varicose vein causes

Varicose vein homepage

There are many theories as to varicose vein causes, but the most popular explanation is that it is caused by faulty valves. These valves help to prevent blood flowing backwards in the vein. The exact reason why these valves become faulty is not known, but all we need to know is that they do! The result is that when someone with these faulty valves ( the posh term is incompetent) stands up, the flow of blood starts to go the wrong way, back down the leg.

Over time this leads to a build up of pressure in the veins which causes them to enlarge and swell, becoming varicose. Sadly for us, there is no cure for these faulty valves.

Ok, enough of the science lesson. There are also many other factors that can cause varicose veins to appear. Age and weight, especially in the hips and waist can contribute. As we get older our valves and veins become weaker, impeding the return of blood to the heart, and increasing the risk of developing varicose veins. Varicose veins can be inherited, like in my case!

Any kind of activity that restricts or adds strain to the circulation can cause varicose veins such as standing or sitting down for long periods of time. No wonder i have them i seem to fit into all the categories that contribute to them! Lack of exercise and obesity are other factors to consider. At last, there is something i might be doing right!!

Wearing tight fitting clothes or shoes are also varicose vein causes. Pregnancy, hormonal changes, diet and constipation are yet more risk factors for varicose veins. It is very common for pregnant women to get varicose veins because pregnancy causes an increase in hormonal levels and blood volume, which then causes veins to enlarge. In most cases, varicose veins due to pregnancy improve after 3 months of giving birth.

If you have had a leg injury this can also cause problems. I think this is true because when i was a kid i broke my right leg. My right leg has many more varicose veins than the left one, about 5 times as many, so i must agree with this one. Perhaps you have the same problem?

I have also found out that smoking and caffeine are risk factors, it would take a huge lifestyle change to eliminate all the listed possible causes of varicose veins! I will seriously consider the caffeine and standing still factors, i will go into these in more detail elsewhere on this site. So just to recap, the main risk factors for varicose veins are:-

Age. Aging weakens the valves in the veins, increasing the risk of them becoming varicose.
Sex. Women are more likely to get them than men, and pregnancy due to hormonal changes increases the risk yet more.
Hereditary. Genetics play a major part in varicose veins.
Obesity. Being overweight puts more pressure on your veins.
Standing still. Your blood doesn't flow as well if you sit or stand in the same position for long periods of time .