HEALTH
Varicose veins are much more than simply a cosmetic problem. They cause swelling, aching and even ulcers and clots. Latest treatments are way better than traditional techniques, so why are they not more widely available?
Anita Taylor hated the sight of her ugly varicose veins, but it was the swelling, aching and throbbing in both legs that bothered her most. ‘There was constant aching and heaviness,’ says Anita, 65, who runs a dress agency shop in Farnham, Surrey. ‘My veins even affected how far I could walk, and I’d spend evenings with my feet up to ease the aching and swelling.’
Most of us know what varicose veins look like – unsightly, swollen and enlarged veins that often occur on the legs and feet and are blue, green or purple. They can be lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearance; some are colourless or not visible.
‘Around 15-20% of adults have visible varicose veins, but around the same number have varicose veins that aren’t visible. These are inside the leg or sometimes in the pelvic areas,’ says Professor Mark Whiteley, a vein specialist who runs the private Whiteley Clinic (thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk), which has branches in London, Surrey, Bournemouth and Bristol.
‘Varicose veins form because the valves in the leg that control blood flow aren’t working properly – normally blood will flow from the toes to the heart but in people with valve problems the blood flows back down some of the veins. It’s like having a hole or several holes in a bucket.’
This can cause lower leg swelling, aching and throbbing, and if left untreated, varicose veins can lead to itchy red eczema patches, brown stains developing round the ankle, inflammation within the veins, bleeding veins, leg ulcers and blood clots. ‘It’s much more than a cosmetic problem as varicose veins get progressively worse over time unless they are treated,’ says Prof Whiteley. ‘So many myths persist about the causes, and they have contributed to a false narrative that it’s a trivial complaint not worth treating.’ Varicose veins tend to run in families, though the genetic link isn’t simple: you can get them in one leg but not the other, for example.
Anita’s varicose veins started when she was working as an airline cabin steward in her early thirties and worsened during her two pregnancies. ‘I’d have long stints on my feet and my legs would swell up and ache. Wearing compression tights helped a bit, but I’d come home and lie with my legs up the wall to get the blood flowing and ease the aching,’ she recalls.
‘The veins looked horrible too – green, and purple and bulbous, like a r
