Swollen legs can be a particularly painful condition. While it may arise from a host of reasons, the most common factors causing it include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), phlebitis, varicose veins, venous ulceration and as a post-surgery complication. Of these, swelling of legs due to varicose veins is very common. The condition has been found to make a large number of men and women of varying ages suffer in addition to facing gradual deterioration in mobility. So, what exactly are varicose veins? Why do legs swell when you have a condition involving varicose veins? Well, these important questions need to be answered first, before delving into a discussion on the various options for treating swelling of legs. To state simply, varicose veins are twisted, enlarged veins, lying close to the skin’s surface and causing legs to get swollen due to their abnormal engorgement. The word â€varicose’ itself comes from the Latin root â€varix’ which means â€twisted’. It is important to realize here that varicose veins do not signify any special group of veins. In fact, any vein can become varicose. However, the veins in our lower limbs are the ones that usually get affected most. This is largely due to the great amounts of pressure that these veins are regularly subjected to as we stand upright and walk about. It is unfortunate that many of us tend to look at swollen legs due to varicose veins as a cause for little concern. In many cases, it is even considered a cosmetic concern that does not require any expert medical attention. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Varicose veins, if left untreated for long in the hope that they would go away on their own, can quickly lead to more serious complications, including a great degree of pain and discomfort. They may also signal a higher risk of other disorders of the circulatory system. Support stockings are among the best means of treating the condition and are great for providing relief from all the associated pain and discomfort. Medical compression stockings work by applying graduated compression, highest at the ankle and gradually reducing towards the top of the stocking. This encourages venous blood to flow back up the leg and provides lasting relief. In fact, routine wearing of medical compression stockings has been shown to help in preventing the symptoms of varicose veins to appear.
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