O22: Venous complications and haemorrhoids in pregnancy

O22.0: Varicose veins of lower extremity in pregnancy

Veins are blood vessels that transport the blood back to the heart. A distinction is drawn between surface veins beneath the skin and deeper-lying veins in the body’s tissue.

During a pregnancy, hormones can make the veins more elastic. As a result, the blood flows more slowly than usual through the veins. A slower blood flow can cause blood to back up in the veins. This can be seen as varicose veins from the outside. Varicose veins in the legs can cause the legs to feel heavy and swell up.