*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature O: Orthodontics.

Diagnosis

If you have varicose veins and they do not cause you any discomfort, you may not need to visit a GP.

Varicose veins are rarely a serious condition and they do not usually require treatment.

But speak to a GP if:

your varicose veins are causing you pain or discomfort
the skin over your veins is sore and irritated
the aching in your legs is causing irritation at night and disturbing your sleep

Speak immediately to a GP or call 111 if your varicose veins start bleeding. You may need urgent treatment.

Seeing a GP

Varicose veins are diagnosed by their appearance. The GP will examine your legs while you're standing to check for signs of swelling.

You may also be asked to describe any pain you have and whether there are situations that make your varicose veins worse.

For example, some women find their menstrual cycle (period) affects their varicose veins.

The GP will also want to know if you're at an increased risk of developing varicose veins, such as:

having a family history of varicose veins
being pregnant
whether you have a healthy body mass index (BMI)
having deep vein thrombosis (a blood clot in one of the deep veins of the body)
a history of leg injury (for example, having previously broken a bone in your leg)

Further investigation

The GP may refer you to a vascular specialist (a doctor who specialises in veins) if you have any of the following:

varicose veins that are causing pain, aching, discomfort, swelling, heaviness or itching
changes in the colour of the skin on your leg that may be caused by problems with the blood flow in the leg
skin conditions affecting your leg, such as eczema, that may be caused by problems with the blood flow in the leg
hard and painful varicose veins that may be caused by problems with the blood flow in the leg
a healed or unhealed leg ulcer (a break in the skin that has not healed within 2 weeks) below the knee

In most cases, a test called a duplex ultrasound scan will be carried out. This is a type of scan that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce a picture of the veins in your legs.

The picture shows the blood flow and helps the vascular specialist locate any damaged valves that might be causing your varicose veins.

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature O: Orthodontics. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
Photos: LightFieldStudios and one of VladOrlov, Stockcube, darak77, ajr_images or rawpixel.com.