What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Varicose Veins?

Common signs and symptoms of varicose veins include:

• Enlarged veins that are visible on your skin
• Mild swelling of your ankles and feet
• Painful, achy, or "heavy" legs
• Throbbing or cramping in your legs
• Itchy legs, especially in the lower leg and ankle (sometimes incorrectly diagnosed as dry skin)
• Discoloration of your skin surrounding the varicose veins

Complications

Only a small percentage of people have complications from varicose veins. Complications may include dermatitis and thrombophlebitis.

Dermatitis

Dermatitis is an itchy rash that can occur on the lower leg or ankle of a person with varicose veins in the legs. It can sometimes cause bleeding or a skin ulcer to develop if scratched or irritated.

Thrombophlebitis

This is a blood clot (thrombus) that occurs in a vein. There are two types of thrombophlebitis:

• Superficial thrombophlebitis is a blood clot that occurs in a superficial vein and usually causes only minor problems that are limited to the area of the affected vein. Clots in varicose veins are usually of this type. Infections, chemical irritation, or other conditions that cause irritation and inflammation of the veins also can lead to superficial thrombophlebitis.
• Deep vein thrombosis is a blood clot that develops in veins deeper in the body. It can be life threatening if the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs, which is called pulmonary embolism. This type of thrombophlebitis does not occur in varicose veins.