In the United Suites, the presence of a blue vein on a child's forehead that touches the nose supposedly indicates an early death. But in Europe, the same vein is a sign that the person will never marry.

Although most of us probably have strange beliefs about veins - including the ever-popular notion that washing the hands immediately after ironing or doing hard work will make them bulge -- there is one thing people agree on: visible veins are ugly. That makes varicose veins a problem.

Varicose vein are twisted and enlarged veins close to the surface of the skin. These swollen veins may occur anywhere on the body but they often appear on the legs and feet. The swelling is caused by blood that accumulates in the veins. How does this happen?

A network of vein carries blood from the legs to the heart. This is accomplished by means of one-way valves which have to work against the force of gravity. But the system is not fool-proof. If the valves weaken or fail to close properly, blood travels down the legs instead of up. The pooled blood stretches the vein which results in the all too familiar problem of varicosities.

"Varicose veins are caused by the number of factors that put excess pressure on the veins in the legs: prolonged standing; prolonged sitting, especially with the legs crossed; lack of exercise; confining clothes; obesity (which puts excess pressure on the legs and contributes to the inability of the muscles to push blood upward); heredity (a tendency toward weak vein walls and valves seems to be inherited); and even height (tall people may be more susceptible because their blood needs to move farther in its return to the heart)," according to the editors of Consumer Guide's "Family Health & Medical Guide."

Because of hormonal factors, women are more susceptible to varicose veins. In fact, they're the ones who often complain about the problem, revealed Dr. Larry Roy C. Tojino, a phlebologist or vein specialist in Manila. Special hormones released during pregnancy tend to relax the walls of the veins and the weight of the growing fetus aggravates the condition.

Varicose veins appear as bulging, bluish veins on the legs but the condition is not merely cosmetic. In some, there may be a feeling of itchiness or heaviness in the legs, fatigue at the end of the day, and itchy, scaly skin covering the affected areas. In severe cases, the patient may complain of leg cramps, swollen ankles and pain.

"Varicose veins alone are not too serious, but they may lead to a more serious condition, such as a skin ulcer, phlebitis (inflammation of a vein), or thrombosis (blood clot formation)," said Consumer Guide.

"Sometimes ulcers form. Ulcers caused by varicose veins or malfunction of the valves within veins ordinarily are located near the ankle and are the result of long-term 'waterlogging' of these tissues as a result of increased pressure of blood within the affected veins. Brownish pigmentation usually precedes the development of an ulcer," added Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Family Health Book." (Next: Quack cures for varicose veins.)

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