What causes varicose veins in the calves? Causes of varicose veins in the lower legs

There are many causes of varicose veins in the lower legs, which can be mainly divided into congenital factors and human factors. Human factors can be divided into three types: increased venous pressure in the lower limbs, dietary factors and pregnancy factors.

Congenital factors

Weak venous wall and valve defects: The venous wall is relatively weak and can expand under the action of venous pressure. The expansion of the valvular sinus causes the original venous valve to not close tightly, resulting in relative valve insufficiency and blood backflow. If the valve is poorly developed or missing, it cannot effectively prevent backflow and lead to disease.

Human Factors

(1) Increased venous pressure in the lower limbs: including long-term standing or sitting, physical labor, etc. People who engage in physical labor need to engage their abdominal muscles when exerting force, which results in increased abdominal pressure. The increase in abdominal pressure will cause temporary or intermittent compression of the veins in the lower limbs, which will affect the centripetal return of the veins in the lower limbs.

(2) Overeating and not paying attention to diet can easily lead to obesity. Obesity is one of the causes of varicose veins. Since the body's gravity is pressed on the legs, the pressure in the veins continues to rise, and the valves are under excessive pressure and gradually relax. The venous valves relax and venous blood flows backwards. If things go on like this for a long time, the pressure on the superficial veins will increase, which will manifest on the surface as the gradual appearance of the so-called "blue vein bulges".

3. Pregnancy

About 20% of pregnant women will develop varicose veins during pregnancy. The reason is that the change in estrogen levels in women during pregnancy causes the venous smooth muscle to relax and contribute to valvular insufficiency. This phenomenon can be eliminated on its own for some patients after delivery, while for some patients it is difficult to recover without treatment, and the condition may even become more serious.

Teachers, surgeons, nurses, hairdressers, counter sales clerks, chefs, restaurant waiters and other professions that require standing for long periods of time, as well as IT professionals, white-collar workers, civil servants and other office workers who need to sit still for long periods of time are all high-risk groups. Practitioners of these professions must pay more attention to leg care in their daily lives.