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Varicose veins. The name is almost as unpleasant as the condition. During winter months it's easier to keep unsightly veins under wraps, but as temperatures rise and skirts and shorts come out of storage, concerns about unsightly veins rise to the surface for many people.
If you have spider or varicose veins, you're not alone. According to the Mayo Clinic, nearly 80 million people are affected by varicose and spider veins.

Simply speaking, varicose veins are enlarged, discolored veins that occur anywhere a vein is close to the skin though it is most common in the legs and feet. The condition varies from a superficial annoyance to a painful problem, and it's all due to the relentless tug of gravity.
While some things about varicose veins are still a mystery (like why they effect some people and not others) treatment options are available, just in time for summer.

What are varicose veins?
More complex than any highway system, your vascular system is made of veins and arteries that operate like one-way roads; veins carry blood to the heart while arteries carry blood away from the heart. Gravity is the vein's number one foe as it carries blood toward the heart, and each vein has a number of valves to keep blood flowing smoothly. Like a fender bender in rush-hour traffic, when a valve fails, oncoming blood has nowhere to go, so it pools below the valve, leaving the vein swollen and stretched.
The severity of varicose veins varies from superficial spider veins to painful varicose veins.

Why do I have varicose veins?
While the cause of varicose veins is known, the reason why valves fail is still unclear, as is why the condition affects some people and not others.
"There's a strong hereditary component, and it seems that just being female puts you at higher risk of developing varicose veins," Widmeyer said. "It's important to note, though, that varicose veins aren't a sign of a week circulatory system."
Nearly 41 percent of women between ages 40 and 50 are affected by varicose and spider veins, and that number increases with age.
There is also a strong correlation between pregnancy and varicose veins, when you're pregnant, the pressure of the baby in your pelvis sort of kinks the hose and puts excessive pressure on the legs.
There are other perceived causes, like standing all day or crossing your legs, but those are more myth than fact: it's possible that being on your feet all day could cause extra pressure on the valves, but there are plenty

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