Varicose veins occur when blood in the veins flows back into the legs, rather than traveling to the heart.  Varicose veins are not life-threatening, but they can be uncomfortable and affect your quality of life. SecondsCount’s Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Leg Vein Problems may help you and your physician to develop a treatment plan for you.

You can have problems in your veins without any symptoms. In fact, about 50 percent of the people with one of the most serious vein problems, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), do not have any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, don’t ignore them. It’s your body’s way of telling you to get help.

See your doctor if you have:

• Swelling and pain in the legs or ankles
• Areas on your legs that are painful, tender, or warm to the touch
• Unexplained tightness in the calves
• A heavy, tired, or restless feeling in your leg
• Pain while walking or soon after stopping
• Skin color changes, redness, or flaky skin
• Sores or ulcers
• Foot cramps
• Varicose veins or spider veins
• Swelling along a vein, just below the skin
• Pain when applying gentle pressure to a superficial vein
• Hardening of a vein
• Itchy, throbbing or burning areas on the legs
• Low-grade fever

You can use the SecondsCount Leg Vein Symptoms Log to help keep track of your symptoms. Having a record like this will make it easier for you to share accurate information about what has changed with your healthcare providers. Working together you can make decisions about the best treatment for you. You can access the SecondsCount Leg Vein Symptoms Log here.