Making the Diagnosis
Varicose veins are usually diagnosed by the patient, who can see them or feel the way they stick out from under the skin.
Your doctor can properly judge their actual extent by feeling the veins in the leg while you are standing. If varicose veins are really visible, they probably developed some time ago. Swollen ankles can be a sign that veins deeper inside the leg are also not working properly. Your doctor may also order tests such as Doppler ultrasound or X-rays to see if deeper leg veins are working as they should or if there is a blood clot present.