Chronic condition: Varicose veins in the legs

A few veins are starting to become visible in my calves. When I showed my friends, they said it's varicose veins. One of my friends even had surgery for varicose veins... but the surgery costs a lot, and I'm really scared. So I looked up ways to prevent varicose veins on the internet, and I'm even taking medication related to varicose veins and doing some exercises.

Sometimes my calves hurt, and sometimes they feel fine... Is it okay to just manage it with medication like this?

I'm worried whether I really need to undergo surgery.