
Your leg veins are responsible for carrying blood up and out of the legs, back to the heart, against the pull of gravity. This very important job can lead to wear and tear on your veins over the course of your life. Varicose veins are superficial veins that have lost their ability to appropriately carry blood up and out of the leg, allowing the blood to flow backward toward the feet. This is also known as venous insufficiency or venous reflux and is a result of broken valves inside the veins. Once a vein has become varicose, it won’t go back to normal and should be treated if it is causing symptoms.