The onset of varicose veins during pregnancy is a frequent occurrence: in its milder forms occurs in 70-75% of cases.

Varicose veins in pregnancy occur in women predisposed: pregnancy would act only as a trigger or accelerant for the appearance of a problem already present, even if not yet manifested.

Pregnancy therefore has a significant influence on the natural history of varicose disease, since it is able to determine the aggravation of an existing disease and to highlight signs of venous insufficiency not yet clinically apparent.

Moreover there is the possibility of spontaneous regression in the months following childbirth.

The frequency of appearance of varicose veins increases with the increase of the number of pregnancies; also, a too short time interval between pregnancies and the next slows down the recovery of the tone of the venous wall and therefore the problems might return more serious.