What causes bulging blood vessels in the calves?

People who work in positions that require standing for long periods of time, such as security personnel, restaurant waiters, etc., will experience bulging blood vessels in their calves. This is caused by varicose veins, which is also a common vascular disease. In addition to occupational causes, other possible causes may also be oral contraceptives, pregnancy, congenital factors, etc. The congenital factor is that the patient's venous walls are relatively weak, which makes this situation more likely to occur. Don’t think that varicose veins are harmless. If not treated effectively, varicose veins may cause eczema ulcers, which will have a great impact on the skin and threaten the health of blood vessels.

Varicose veins often occur in the lower limbs. Red or blue, twisted blood vessels that look like spider webs or earthworms, or hard lumps and nodules that look like tree tumors appear on the skin of the legs. The veins become abnormally enlarged, swollen, and varicose. According to statistics, approximately 25% to 40% of women and 20% of men in Taiwan suffer from varicose veins. Teachers, surgeons, nurses, hairdressers, salesgirls, chefs, restaurant waiters and other occupations that require standing for long periods of time are all high-risk groups. In addition, varicose veins are also related to genetics, oral contraceptives and pregnancy.

1. Congenital factors: The venous wall is congenitally weak or the venous valve function is defective, so the venous wall is easy to expand, causing blood to flow back and cause varicose veins.

2. Working environment: When standing for a long time, gravity will exert pressure on the venous valves. Long-term high pressure will cause the veins to twist.

3. Lower limb venous disease: Stenosis and occlusion of the lower limb veins, pelvic tumors, compression of the pregnant uterus, etc. will compress the lower limb veins and cause varicose veins.

4. Venous thrombosis: The thrombosis blocks the deep veins of the lower limbs, and the venous blood can only rely on the superficial veins to return. When the superficial veins of the lower limbs are unable to cope with this task, they will compensate by gradually expanding. Long-term compensation will lead to varicose veins.

5. Bad living habits: constipation, smoking, drinking, obesity, etc.

(1) Constipation: Squatting for a long time will inhibit blood circulation in the lower limbs, causing increased pressure inside the blood vessels, blood blockage, and damage to blood vessel valves.

(2) Smoking and drinking: They can easily cause hardening of blood vessels and affect blood circulation. If combined with standing for long periods of time, blood in the lower limbs cannot flow back normally.

(3) Obesity: Extra weight and accumulated fat make it difficult for blood to be transported to the upper part of the body, causing damage to the venous valves in the lower limbs and leading to varicose veins.