Venous insufficiency
Why legs end the day swollen and heavy, and how worn-out valves create varicose veins.
Esas venas dilatadas no son un defecto cosmético; son tuberías con válvulas dañadas que ya no pueden vencer la gravedad.
The veins in the legs have to send blood back to the heart against gravity. To do it they rely on valves that open to let it rise and close so it cannot fall back, and on the calf pump, which squeezes the veins with every step.
When those valves stop closing properly, blood flows back and pools. The built-up pressure stretches and deforms the vein wall until it forms varicose veins, with heavy legs, swelling at the end of the day and, over the years, skin changes. Long hours sitting or standing switch the calf pump off; walking and moving the ankles switch it back on.
