Varicose veins: laser venous ablation is one of the options for treating the condition

Unless Jeff Hoggan pointed them out, no one was likely to think too much about the lumps on his leg. Anyone looking close, however, could see them, grapelike, rippling just below the surface.

A couple of years ago, a doctor told him they were varicose veins. Did your parents have them? he asked. The answer was yes.

Genetics, obesity, pregnancy, gender, age and a lifetime of standing for long periods are all risk factors for the common condition, which affects 60 million Americans. Hoggan, in his late-40s at the time, was on the young side to have them. It's also more common in women.

While arteries carry blood from the heart to the rest of the body's tissue, veins are responsible for the important return trip. Varicose veins are most common in the legs because those veins must fight gravity to do their job, relying on one-way valves in the vein that prevent the blood from flowing backward.

It is a malfunction in those valves that causes varicose veins, the blood flowing back downhill and pooling, the veins then enlarging and bulging.

At the time, after some discussion, Hoggan decided to just live with the lumps, which were most likely caused — or at least helped along — by a lifetime spent working and playing on his feet. The lumps weren't painful or too noticeable back then. He hoped they'd go away, but they didn't.

Early this month, Hoggan had had enough. It was starting to impact the things he likes to do. "I'm active," he said. "I do a lot of boating, golfing, going to the gym."

The lumps had become large enough that he no longer wore shorts when he worked out at the gym. They were also becoming uncomfortable at times as the blood pooled in his leg.

Varicose veins left untreated might just look ugly, as occurs with the mild form called spider veins. Or something worse can result. Varicose veins sometimes cause the leg to ache, something Hoggan experienced periodically. The condition can also create venous hypertension and/or thickened, inflamed skin. Clots can form. On rare occasions, it can lead to deep-vein thrombosis. And the afflicted veins that are close to the surface can bleed substantially because of the high blood pressure.

Some people complain of achy, heavy-feeling legs or burning and muscle cramping. Sitting or standing tends to worsen symptoms. It may itch around one or more of the veins. Serious cases can create skin ulcers around the ankle. If that happens, it's important to get immediate medical care, according to the Mayo Clinic's reference guide to varicose veins.