Library · Disease
Varicose veins
Make it clearer
Varicose veins are leg veins that have become dilated and twisted just under the skin. To be called that they have to measure three millimeters or more, and they can be the saphenous veins, the long superficial veins of the leg, their branches, or other superficial veins.
Behind them are two main problems. One is high venous pressure in the limb. The other is vein valves that are damaged or do not close properly. Those valves are what keep blood from running backward.
When a valve stops closing, blood refluxes and the pressure that should stay in the deep system is transmitted backward, toward the superficial veins. Valves are one-way doors: when they stop closing, pressure is transmitted backward.
In brief
Varicose veins are dilated, tortuous subcutaneous veins three millimeters or larger, involving the saphenous veins, their tributaries, or non-saphenous superficial veins of the leg.
The two main problems behind them are elevated venous pressure in the limb and defective or incompetent valves, which let blood reflux.
With incompetent valves the pressure gradient is transmitted backward, from the deep venous system to the superficial one.
Valves are one-way doors: when they stop closing, pressure is transmitted backward.
Sources (1)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingVaricose Veins, StatPearlsPublished
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated