KSFY Action News: Breaking News, Weather and Community |Avera Medical Minute: Varicose Veins Live 7/29/10

Avera Medical Minute: Varicose Veins Live 7/29/10

Varicose veins are gnarled, enlarged veins commonly seen in the legs and feet, although any vein can become varicose.  We asked vascular surgeon Dr. Paul Meyer with North Central Heart was causes those veins to bulge.

Dr. Paul Meyer with North Central Heart says, "It happens because of weakened vein walls and an increase in pressure on the vein. It happens for a variety of reasons but the most common is saphenous reflux. A bad valve in the greater saphenous vein fills the rest of the leg with blood the big vein and smaller branches as well. Most common in women because during childbirth the increased pressure in abdomen tends to make the valve go bad. That happen more often than in men, but men will also have. Usually they are younger and only have them on one side. We have had men in, but mostly it is women who are affected. People complain of fullness in the leg and swelling, heavy aching in the leg after a full day of standing up and gravity has pulled blood into these little veins or big veins. It becomes sore and painful at the end of the day. "