What is venous reflux disease?
Venous reflux disease occurs in leg veins, particularly the saphenous veins, which are designed to carry blood back to the heart. To prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction these veins have numerous valves. When the valves fail, blood flows back down (refluxes) and pools up in the leg veins, causing them to swell. Venous reflux is therefore the underlying cause of varicose veins.
