9 Simple Ways To Prevent Varicose Veins
Nearly half of all Americans will develop some form of varicose veins within their lifetime. Aside from being cosmetically unappealing, varicose veins (and their smaller, more superficial, capillary-based cousins – spider veins) can make common everyday activities like walking and standing painful. In more severe cases, varicose veins can even lead to skin ulcers.
While there is no way to guarantee prevention of varicose veins, there are things you can do to lower your risk of varicose vein development.
1. Exercise Regularly
Regular walking or running can improve blood circulation of the legs, helping to ward off vein dysfunction. Thirty minutes of daily exercise can also reduce high blood pressure and strengthen all aspects of the circulatory system.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
A high correlation exists between obesity and varicose vein development. Excess weight adds pressure to the legs, increasing the work veins have to do to properly circulate blood back to the heart. As such, maintaining a healthy weight significantly reduces the risk of varicose and spider vein development. Talk to your physician about implementing healthy eating habits and regular exercise into your daily routine.
3. Elevate Your Legs
When sitting or sleeping, raising your legs above the level of your heart can enhance proper blood circulation.
4. Practice Good Posture
Studies have shown that good posture can also improve circulation. Additionally, refraining from sitting with crossed legs can help as leg crossing restricts proper blood flow.
5. Avoid Prolonged Standing or Sitting
Prolonged standing or sitting keep the calf muscles inactive and can significantly weaken the valves and walls of the blood vessels in your lower extremities over long periods of time, leading to vein dysfunction and increased venous pressure in both the legs and feet. We encourage patients to try to have a mix of standing and sitting during their day. If prolonged standing or sitting is unavoidable, such as with certain occupations, periodic shifts in position, calf exercises, and/or short walks may all be helpful.
6. Quit Smoking
One of the many consequences of smoking is high blood pressure, a contributor to varicose vein development.
7. Avoid long-term birth control pill use
Using hormonal birth control has been shown to increase the risk of varicose vein development as increased estrogen can alter the function of valves in peripheral veins. Your health care provider can suggest other long-term birth control alternatives.
8. Wardrobe changes
Avoiding clothes that are extremely tight fitting around the waist and legs can help to improve blood circulation. Opt for apparel that is soft and loose fitting. Also trading in high heels for properly fitting low-heeled or flat shoes can also help; plus your feet will thank you.
9. Compression hose
If you are noticing early vein development on your legs try wearing compression hose. Here at Westlake Dermatology we have a large variety of compression products that can help. Our experts can help you find compression hose with the right fit and compression level for your specific needs.
While the steps above can help prevent the appearance of varicose veins, stop new ones from forming, and reduce the size and painfulness of existing ones, medical treatment may be advisable if these more conservative methods fail to improve the signs and symptoms of vein disease. Effective treatments for treating existing varicose and spider veins include sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, and laser-based treatments. To learn more about treatment options contact us today!
Daniel P. Friedmann, M.D. is a fellowship-trained, board-certified dermatologist and phlebologist at Westlake Dermatology and Clinical Research Director of the Westlake Clinical Research Center. He has presented nationally on photorejuvenation, noninvasive fat reduction, radiofrequency devices, up-to-date techniques in photodynamic therapy, the management of stretch marks, and the treatment of hand, chest, and facial veins.
Yes! Finally something helpful regarding leg vein issues. Thanks for the post!
Great tips, I have some new veins developing after my pregnancy. Hopefully it’s not too late!
I never knew that wearing flat shoes as opposed to high heels could help prevent varicose veins, especially as you get older. My mother has been complaining to me recently that she has been experiencing some troubles with varicose veins popping up on her ankles and legs. My mother really likes wearing high heels, so I will be sure to suggest to her that she trades some of the shoes in her closet for flats.
I never knew that the high blood pressure in varicose veins can be from smoking!
Thanks for sharing it!
I never knew that crossing legs could lead to varicose veins, but it makes sense that this would happen since blood circulation is restricted, as you mentioned. Interesting stuff!!
