All is Veinity!

By Martin A. David martin.david@hqpublications.com Pharmavita Columnist September 30, 2004

Waitresses have them, store clerks have them, teachers have them and heavy people, including pregnant women, have them. They hurt and they don’t look good. Have you guessed yet?

The answer is varicose veins—also known as varicosis or varcosity. You don’t win a prize for guessing, but let’s talk about causes and let’s talk about relief.

How varicose veins form

In the normal scheme of things, the blood flows from the heart, to the legs and back again. Gravity asks the blood to stay down in the legs, but there are valves that don’t allow it to fall back there. If you stand a lot or if you have weakened valves for a dozen other reasons, the blood follows gravity’s invitation and stays in the legs and that is a major varicose vein cause.

The result is often enlarged, twisted, painful veins that are very close to the surface of the skin. A condition that can precede varicose veins or occur at the same time, is called spider veins. These small reddish purple lines appear on the surface of the legs and often cause a dull, aching pain.

Eliminating the culprit veins

Fortunately, the medical profession has a wide range of ways to help you. The first line of defense is to remove or improve the varicose vein causes. This includes standing less—finding ways to do your job sitting down or ways of taking short breaks and sitting down—and losing weight.

If the varicose veins are related to pregnancy, this is usually an easy solution. Another varicose vein treatment or spider vein treatment uses pain-free laser surgery. If the condition is too far advanced or too serious, your doctor may recommend varicose vein surgery to remove the damaged veins.

About the Author
Martin A. David consults as a Senior Technical Writer for a number of Silicon Valley firms. He is also a translator, specializing in Danish, French and Spanish literary works. He has written numerous feature articles for publications including the Los Angeles Times. He has also published a novel, and a non-fiction book in the area of dance. Martin earned his B.A. in Liberal Arts from Brooklyn College in his native New York. He currently chairs the Santa Clara Cultural Advisory Commission in Santa Clara, California.