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If you have varicose veins, you will be able to see them. They will bulge beneath your skin, looking lumpy and twisted. They may also ache and feel uncomfortable.

Varicose veins look like twisted cords that run along your leg. There may be bulges in the vein, and these can stick out from the surface of the skin. The place where blood is pooling in the vein often looks and feels lumpy.

Varicose means "grape-like", which is how varicose veins often appear.

If you have varicose veins, you may be unhappy with the way they look. In fact, the most common complaint people make about varicose veins is their appearance.¹ You may avoid wearing certain clothes or doing activities like swimming and other sports where your legs are showing.

Not all veins that show through your skin are varicose veins. Some people just have more visible veins than other people do. But if a vein feels lumpy, it's more likely to be a varicose vein.

You may have small clusters of veins on your skin that you can see but not feel. These are called spider or thread veins. They tend to come in fairly small patches on the thigh or ankle and can be red or blue. They don't bulge underneath the surface of the skin like varicose veins do.²

Spider or thread veins are harmless. You get them when the walls of the small veins just beneath the surface of the skin get overstretched.² Because they are filled with more blood than usual, these veins become visible.² Sometimes they ache.

You may not have any other problems with your varicose veins, apart from the fact you can see them. But some people say their legs feel uncomfortable. Your legs may feel:³

• Achy (some people get quite severe aching and this can be made worse by standing for a long time)
• Swollen
• Cramped
• Heavy, tense or tired
• Restless
• Itchy
• Tingly.

You also may get a throbbing feeling in your legs.

You may not have all these symptoms at once. Hot weather and standing for long periods of time can make your veins more uncomfortable and may also make them look worse.

Lots of people get aching in their lower legs. This isn't always caused by varicose veins. The symptoms may be from a problem in a deeper vein or may be caused by tired muscles. So treatment to get rid of the veins may not get rid of the aches.⁴

If you're a woman, your varicose veins may hurt more before your period. This happens to about one-third of women who have varicose veins.⁵ This is probably because of changes in hormones during this time, which can affect the stretchiness of your veins. Also, some women say their varicose veins feel worse after having sex.⁵

The symptoms of varicose veins do not get worse quickly. This happens gradually over time, usually over many years.

There are things you can try to relieve the symptoms of your varicose veins. See Self-help for varicose 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.