2.3.5　Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are twisted and dilated veins most commonly located on the lower extremities（Fig.2-7）.In normal veins，the wall of the vein is strong enough to withstand the lateral pressure of the blood and the blood flows through the valves in one direction.In varicose veins，however，the dilatation of the vein from long periods of pressure prevents the complete closure of the valves，resulting in backflow of blood in the veins，creating the varicosities.

Fig.2-7　Varicose Veins

Symptoms of varicose veins include a heavy，achy feeling and an itching or burning sensation.These symptoms worsen with prolonged standing.Potential complications include infection，leg ulcers，stasis changes，and thrombosis.

Varicose veins are usually diagnosed by inspection，but their extent can be determined only by palpation with the patient standing.(https://www.daowen.com)

Conservative treatment options include external compression；lifestyle modifications，such as avoidance of prolonged standing and straining，exercise，wearing nonrestrictive clothing，modification of cardiovascular risk factors，and interventions to reduce peripheral edema；elevation of the affected leg；weight loss；and medical therapy.There is not enough evidence to determine if compression stockings are effective in the treatment of varicose veins in the absence of active or healed venous ulcers.Interventional treatments include external laser thermal ablation，endovenous thermal ablation，endovenous sclerotherapy，and surgery.Although surgery was once the standard of care，it has been largely replaced by endovenous thermal ablation，which can be performed under local anesthesia and may have better outcomes and fewer complications than other treatments.Existing evidence and clinical guidelines suggest that a trial of compression therapy is not warranted before referral for endovenous thermal ablation.

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Task 7　Write a word with each of the following meanings.