Varicose veins are knotty, enlarged veins that tend to poke out of your skin. Any vein can become varicose but the ones most susceptible to becoming varicose are the ones in the lower portion of your body. Continuous standing and walking increases your vein pressure in your feet and legs, hence why they are more susceptible to developing the condition.
The extent of varicose and spider veins is normally a cosmetic concern but in some cases the enlarged veins can cause a person serious pain and discomfort. This type of condition is also usually a sign that you have a higher risk of getting a circulatory problem.
Symptoms
In some cases you may not experience any pain at all caused from varicose veins. The signs that you have them though are;
- Dark purple or blue coloured veins
- Twisted, knotted and bulging veins
If you do experience painful symptoms you may notice;
- Aches and heaviness in your legs
- Your lower legs burn, throb, cramp and swell
- After sitting down for a short time you experience pain
- Your veins become itchy
- Your veins start to bleed
- Veins start to change colour
Causes
Blood circulation works where arteries carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Your veins return the blood back to your heart to be recirculated. The veins in your legs have to combat gravity and are why your lower portion of your body is more susceptible to this type of condition.
Causes of varicose veins can also include;
- Your age
As you get older your veins lose their elasticity which causes them to stretch. Instead of being able to push your blood to your heart it can’t fight gravity as well and causes it to form pools and enlarge your veins.
- Pregnancy
Women are more susceptible to getting varicose veins while they’re pregnant because it increases the overall capacity of blood in your body. However it decreases your blood flow in the lower portion of your body to help the foetus but can lead to enlarged veins.
- Gender
Women overall are more likely to develop varicose veins due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, menopause and pre-menstruation. This occurs as the hormones released relax your vein walls sometimes causing them to bulge.
- Obesity
Being obese is a clear cause for varicose veins. Your body has to move blood around more areas of your body. The added pressure in your veins causes them to wear out and in a lot of cases become varicose.
- Standing or sitting for extended periods of time
If your job requires you to stand or sit for long periods of time you may increase your chances of the condition. Your blood doesn’t flow as well when your body is stuck in the same position for long periods of time.
When to seek help
There are many different ways to combat and prevent this condition such as exercise, elevating your legs and wearing compression socks. It can help ease the pain and also may prevent the condition from getting any worse. However there is no self-care technique that can fully get rid of the condition.
If you are worried with the way that they look seek a vein clinic that can perform the necessary surgery and procedures to remove your varicose veins. The procedure works for many people and more are seeking the procedures from vein clinics due to the increase of cubicle culture where people are sitting down for long periods at a time.
