Answer: The actual cause of varicose veins is inefficient, faulty vein valves. These valves don't close properly, allowing blood to leak back with gravity and pool in the vein. This causes the veins to bulge and stretch and result in many unpleasant side effects such as aching and throbbing pain, heavy and tired legs, and poor circulation.

Heredity is the number one contributing factor causing varicose and spider veins. Women are more likely to suffer from abnormal leg veins. More than 50% of American women may be affected. Hormonal factors including puberty, pregnancy, menopause, the use of birth control pills, estrogen, and progesterone affect the disease. It is very common for pregnant women to develop varicose veins. Pregnancy causes increases in hormone levels and blood volume which in turn cause veins to enlarge.

The exact cause of spider and varicose veins is unknown. They are caused by excessive pressure on the legs or abdomen. They are more common in women, and seem to be hereditary. Some of the more common pressure inducers are pregnancy, obesity and standing for very long periods of time. Oral contraceptives can also lead to spider veins.

Answer: While you cannot entirely prevent varicose veins, there are quite a few ways to improve your vein health. Physical activity, such as walking, swimming or cycling, is a wonderful way to pump blood up the leg against gravity to improve circulation. Compression hose also helps improve circulation by preventing blood from pooling in the leg veins.

Answer: Heredity is a primary factor in over 80% of varicose vein cases. Other contributing factors may include pregnancy, obesity, hormone therapy, standing or sitting for long periods of time and injury.

Varicose veins or 'spider' veins are enlarged veins that look blue and bulging in the legs. The veins become twisted and swollen because of impaired blood flow through the veins through a faulty valve. The condition is rarely dangerous, but many feel conscious of them due to their unsightly appearance. Laser therapy may remove smaller varicosities while more severe cases can be treated with injections or the veins can be 'stripped out' with surgery.

Large, often bulging veins that usually have a zigzag pattern. Varicose veins are the result of reflux and abnormal flow of blood from the deep vein. This abnormal flow is the result of the incompetence of barriers, called valves, between the deep and superficial vein systems.

Although genetics, childbirth, and female gender are the most important predisposing factors, the actual cause is related to incompetent valves in the larger veins, which lead to reflux of blood in the wrong direction back toward the foot. Normally, venous blood should flow up the leg toward the heart. When blood is forced by gravity in the wrong direction, (toward the foot) the abnormal varicose and spider veins can bulge and become distended.