For Americans, abnormal leg veins or varicose veins are the biggest cause of aching, throbbing, heaviness, and tenderness in the legs. They cause leg cramps, restless leg syndrome, and often, but not always, ugly bulging veins under the surface of the skin. Varicose leg veins can also cause itching, swelling, leg rashes, thickening and scarring of the skin, brownish discoloration, and leg ulcers. And no one wants that!
33% of all women and 15% of all men have abnormal leg veins. Unfortunately, most doctors and their patients assume—quite wrongly—that varicose veins are ‘no big deal’ and they just have to live with them. Or they think the veins are merely a cosmetic nuisance (but more about that later).
The symptoms of abnormal leg veins are worse when standing or sitting. Vein disease is usually relieved when you walk or elevate your legs. Compression or support hose help with symptoms only half of the time; the other half they either don’t help, or they make the symptoms worse.