Another reason to stop the cigs, don’t want to get stuck with gross viens
Great article! There is some of the best advice on variocose veins that I’ve seen online 🙂
EXERCISE REGULARLY
Normal strolling or running can further develop blood dissemination of the legs, assisting with warding off vein brokenness. Thirty minutes of every day exercise can likewise decrease hypertension and fortify all parts of the circulatory framework.
2. Keep A HEALTHY WEIGHT
A high relationship exists among weight and varicose vein advancement. Abundance weight adds strain to the legs, expanding the work veins need to never really circle blood back to the heart. In that capacity, keeping a sound weight altogether decreases the danger of varicose and arachnid vein improvement. Converse with your doctor about executing smart dieting propensities and customary exercise into your every day schedule.
3. Hoist YOUR LEGS
When sitting or resting, raising your legs over the level of your heart can upgrade legitimate blood course.
4. PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE
Studies have shown that great stance can likewise further develop dissemination. Also, avoiding sitting with crossed legs can help as leg crossing confines appropriate blood stream.
While the means above can assist with forestalling the presence of varicose veins, prevent new ones from framing, and diminish the size and difficulty of existing ones, clinical treatment might be prudent if these more traditionalist strategies neglect to work on the signs and manifestations of vein infection. Compelling medicines for treating existing varicose and arachnid veins incorporate sclerotherapy, phlebectomy, and laser-based medicines. To study treatment choices get in touch with us today!
1. EXERCISE REGULARLY
Ordinary strolling or running can further develop blood dissemination of the legs, assisting with warding off vein brokenness. Thirty minutes of every day exercise can likewise decrease hypertension and fortify all parts of the circulatory framework.
2. Keep A HEALTHY WEIGHT
A high relationship exists among weight and varicose vein improvement. Overabundance weight adds strain to the legs, expanding the work veins need to never really circle blood back to the heart. Accordingly, keeping a solid weight fundamentally decreases the danger of varicose and bug vein improvement. Converse with your doctor about executing smart dieting propensities and ordinary exercise into your every day schedule.
3. Lift YOUR LEGS
When sitting or resting, raising your legs over the level of your heart can upgrade legitimate blood course.
4. PRACTICE GOOD POSTURE
Studies have shown that great stance can likewise further develop dissemination. Also, ceasing from sitting with crossed legs can help as leg crossing limits legitimate blood stream.
5. Keep away from PROLONGED STANDING OR SITTING
Drawn out standing or sitting keep the lower leg muscles idle and can essentially debilitate the valves and dividers of the veins in your lower limits throughout significant stretches of time, prompting vein brokenness and expanded venous pressing factor in both the legs and feet. We urge patients to attempt to have a blend of standing and sitting during their day. Whenever delayed standing or sitting is unavoidable, for example, with specific occupations, intermittent changes in position, lower leg works out, or potentially short strolls may all be useful.
Treatment will rely upon your manifestations, age and general wellbeing. It will likewise rely upon how serious the condition is.
On the off chance that you don’t have indications, you may not require treatment. In any case, varicose veins may now and again deteriorate without treatment. On the off chance that you need treatment, it might include:
Leg height. You might be told to lift your feet over your heart three or four times each day for around 15 minutes all at once. On the off chance that you need to sit or represent quite a while, flexing your legs from time to time can assist keep with blooding coursing. On the off chance that you have gentle to direct varicose veins, raising your legs can assist with decreasing leg enlarging and ease different side effects.
Pressure stockings. These flexible stockings crush the veins and keep blood from pooling. They can be compelling on the off chance that you wear them consistently.
Sclerotherapy. This is the most widely recognized treatment. A synthetic infused into the influenced veins causes scarring so they can presently don’t convey blood. Blood then, at that point gets back to the heart through different veins while the body retains the scarred veins.
Endovenous laser removal or radiofrequency removal (RFA). This is a negligibly intrusive technique. A cylinder (catheter) puts heat solidly into the influenced vein. This shuts the vein. When the vein is shut, less blood pools in the leg which further develops by and large blood stream.
Vein stripping. In more serious cases, the specialist might tie off and eliminate veins by making little cuts in the skin.
Microphlebectomy. Extraordinary instruments embedded through little entry points are utilized to eliminate varicose veins. It very well might be done in your medical care supplier’s office, either alone or with vein stripping.