What happens in normal leg veins?

Healthy arteries and veins in the leg allow blood to travel through them in one direction only - just like the direction of a car in a one-way street. Muscles in the calves act like pumps to help move the blood in the veins against gravity and back up the leg. The valves in leg veins prevent the blood from back-flowing back down into the foot. In normal veins, the valves and muscles maintain vein integrity with little retention of blood within the vein itself.

What happens when these veins become abnormal?

Due to various reasons, the vein walls become weaker and tend to collect and retain more blood than normal, causing enlargement along the vein segment. Consequently the valves in the vein do not function properly as they no longer meet resulting in backflow of blood called reflux or vein incompetence. The vein bulges from the pool blood and appears as visible lumpy lines.

What types of abnormal veins are there?

• Spider veins: these are the fine, red web-like veins visible on the surface of the leg - also known as telangiectasias. These veins serve no known biological purpose.
  
  
• Reticular Veins: These larger veins lie a little deeper below the skin and are blue in colour.
  
  
• Varicose Veins: These are the largest of the abnormal veins and can be seen bulging above the surface of the skin looking like knots. Early treatment of these veins is usually easier as the varicose veins worsen with time.

What causes abnormal Veins?

There is no known reason why veins become incompetent although there does appear to be links with a family predisposition. A strong family history of varicose veins makes some people more likely to inherit veins that deteriorate. Approximately 30% of people are affected by varicose veins, with a 75:25 ratio of female to male with an average age of 50.

Abnormal underlying veins are detectable with ultrasound years before the visible knots and lumps appear. Abnormal veins in women can also get worse from the use of birth control pills and fluctuations in hormone levels experienced in puberty, menopause and pregnancy. Some other factors that influence abnormal vein development include obesity, occupations that involve long periods of standing or sitting, immobility, ageing, previous venous thrombosis and some leg injuries.


What are the symptoms of Abnormal Veins?

Symptoms can include:

• Heaviness
• Aching
• Chronic pain
• Burning of legs
• Itchiness
• Night cramps
• Restless legs
• Leg swelling
• Skin discolouration
• Ulcers

How are Abnormal Veins Treated?

A duplex ultrasound of your affected leg is vital in determining which treatment options are appropriate. Microsclerotherapy, Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy and Endovenous Laser Ablation are the treatment options utilized.

Microsclerotherapy
Ultrasound Guided Sclerotherapy
Endovenous Laser Ablation

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