Varicose veins are a condition in which the veins in your legs become blue or black and swollen. This is due to the malfunction of the valves in the veins that carry blood back to the heart. The main causes are:
Prolonged standing work: People who stand for hours on end, such as teachers, security guards, and salespeople, are more likely to develop this condition. When you stand for long periods of time, blood pools in your legs and puts pressure on your veins.
Age: As you age, the elasticity of your veins decreases. This causes the valves inside your veins to weaken, causing blood to reflux instead of going to your heart.
Obesity and lack of exercise: When you gain weight, the veins in your legs experience more pressure than they can handle. Lack of exercise also reduces the ability of your muscles to pump blood upward.
Hormonal changes and pregnancy: During pregnancy, the increased blood volume and hormonal changes in the body cause the veins to dilate. This can also be caused by the enlarged uterus, which can block blood flow to the legs.
Heredity: If someone in your family has varicose veins, there is a higher genetic risk of them developing in others. Weakness in the walls of the veins can be inherited.