Varicose Veins

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Varicose veins are swollen, twisted veins that you can see just under the skin. They usually occur in the legs, but also can form in other parts of the body. Hemorrhoids are a type of varicose vein.

Your veins have one-way valves that help keep blood flowing toward your heart. If the valves are weak or damaged, blood can back up and pool in your veins. This causes the veins to swell, which can lead to varicose veins.

Varicose veins are very common. You are more at risk if you are older, a female, obese, don't exercise or have a family history. They can also be more common in pregnancy.

Doctors often diagnose varicose veins from a physical exam. Sometimes you may need additional tests.

Exercising, losing weight, elevating your legs when resting, and not crossing them when sitting can help keep varicose veins from getting worse. Wearing loose clothing and avoiding long periods of standing can also help. If varicose veins are painful or you don't like the way they look, your doctor may recommend procedures to remove them.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Focus on Varicose Veins (Vascular Disease Foundation) - PDF
• Varicose Veins (American Heart Association)
• Varicose Veins and Spider Veins (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
• What Are Varicose Veins? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Varicose Veins? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• How Are Varicose Veins Diagnosed? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Venography (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Venous Ultrasound (Extremities) (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• How Can Varicose Veins Be Prevented? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Who Is at Risk for Varicose Veins? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Ambulatory Phlebectomy (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
• Horse Chestnut (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• How Are Varicose Veins Treated? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Sclerotherapy of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins (American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Spider Vein Removal (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Varicose Vein Treatment (Endovenous Ablation of Varicose Veins) (Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish
• Varicose Veins and Venous Insufficiency (Society of Interventional Radiology)

Related Issues

• Chronic Venous Insufficiency (Vascular Disease Foundation) - PDF
• Vein Problems Related to Varicose Veins (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Spider Veins (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
• What Causes Varicose Veins? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Images

• Telangiectasias (Logical Images)
• Varicosities (Logical Images)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Telangiectasis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Varicose Veins (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of three different compression systems in...
• Article: Venous leg ulcer healing with electric stimulation therapy: a pilot...
• Article: Electrical stimulation therapy and electroceutical treatment for the management of...
• Varicose Veins -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Glossary (Vascular Cures)

Find an Expert

• American Society for Dermatologic Surgery
• Find a Dermatologic Surgeon (American Society for Dermatologic Surgery)
• Find an Interventional Radiologist (Society of Interventional Radiology)
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• What Are Varicose Veins? (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Varicocele (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation)

Men

• Varicocele (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Varicocele Embolization (American College of Radiology) Also in Spanish

Women

• Why Do Some Pregnant Women Get Varicose Veins? (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Telangiectasia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Varicocele (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Varicose and other vein problems - self-care (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Varicose vein - noninvasive treatment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Varicose vein stripping (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Varicose veins and venous insufficiency (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish