Online varicose veins assessment tool
A free two-minute assessment of your leg veins and symptoms, written by a consultant vascular surgeon, to help you decide whether to book a consultation.
Can you diagnose varicose veins online?
No. Varicose veins are diagnosed by a vascular specialist examining your legs and, in most cases, with a duplex ultrasound scan that shows which veins are refluxing. What you can do online is narrow things down: the pattern of veins you can see, the symptoms you have and any skin changes give a good indication of whether a scan is likely to be useful and how soon you should be seen. That is what the assessment tool above does, and it produces a summary you can bring to, or send ahead of, a consultation.
Do I have thread veins, reticular veins or varicose veins?
Visible leg veins fall into a few broad patterns. The pattern you notice is a useful starting point, but it is the consultation and, where appropriate, a duplex ultrasound scan that show what is going on underneath.
Thread or spider veins
Fine red, purple or blue veins at the skin surface, often spreading out from a central point. Usually a cosmetic concern. Treated with microsclerotherapy.
Reticular veins
Slightly larger blue-green veins under the skin that do not bulge much. They sit between thread veins and varicose veins, and sometimes feed thread veins.
Varicose veins
Bulging, twisted or rope-like veins. More often linked to aching, heaviness, swelling or itching, and to skin changes near the ankle over time. See varicose veins.
Do I need an ultrasound scan for varicose veins?
A duplex ultrasound is a painless scan that maps how blood is flowing in the leg veins. It is commonly useful when there are bulging varicose veins, symptoms, skin changes, previous vein treatment or recurrent veins, because it shows whether underlying veins are refluxing (letting blood flow the wrong way) and which treatment is likely to work. For fine thread veins with no symptoms it is not always needed, which your consultant will confirm.
When are varicose veins urgent?
Please seek prompt medical advice from your GP, NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre, rather than waiting for a routine vein consultation, if you currently have:
- Bleeding from a vein
- Sudden painful swelling in one leg
- A red, hot, tender or hard vein
- An open sore or ulcer on the lower leg or ankle
Chest pain or breathlessness together with a swollen or painful leg can be a medical emergency. Call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Does this online tool diagnose varicose veins?
No. It collects what you have noticed about your veins and symptoms and produces a summary for a vascular specialist to review. Only a consultation and, where appropriate, a duplex ultrasound scan can assess your veins properly.
When is a duplex ultrasound scan useful for leg veins?
A duplex ultrasound is commonly useful when there are bulging varicose veins, symptoms such as aching, heaviness or swelling, skin changes near the ankle, previous vein treatment or recurrent veins. It shows whether underlying veins are refluxing and helps plan treatment.
What is the difference between thread veins, reticular veins and varicose veins?
Thread or spider veins are fine red, purple or blue surface veins. Reticular veins are slightly larger blue-green veins under the skin that do not bulge much. Varicose veins are larger, bulging, twisted or rope-like veins, and are more often associated with symptoms.
Which vein symptoms should not wait for a routine appointment?
Bleeding from a vein, a sudden painful swollen leg, a red, hot and tender vein, or an open sore or ulcer should be assessed promptly by your GP, NHS 111 or an urgent treatment centre. Chest pain or breathlessness with a swollen or painful leg is an emergency: call 999.
Can varicose veins go away on their own?
Established varicose veins do not usually disappear without treatment, although symptoms can ease with compression stockings, exercise and raising the legs. Veins that appear during pregnancy sometimes improve in the months after delivery.
Do I need a GP referral for a private vein consultation?
Not for a self-pay consultation with Mr Dastur. If you plan to use private medical insurance, your insurer will usually ask for a GP referral first.
What happens at a varicose vein consultation?
Mr Dastur will ask about your symptoms and history, examine your legs and discuss the options. For self-pay patients a duplex ultrasound scan can often be arranged at the same visit at some clinics. Insurers require a separate scan appointment, and in some more complex cases, for example recurrent veins after previous treatment, a more detailed scan needs to be arranged on a separate date; you will be told at the appointment.
What happens to the information I enter?
Your answers stay in your browser unless you choose to send the summary to the clinic. If you do, it is delivered securely to Mr Dastur's office so they can contact you about a consultation.
This page provides general information and is not a substitute for individual medical advice. The tool records patient-reported information only. Reviewed by Mr Neville Dastur, Consultant Vascular and Endovascular Surgeon.