Video: Bleeding Varicose Veins: What To Do

If you have varicose veins, one thing people often don't realise is that they can bleed. It can look very dramatic, because the pressure in these veins can be quite high and the skin over the vein may be very thin.

If this happens, the first thing to do is not to panic. Lie down, raise the leg, and apply firm, direct pressure over the bleeding point with a clean cloth or dressing. Don't keep lifting it up every few seconds to check. Hold pressure properly. If the bleeding does not stop, if it is heavy, if you feel faint, or if you are on blood thinners, you should seek urgent medical help.

But even if it stops, don't just treat it as a one-off accident. Bleeding from varicose veins is usually a sign that there is an underlying vein pressure problem. The key test is a proper venous duplex ultrasound, because that shows where the reflux is coming from and where treatment is needed to prevent it from happening again. So varicose veins are not always just cosmetic. If they bleed, or cause skin changes, swelling, aching, ulcers or recurrent symptoms, they deserve proper assessment.