Venous insufficiency is a medical condition in which the blood flow is impaired in the veins. The heart’s function is to pump blood, with its oxygen and nutrients, to your organs and tissues. All blood eventually returns to the heart, in order to be re-circulated. The blood in your lower extremities has an “uphill battle” in that it must work against gravity to return to the heart in order to be re-circulated, using a combination of muscle contractions and one-way valves in the veins to do so. Varicose Veins develop when the valves in a vein become weak or damaged and don’t close properly. An impaired valve can allow blood to be pulled backwards by gravity and pool in the leg, often resulting in bulging varicose veins.
While bulging varicose veins are unsightly, the symptoms of venous insufficiency are:
- Pain/Aching/Throbbing of Legs
- Heaviness or Leg Fatigue
- Swelling of Feet/Ankles
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Night Cramps
- Itchy Veins