Varicose Veins
Varicose veins are dilated, swollen, tortuous veins which usually affect the legs, but can affect the vulva or scrotum, as well as the testicle and the oesophagus. They arise as a result of the veins being exposed to higher pressures than they are designed for. In the leg, for example, the superficial veins, called the long saphenous veins, are usually protected from the pressure in the veins deep in the leg muscles by a series of valves. The main one of these lies in the groin. If the pressure inside the deeper veins increases as happens, for example, during pregnancy, these valves fail to work and the superficial veins swell up and become varicose. Besides being painful and unsightly, they may be complicated by the development of eczema, blood clots (called superficial thrombo-phlebitis) or haemorrhage.
|
