Why do my legs feel heavy at the end of the day?

Heaviness that improves when you raise your legs is often a sign of weak vein valves — and it is very treatable.

Your leg veins carry blood upwards against gravity using one-way valves. When those valves weaken, blood pools in the lower leg after hours of standing or sitting, causing heaviness, aching and ankle swelling.

Simple steps help: walk often, raise your legs for 15 minutes in the evening and avoid standing still for long periods. If the symptoms persist, a 15-minute Doppler scan shows exactly which veins are affected.

Today most varicose veins are treated from the inside through a needle, under local anaesthesia, and you walk out the same day.