How Do You Get Varicose Veins? Causes & Risk Factors of Varicose Veins

You may not know this, but your veins have one-way valves in them. These valves open to let blood through to your heart and then close to prevent blood from flowing backward. When your valves don't work properly, they allow blood to leak backward and pool in your veins. This can cause your veins to become enlarged and twisted. These twisted, enlarged veins are called varicose veins, and they often bulge out of the skin’s surface.

The root cause of varicose veins is chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition caused by the collapse of vein valves. When your vein valves malfunction or collapse, blood flows backward due to gravity and accumulates in the leg veins. This phenomenon is known as chronic venous insufficiency, and it’s directly responsible for the formation of spider veins and varicose veins. Some of the other symptoms of vein disease include leg heaviness, leg pain, restless leg syndrome, leg swelling, and frequent leg cramps.

Varicose veins are usually caused by underlying chronic venous insufficiency. As such, if you have varicose veins, you may also notice the signs and symptoms of vein disease, such as leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, and leg pain. There are no definitive ways to prevent varicose veins. But if you have a high risk of vein problems, you can implement certain lifestyle changes, such as wearing compression stockings, to reduce the risk of varicose veins.

Varicose veins are caused by chronic venous insufficiency, a medical condition caused by the collapse or malfunctioning of vein valves. But why do vein valves collapse? And why do some people have a higher risk of vein disease than others? And are you one of them? Below, we describe the primary risk factors for varicose veins.

The risk of vein disease and varicose veins increases as you get older. That’s because your veins lose their strength and elasticity over time, making it harder to push blood toward the heart against gravity. Your vein valves may also weaken with time, leading to vein disease.

Pregnancy increases the risk of varicose veins because of numerous reasons. When you’re pregnant, your body produces a higher volume of estrogen, which can lead to weak vein valves. Furthermore, your body also produces a higher volume of blood, and the weight of the baby can place pressure on your leg veins, which can lead to a collapsed vein valve.

Certain occupations entail a higher risk of varicose veins and vein disease. If your job involves long periods of sitting or standing still, blood may flow backward and accumulate in the leg veins, eventually leading to dilated and varicose veins. That’s why varicose veins are particularly common amongst nurses, teachers, pilots, drivers, and those with desk jobs.

If  you have a history of blood clots in your leg veins, you also have a higher risk of chronic venous insufficiency and varicose veins. That’s because blood clots can damage the vein valves, leading to a higher risk of collapsed valves, which leads to vein disease.

California Vein Treatment is a state-of-the-art medical center led by highly-skilled, board-certified vein doctors. Our vein doctors carefully examine your leg veins, discuss your symptoms and goals, and administer duplex ultrasound tests to determine if you have chronic venous insufficiency. Even if you don’t have any symptoms but have a high risk of varicose veins, our vein doctors may recommend compression stockings to minimize the risk.

You can find our state-of-the-art medical centers for vein treatment in San Diego and San Jose. Our San Diego office is located in a beautiful neighborhood called La Jolla, and the San Jose office is down the block from the Santa Clara Medical Center. If you have the symptoms of vein disease or a high risk of varicose veins, please schedule an appointment at your nearest medical center for vein treatment in California.

Phlebologists, also known as vein doctors or vein specialists, have specialized training in the diagnosis and treatment of varicose veins, spider veins, and chronic venous insufficiency. Phlebologists usually complete residency programs and fellowships in the latest minimally invasive spider vein and varicose vein treatments, making them the perfect specialists for vein-related problems. If you have varicose veins, please contact board-certified vein doctors.

Varicose veins can affect anyone, but you can minimize the risk. For starters, exercise regularly. This helps to keep your blood flowing properly and prevents it from pooling in your veins. Also, try to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time. If you have to do either of these things, take a break every so often to walk around and get your blood moving.

Wearing compression stockings can also be helpful in minimizing the risk of varicose veins. These stockings put gentle pressure on your legs, which helps to keep blood from pooling in your veins. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you start wearing them, though, as they can help you to choose the right size and type of stocking.