Varicose veins can be associated with a range of symptoms including aching, throbbing, swelling around the ankles, dermatitis (and itching) and discoloration of the skin around the ankles. In severe cases the skin can ulcerate around the ankles. Interestingly varicose veins can also be associated with leg cramps and restless legs (at night) although the mechanism for these two symptoms is not clear. Importantly the presence or absence of aching is NOT a good guide as to the severity of veins. Sadly often the first problem that some people have is the appearance of an ulcer in a leg that had previously had no aching. This means that it is important to assess the severity of the situation by means other than the severity of the aching.