What Causes Varicose Veins?

A Little Review...

The veins in our bodies are blood vessels which carry deoxygenated blood from the extremities back to the heart and lungs.  Should these veins become twisted, abnormally thick or enlarged, they are then referred to as varicose veins.  Most often, veins in the legs and thighs tend to become varicose; however varicose veins can form in any part of the body.  Not uncommon, the numbers in the United States alone indicate that about 19% of men and 36% of women have them.

It's A Valve Job

There are many theories regarding causes for varicose veins; however the general consensus is that defective and/or damaged valves within the vein are the culprits.  Valves in veins prevent the backward flow of blood within the vein, keeping the blood moving toward the heart.  Why exactly valves stop working is a matter for medicine.  Some professionals believe that a lack of valves or malfunctioning valves may be an inherited problem and indeed, some people may be born with abnormalities in the vein wall.  These abnormalities may affect the valves, causing separation and leaks.

If a person has poorly functioning valves, then when they stand up, the blood flow reverses and flows downward in the superficial veins when it should, in fact, flow upward to the heart.  A build-up of pressure occurs when the muscles surrounding the deep veins contract and the deeper veins empty.  More blood flow, going the wrong way, finds its way through the malfunctioning valves into the perforator veins.  It is this increased pressure which causes varicose veins.

Was I born this way?

Varicose veins can be present as a result of heredity - simple genetics.  If a person has a family history of varicose veins, they are more likely to develop them than someone without a family history.  Tall men and obese women also seem more inclined to show signs of varicose veins.

There are many factors which can affect or aggravate the condition.   The increase of blood volume, common in pregnancy along with the added pressure on the veins from the weight of the growing baby coupled with the effects of estrogen and progesterone as they work to relax vein walls can exacerbate varicose veins.  Other factors to consider are: age, wherein many seniors show indication of varicose veins; obesity, the excess weight putting undue pressure on the veins in the legs;  enlarged prostate, chronic constipation, chronic coughing, surgery, prolonged standing and some medications can all aggravate or create a situation for varicose veins to erupt.