Myths About Varicose Veins - "Women get varicose veins more often than men"
The myth that women get varicose veins more often than men is one of the most often repeated myths about varicose veins.
It is also wrong - except in the condition of Vulval or Vaginal Varicose Veins (see www.vulval-varicose-veins.co.uk) - a form of pelvic congestion syndrome.
So why did this myth occur and how has it grown up?
Basically, research used to be done by simple methods. Doctors used to just count patient or conditions - without thinking about why they had turned up to see them in the first place. In the case of finding out who gets varicose veins, GPs or Surgeons used to count numbers of patients who came to their clinics complaining of having varicose veins.
However, whereas women are generally good about seeking health care, men are not. Men tend to avoid going to doctors at all costs - often to their own detriment.
As such, it APPEARED that women had varicose veins more than men - solely because more women consulted doctors, about varicose veins, than men.
In fact, when a researcher from Edinburgh went out into the community and examined people at random, she found the reverse was actually true - that slightly more men than women have varicose veins. This was presented at research meetings and was published in 1998.
This often happens in medicine - things that "everyone knows" or that are "obvious" are accepted until someone actually does a research project to find out the truth.
It is also a very good test for you to check out articles or websites about varicose veins that you might read. If they say varicose veins are much more common in women than men, then it is very out of date!
