Varicose veins are a condition in which the veins in the leg area have become bigger. The condition not only looks bad, it also creates itching and painful problems.
Varicose veins are very common, affecting about 30% of people at some time in their lives. They become more common with age. Women develop varicose veins about twice as often as men. Varicose veins have been described throughout history and have been treated with surgery since at least A.D. 400.