The most accepted cause among varicose veins causes is the presence of defective and damaged valves within the veins. A valve that does not function properly causes blood to pool in the vein or blood stays in the veins. The stagnant blood causes a bulging portion in the veins. Valves are used to prevent backward flow of blood within the veins such that blood flow direction towards the heart is stabilized. The reason why these valves become inefficient has not yet been known.
Standing Too Long
The longer the person stands without being mobile, the more blood accumulates in the veins. People with jobs that require them to stand for longer hours usually suffer from varicose veins. The walls of the veins are made to stretch as more blood collects in the veins when standing for long hours. However, when a person with defective valves stand up, blood flow reverses and is made to flow downward towards the superficial veins. This is not normal since blood flow in the first place should be upward towards the heart.
Heredity
Varicose veins are also known to run in the family. Some people may also have been born with abnormalities in their vein walls. The abnormal condition could predispose the valves to separate and become leaky. When muscles around the deep veins contract, a build up of pressure takes place since the deeper veins are emptied with blood. This causes more blood to flow the wrong way and eventually increasing pressure in the superficial veins.
Pregnancy
There are also many reasons why varicose veins are aggravated. Pregnancy is one reason why there is an increase in blood volume. The weight exerted by the growing uterus also adds pressure on the veins in the legs while the relaxation effects of progesterone and estrogen on the vein walls add to the formation of varicose veins at this stage of the life of a female.
Obesity
Being obese or someone with a distended belly can also be prone to the development of varicose veins in his or her legs. Chronic constipation as well as chronic cough and urinary retention from an enlarged prostate have the tendency to increase the forces transmitted to the leg veins. These conditions can be a result of straining or causing a person to strain for prolonged periods of time. Straining can also contribute to the formation of hemorrhoids which are varicosities that occur in the rectal and anal area.
Surgery, Trauma and Age
Conditions such as surgery or trauma to the leg can also interrupt the normal blood flow channels particularly in the leg and cause varicose veins. People who have aged are also prone to having varicose veins as seen for most elderly people.