It is a condition that most every woman will face within her lifetime, though it is rarely spoken of in the media, or even medical circles. For women who develop them, they are an embarrassing eyesore which can result in some women avoiding any clothing which would reveal the legs. From Austin, TX to Ontario, Canada, women have learned to endure their varicose veins in silence.

Women usually hate spiders, so naturally they sometimes refer to this condition as a spider vein. They develop when there is added pressure on the legs and feet, resulting in blue rope-like lines near the surface of the skin. Doctors have treatments they can recommend, but they do not always know about the condition unless the woman seeks their counsel.

The procedures recommended for self-care include exercise, changing standing or sitting positions every half hour, and sometimes the wearing of compression stockings or hose. When the woman is suffering discomfort or painful throbbing in her legs, her doctor may have some surgical alternatives. However, she must be willing to discuss the presence of this pain and find out what her options really are.

In rare cases one might develop a rash or sores around the ankles. This can be a signal of a much more serious vascular disease known as venous insufficiency, and medical care should be sought. The fact of the matter is, this is sometimes more than a matter of vanity or mild discomfort, and women who ignore the more severe symptoms can suffer strokes or aneurysms, and in extreme but rare cases may have to undergo an amputation.

This condition occurs for most women due to pregnancy or advancing age. The vein loses elasticity and is unable to successfully bring the blood back up the legs and to the heart, against the flow of gravity. This causes some blood to pool back down into the vein, thus enlarging it. Those women who suffer varicosities during pregnancy will generally see a post-natal improvement without further treatment.

While men do sometimes suffer this affliction, it is primarily a scourge for women. Age and hormonal changes play a factor, as do the development of obesity or certain lifestyle or career choices. Women who walk or stand for long periods of time are more likely to see these ugly, blue, rope-like formations appear on their legs and feet.

The irony is that walking or being upright a great deal is generally regarded as healthier than sitting for long periods of time and becoming overweight. As usual, nature punishes women with clear and obvious signs of aging, making it more difficult to look and feel attractive even when she embraces a healthy lifestyle. The good news is that there are solid treatment options.

The good news is that regular exercise focused on creation and maintenance of muscle tone in the legs and butt can fix old varicosities, and compression stockings can prevent new ones from forming. Horse chestnut seed extract is known to promote healthy circulation, and thus has been shown to result in improvement as well. Should she have a more advanced problem such as bleeding ulcers on her ankles caused by venous insufficiency, laser surgery or sclerotherapy are two options she has available to her.