Symptoms:

As much as 90% of those who have varicose veins have physical symptoms. The physical symptoms include: aching and tired legs, burning, itching, cramping of legs, sore legs, swelling of legs, ankles or feet, phlebitis, stasis dermatitis, bleeding varicosities, or visually disfiguring veins.

Symptoms vary in intensity and location depending on the severity of the vein disease and the location of the varicosity. Two persons with varicose veins may not have the same symptoms but they both may have varicose veins. Varicose veins can occur at any age but is a common occurrence with those 45 and older. Men and women develop varicose veins with more women being diagnosed than men.

Symptoms can also flair up during pregnancy when pressure from extra blood flow and the extra weight of pregnancy aggravate and put pressure on the lower body. The symptoms may be relieved once delivery takes place, but the presence of vein damage is permanent and may not go away just because the symptoms do.

Aching, tired, burning, itching, leg cramps, soreness, swelling:

These symptoms are not physical but are an expression of discomfort felt by the patient. These are often the first symptoms felt and can be experienced by patients of all ages. These symptoms often occur before any physical signs of vein disease appear.

Swelling:

This may be due to fluid retention or it may be due to inadequate blood flow and seepage of blood into surrounding tissue.

Phlebitis:

This is when a vein becomes inflamed and often involves the formation of a thrombus. There is usually swelling, pain and a change in skin color of the affected area. A thrombus is a fibrinous clot that forms in a blood vessel or chamber of the heart. In this case it is a blood clot that has formed in a vein.

Stasis Dermatitis:

The skin of the legs becomes scaly and inflamed when there is impaired circulation in the veins of the leg.

Bleeding Varicosities:

This can be a serious complication of vein disease. The varicose vein becomes enlarged and dark in color. There is a rupture of the vein and bleeding. The bleeding can be severe and there have been fatalities. Bleeding varicosities are often seen in the emergency rooms. Sclerotherapy is the usual treatment.

Visually disfiguring veins:

Varicose veins can be unsightly and most who endure them find them unattractive and seek medical help for cosmetic reasons. Usually most insurance companies will not cover treatment for cosmetic reasons.

Journal

It is important to record your symptoms so that you can discuss them with your doctor. A symptom history is often important when making a diagnosis. Many patients benefit from keeping a symptom journal so that they can refer to it when filling out medical information at that first doctor visit. Most patients find visiting the doctor to be a nerve-wracking event and the possibility of forgetting a symptom or two might happen. A journal would in this case be helpful.

A Few Reasons Why Symptoms Worsen

Varicose veins symptoms like heaviness or tension in the legs that are accompanied by swelling, aching, restless legs, cramps and itching can worsen after a long day of standing. These symptoms tend to get worse during hot weather as well as after exercising, and many women experience a worsening of the symptoms during their menstrual periods. Varicose veins symptoms in pregnant women also seem to become more prominent, although many of the symptoms will subside after the birth of the baby.

Unfortunately, varicose veins symptoms are often rather non-specific and it can be hard to correlate the severity of the symptoms with those of the venous disease. Nevertheless, most varicose veins symptoms get resolved after some sort of varicose vein treatment. Even then, varicose veins symptoms are progressive and can worsen over time, and the more severe instances of varicose veins may lead to significant complications.

Varicose veins symptoms can also lead to feelings of chronic fatigue and lower energy levels. When the condition is more advanced, there can also be discoloration of the skin and leg ulcers will affect the patient when the blood begins to leak into the surrounding tissues. The symptoms may be mild to severe, and need to be discussed with a physician who specializes in venous care. There may also be continuous pain in one or both legs that may indicate the presence of thrombosis (blood clotting). This condition requires the immediate attention of a physician.

Normally, one may associate the symptoms with the legs only, but varicose veins can also be seen on the face or chest. No matter where they occur, there are a number of reasons for the development of varicose veins. It is typical for physicians to prescribe basic solutions to help alleviate the varicose veins symptoms first, and these include using compression stockings that squeeze the leg and thus provide relief. Another possible treatment option is creams that can be applied topically to the affected area. These creams will generally condition the skin around the veins, leading to a diminished appearance of the varicose veins.