Embarrassing Illnesses

If you have varicose veins and they do not cause you any discomfort, you may not need to visit your GP. Varicose veins are rarely a serious condition and they do not usually require any treatment.

Seek advice from your GP if your varicose veins are causing you pain or discomfort, if the skin over your veins is sore and irritated or if the aching in your legs is causing irritation at night and disturbing your sleep.

Varicose veins are diagnosed by their appearance. Your GP will examine your legs while you are standing to check for any signs of swelling. They may also ask you to describe any pain.

If your GP feels it is necessary to investigate your varicose veins further, they may refer you to a vascular specialist (a doctor who specialises in veins). After examination, the specialist will decide whether any further investigation is necessary.

There are a few tests which can be used to investigate varicose veins:

Doppler test

The Doppler test uses an ultrasound scan to provide information about the direction of the blood flow in your veins. It can give an indication of how well the valves in your veins work.

An ultrasound scan is a painless procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to produce an image of the inside of your body. A Doppler test can also be used to check for any blood clots or obstructions in your veins.

Colour duplex ultrasound scan

A colour duplex ultrasound scan provides colour images of your vein structure. This allows the specialist to look for any abnormalities in your veins. A colour duplex ultrasound scan can also measure the speed of your blood flow.