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Without treatment, varicose veins tend to get worse over the years. But this normally happens very slowly. You may also get more varicose veins in your legs over time.

Varicose veins do not usually disappear on their own. But if you're a woman and you get varicose veins while you're pregnant, they may disappear after you have your baby.¹

Varicose veins don't often cause any serious medical problems.² But a few people with varicose veins do get complications. This is much more likely to happen if you have problems in your deep veins. To learn more, see More serious problems in your veins.

Below, we've listed the complications you might get if you have varicose veins. There are things you can try to keep some problems at bay, but there's no evidence that they work. See Self-help for varicose veins.

About 6 in 100 people with varicose veins have skin problems around their veins.³ This can happen if the high pressure in the veins interferes with the blood flow and damages the tissue nearby. These skin problems include:

• Changes in skin color: Brown, blotchy patches might show up on your legs and ankles
• A scaly, dry rash, similar to eczema
• Itchy skin
• Thin, papery skin that is easily bruised.

If you do have skin problems, you should:

• Take care to avoid injuries
• Avoid sticking bandages to your skin
• Use simple moisturizers on dry skin.
• Avoid skin products with perfume (some people have a reaction to the perfume).

Knocking or bumping a varicose vein can be painful. If the bump is hard enough, the vein may bleed. The bleeding may be on your skin or under your skin, which can cause a bruise. Occasionally, the vein may bleed even without being injured.

Some people get repeated bleeding from their varicose veins. You have a higher chance of this if you have a condition called severe venous hypertension (see More serious problems in your veins). Sometimes, but not often, this bleeding can result in severe blood loss.

You can stop most bleeding by lying down and raising your leg above the level of your heart. You then apply pressure to the injury. It's very rare for the bleeding not to stop, but if you are worried about a vein that seems to be bleeding, see your doctor.⁴

An ulcer is an open sore that can form on your skin over a varicose vein. An ulcer can be painful and slow to heal. There is also the risk of it getting infected.

Ulcers are not common in people under age 60.³ And not all ulcers are linked to varicose veins. About 1 percent of Americans have leg ulcers, but only half of these have varicose veins, too.

If you have an ulcer, see your doctor at once. You need to have it dressed with special bandages and you should keep your leg raised when sitting.

You may get small clots in the blood that pools in your varicose veins, especially after bumping your vein. This can make the vein painful and inflamed. Doctors call this thrombophlebitis. It is a common problem related to varicose veins. The area around your vein may feel tender, red and hot. You may also feel feverish and unwell.

If you think your vein is inflamed, see your doctor. You may need medication to dissolve the clot or to prevent a new clot from forming. Your doctor may also prescribe painkillers and antibiotics if there is an infection. And you may need medication to help reduce the inflammation.

This type of clot, unlike one in a deep vein, is unlikely to travel anywhere else in the body and cause problems. It is uncomfortable rather than dangerous.²

Many people worry they will get deep vein thrombosis (DVT for short) because of their varicose veins. DVT is when you get a blood clot forming in a vein in one of your legs. The clot can break off, travel in the blood and block a blood vessel in the lungs. This is called a pulmonary embolism. It is dangerous.

You can get varicose veins after having DVT. But there is no evidence from good studies that having varicose veins leads to DVT.²

To learn more about DVT, see More serious problems in your veins.

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.