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Home /
Quick Facts: Heart and Blood Vessel Disorders /
Venous Disorders /
... /
Varicose Veins /
IN THIS TOPIC

What are varicose veins?

What causes varicose veins?

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?

How can doctors tell if I have varicose veins?

How can doctors treat varicose veins?

OTHER TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER

Venous Disorders
Chronic Venous Insufficiency and Postphlebitic Syndrome
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)
Varicose Veins

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Quick Facts

Varicose Veins

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Last full review/revision Oct 2019| Content last modified Oct 2019
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Topic Resources

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are veins just under your skin that become very large, twisted, and bulging. They're usually on your legs.

  • Varicose veins may hurt, itch, or ache

  • Varicose veins are more common in women and often start during pregnancy

  • Treatments can sometimes get rid of varicose veins, but new varicose veins often form

What causes varicose veins?

Doctors don’t know exactly what causes varicose veins, but they happen when the walls of your veins are weak. The veins stretch out, twist, and get wider.

Varicose veins may run in your family.

Varicose veins may get worse when you:

  • Gain weight or become obese

  • Stand a lot

  • Get older

What are the symptoms of varicose veins?

Varicose veins show up as snakelike bulges just under your skin.

The veins may cause you:

  • Pain

  • A tired feeling in your legs

  • Itching in your legs or ankles

You may be bothered by the way your varicose veins look.

If you have varicose veins, you may also have spider veins.

How can doctors tell if I have varicose veins?

Doctors can usually see varicose veins when you’re standing. If your doctors are worried about other problems with your veins, doctors may do an ultrasound.

How can doctors treat varicose veins?

Varicose veins can’t be cured, but treatment can lessen your symptoms. Treatments can include:

  • Wearing support stockings (special socks that go up to your knees and press on your legs to prevent veins from stretching and hurting)

  • Putting your feet up, such as by lying down or using a footstool

  • Injections into the veins (sclerotherapy)—doctors inject medicine into the varicose veins to seal them up

  • Laser therapy

  • Surgery (vein stripping)—the doctor may do surgery to remove the varicose veins if your symptoms and varicose veins are severe

Varicose veins that happen during pregnancy usually go away by themselves 2 to 3 weeks after the baby is born.

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© 2020 Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA)
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