What your GP can really do about varicose veins

With warmer weather (hopefully!) here to stay, it could be time to consider your options

- DR HELEN WALL

There aren’t many upsides to winter, but one that many of us will agree on is the joy of being able to keep our legs under wraps for a while. Many of you may be getting your legs primed for the sun right now and some of you may be drawn to the varicose veins that you just don’t know what to do with. 

Varicose veins are swollen, blue or purple, often lumpy veins on the surface of your legs that can for some women be completely non-bothersome, but for many can cause the legs to not only feel unsightly but cause aching, heaviness and itching. In worse-case scenarios they can leave you with swollen feet and ankles and skin discoloration or ulceration.

All veins carry blood back to your heart for more oxygen and to keep blood moving in the right direction, they have small valves inside. Varicose veins develop when the small valves inside the veins stop working properly. This means blood flows backwards and pools in the veins causing them to swell and enlarge. Certain things can increase your chances of developing them. Obesity, prolonged sitting or standing, as well as genetics, general ageing and being female are all common culprits.

Varicose veins can be repaired or removed, but unfortunately there are very few reasons why this would be done as an NHS procedure. It hasn’t always been this way – I remember referring routine cases 10 years ago and seeing many patients come back with shiny new legs. But with an ageing population along with costly medical advances, varicose vein procedures are one of several that have had to be rationed. It’s right that we make the most effective use of what resources we have, as hard as it is sometimes.