Who Gets Varicose Veins?

Not everyone gets varicose veins. Some people just happen to be more prone to them.

Symptoms of varicose veins

You may have varicose veins if you have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Blue or purplish veins
• Bulging and twisted veins
• Leg veins that look like cords
• Legs that feel tired or heavy
• Muscles that cramp, burn, and throb
• Swelling in your lower legs
• Pain in your legs after sitting or standing for a long time
• Itchy skin around your veins
• Skin that is discolored

Spider veins are also common. They are like varicose veins, but are smaller and are red or blue in color.  They can appear on the legs, but can also occur on the face. Spider veins get their name from their spider web-like appearance.

Who gets varicose veins?

Not only the elderly suffer from varicose veins. While it is true that as we get older, our veins and their valves get older too, thereby becoming weaker, even a woman in her 20s can get varicose veins. The people most prone to getting varicose veins are:

• Men and women over 40 years: Millions of people between these ages have varicose veins. Even though it is twice as prevalent in women than men, it can still be a problem for men.
• Women taking hormone medication: Women on birth control or hormone replacement therapy are more likely to develop varicose veins. This is especially true during and after menopause.
• People with a strong family history of varicose veins: Unfortunately, valves that are leaky are often inherited. This means that if you have a family history of varicose veins, you are likely to get them, too.
• People who are significantly overweight or obese: Too much weight on your frame puts additional stress and strain on your vein valves and walls. This increases your chance of developing varicose veins.
• People with a history of a blood clot: Just one blood clot could damage your vein and make it weaker, thereby resulting in varicose veins.
• Anyone with damage to a vein: Veins that have suffered from trauma can weaken the vein too, resulting in varicose veins.
• People with jobs that are sedentary: The muscles of the legs play a vital role in pumping venous blood from your legs to your heart. If you sit for long periods of time, the muscles can’t help the blood move against gravity.
• Workers who stand for prolonged periods of time: If you are in a job that involves standing for long periods of time, such as being a restaurant worker, a flight attendant, a teacher, or a mail carrier, you may be putting extra stress on your veins. This may result in varicose veins.
• Women who are pregnant: During pregnancy, the weight of the fetus results on the veins in the lower abdomen. This can increase the amount of blood pooling in the legs. The good news is, pregnancy-related varicose veins typically disappear once the baby is born.

So there you have it. If you find yourself in these categories and you are experiencing symptoms, you will definitely want to talk to a vein specialist at some point.