Varicose veins: 'What can I do to ease the pain?'

"I am a 72-year-old woman, and have had varicose veins in my right leg for many years. My leg is uncomfortable a lot of the time and I also have pain in my right groin. The pain is bad enough to keep me awake at night. My doctor advises leaving well alone if possible. Some years ago I was told that I could have injections in the leg, but did nothing about this. I walk quite a lot, but get the pain when I sit and lie down. What do you advise?"

Dr Fred Kavalier answers your health question:

If your varicose veins were not troubling you, I would agree with your doctor that it is best to leave them alone. But if you're getting pain that is keeping you awake at night, "leaving well alone" doesn't really apply to you. There are various ways of treating varicose veins, and I think it would be sensible to start with the simplest and safest. Varicose veins develop when the tiny valves inside veins fail to do their job. These valves are supposed to prevent blood from flowing backwards inside the veins. If you are overweight, you should try to lose weight. Try wearing compression stockings. These gently compress the veins and keep them from filling up. You can get the stockings from chemists. If stockings don't help, you should ask to see a vascular surgeon. The next step up the treatment ladder could be injections into the veins, to obliterate them. Surgery to remove the veins is the most invasive option, but I'm sure one or more of these treatments is worth considering. Varicose veins never disappear without treatment, they only get worse.

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