Varicose Veins

If you have noticed ropy, bluish-purple veins snaking across your calves, you are looking at varicose veins. They appear when the one-way valves inside the leg veins weaken, letting blood slide backwards and pool. In many people the problem is part of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) – a broader circulation issue that can also cause spider veins, ankle swelling, skin discolouration or even non-healing ulcers.

While varicose veins can certainly dent confidence in shorts-weather Singapore, they are more than cosmetic.

Aching heaviness, night-time cramps and ankle puffiness can chip away at day-to-day comfort, making long ward rounds, shopping trips or school runs a chore. Left unchecked, the pressure may trigger eczema-like rashes or open sores around the ankle (venous ulcers).