Varicose veins can be anywhere in your body. Most often they are in the lower body, legs, or feet.
That’s because blood moving through veins in the lower body has to work against gravity to return to the heart. When the valves in veins become weaker and leaky, blood can flow backward and pool in your veins. This makes them enlarge or twist.
Varicose veins may happen whenever blood pressure increases inside your veins. Among the reasons this increase can happen are being overweight, pregnant, or constipated.
Risk Factors
Risks related to having varicose veins include:
- Age. Varicose veins are more common in older adults, because of the lifetime of wear and tear on the valves.
- Family history. The tendency toward having varicose veins can be inherited.
- Gender. Women’s blood vessels are designed to be flexible, which makes it easier for varicose veins to develop.
- Obesity. Extra body weight puts more pressure on the veins.
- Prolonged standing or sitting. People who worked in jobs that required extended periods of standing or sitting are at greater risk.
- Presence of central venous catheters in your body.
- Surgery or trauma to the body, such as an accident or fall.
- Chronic lung disease, which can increase the pooling of blood in the lower body.
- Dehydration, which occurs when the body doesn't have enough liquids.
Last Updated January 2023