If you've stopped wearing shorts long before the end of the summer because of your varicose veins, it's time to do something about them. They won't get better on their own. They will continue to grow and may start to affect your health. Here is why you have these bulging veins in your legs and what you can do about them.

Out-Of-Control Blood Vessels are the Problem

Tiny valves in your blood vessels control the direction of the blood flow. They help keep the blood moving in one direction. Should the valves fail in a blood vessel, blood can pool there and cause the blood vessel to swell. As the vessel swells, it develops twists and kinks and prevents the blood from moving to other parts of your leg. You can develop a number of symptoms including:

• swollen ankles, feet and lower legs
• pain and fatigue in your legs
• muscle spasms in your legs

Treating Your Varicose Veins

The treatment of this vascular condition is not just for the cosmetic improvement. It is to restore the circulation in your leg to get rid of the pain and swelling. Your doctor will first recommend non-invasive approaches to minimize the effect of the varicose veins. These won't help with the appearance of the veins, but it may give you relief from some of the symptoms. When the non-invasive treatments fail to give you relief, surgical options are available.

Non-Invasive Treatment

Compression stockings - These are specially woven stockings that put varying pressure on your leg from your foot to your thigh. When you move your legs, the stockings produce a pumping action to help move the blood out of your legs into the rest of your system. To be effective, you'll have to wear these stockings most of the day.

Physical therapy - You'll work with a physical therapist who will show you exercises to do to strengthen the muscles in your legs. These will improve the circulation in your legs and prevent the pooling of blood that causes swelling of the blood vessels.

Surgical Treatment

Sclerotherapy - A chemical is injected into the varicose vein that damages the vessel wall, causing it to shrink. Most of the blood is forced out of the blood vessel while the rest clots. Over time, your body absorbs the unused blood vessel, leaving no trace or scars.

Laser therapy - A tiny laser is inserted into the blood vessel which then heats up the vessel wall causing it to shrink. The blood vessel is again absorbed by your body.

Phlebectomy - For extensive varicose veins, surgical removal of the vein may be the only option. With this procedure, incisions are made over the vein and it is divided into small pieces, which are then removed. You may have some scarring once the incisions heal from this surgery.