Simon is a young, slim and athletic man from Bristol. He’s always been active, careful about what he eats and his weight – he is in very good health. So why did he get varicose veins?
Well, many people think that varicose veins mainly affect old people. Some think that veins are caused by pregnancy and that they usually affect women. Some people even think that really it’s your own fault if you have varicose veins: to put it bluntly, it’s because you are overweight, lazy and don’t exercise! This last theory is often held by many GPs.
Well it may surprise you to find out that actually, none of these opinions are correct. An authoritative medical study conducted in Edinburgh and called The Edinburgh Vein Study looked very carefully at the risk factors for developing varicose veins. It followed a large number of people over many years and it concluded that men are slightly more at risk of vein problems than women! In addition, heredity is the strongest risk factor for varicose veins, something you can’t do anything about.
It turns out that Simon does indeed have a strong family history of veins. His father had terrible varicose veins and had to have them stripped when he was a young man. Simon’s uncle and grandfather were also troubled by varicose veins.
So there you are. Men suffer with vein problems too and heredity – who your parents are – is the strongest risk factor for veins. It’s not your fault, so don’t be embarrassed about your vein problem.
Now, if you’re worried about your veins and would like a confidential chat please do get in touch. Our advisors are very happy to offer simple advice by telephone or email for free and without obligation. You can call and book an appointment direct without a referral from your GP on 01935 873951.
The VeinCare Centre also offers a screening assessment with our vascular technologist. For £25 you can have a scan with Wendy Parsons. She is not a doctor and so she cannot give you medical advice but she can check your deep veins and your varicose veins and give you an idea of how bad they are. If you would like to have an appointment with Wendy please call 01935 873 951