend to have more severe symptoms on the clinical spectrum.

How to Diagnose Varicose Veins

If you have one or more of the symptoms above, we recommend you seeking qualified medical opinion and treatment options for varicose veins. Varicose vein condition is best diagnosed with Comprehensive Venous Ultrasound. A registered vascular technician (RVT) or similarly qualified ultrasonographer will scan your legs to identify any vein abnormalities you may have. Not only does this document the location and severity of your disease, it provides valuable information for your doctor to find the right treatment. Furthermore, the ultrasound report is a vital piece of clinical evidence that may impact insurance coverage of any varicose vein treatment going forward.

How to Treat Varicose Veins

Treatments for varicose veins have advanced significantly over the years. In the past, varicose veins are treated with traditional surgeries such as vein stripping and high ligation. Today, nearly all the patients can be treated with minimally-invasive techniques.

At Denver Vein Center, we offer a number of FDA-approved procedures that are covered by most of insurances. These include:

- Laser venous ablation
- Radiofrequency venous ablation
- Varithena
- Venaseal
- Microphlebectomies
- Sclerotherapy

Because we are expects in all of the procedures above, we can tailor the most appropriate treatment to each patient's unique situation. You never have to worry about "picking" the right procedure!