7 Reasons You Cant Stop Varicose Veins

Did you know that 1 in 4 women have varicose veins?
This is of little comfort to those wanting to show a bit of leg in a summer’s dress or hate the thought of stockings

What’s the difference between arteries & veins again?

Arteries carry blood away from your heart & varicose veins carry blood back up to the heart.
Arteries carry oxygenated blood whereas varicose veins carry de-oxygenated blood.

Arteries also have thick walls with muscle tissue compared to veins that have thinner walls & use valves to keep blood flowing.

Varicose veins occur when your veins become enlarged, dilated, and overfilled with blood.
They can be seen through the skin and often appear swollen and raised, having a bluish-purple or red color and can often be painful.
The condition is very common, especially in women, and increases with age.

Hormonal changes in estrogen and progesterone can be responsible for developing varicose veins.
Progesterone is vital for overall vein health and its decrease can cause the weakening of the vein valves affecting circulation and blood pressure.
This in turn leads to them becoming enlarged and overfilling with blood, causing varicose veins and spider veins.
Also, lower levels of estrogen can thin your skin making the veins more prominent.

7 Reasons You Cant Stop Varicose Veins

Menopause
Estrogen and progesterone play an important role in vascular health and a drop in these hormones during menopause can result in the weakening of vein valves, making it harder for them to open and close, creating thickened and less flexible vein walls.

Pregnancy
This can cause more internal pressure and as a result, a lot more fluid builds up.
Those veins and valves are under a lot more stress.
That is one reason why varicose veins can become more prominent during and around pregnancy.
Additionally, hormonal factors either from pregnancy or birth control pills can also influence the development of these little nuisance varicose veins and spider veins.
The valves no longer function properly, causing the blood to flow back and build up and dilate the blood vessels.

Obesity
Excess body fat is a contributing factor in developing varicose veins.
Obesity puts additional pressure on the leg veins and their valves, making it harder to pump blood back up to the heart.

Genetics
For many women, there is an underlying genetic component that can bring on varicose veins.

Trauma or injury in the legs
Can impair the valves and lend itself to the development of spider veins and varicose veins.

Professions or occupations that require standing
These include nurses, hairstylists, teachers, and factory workers.
Standing on your feet all day and not necessarily moving around can contribute to varicose veins.

A sedentary profession
If you are sitting all day it can result in the blood not circulating well enough in your lower extremities.

Treatment options for varicose veins

You might not be able to stop varicose veins from appearing but there are currently a wide variety of minimally invasive treatment options for varicose veins available.
Talk to your doctor about your possible treatment options and the risks involved.

Compression stockings squeeze your leg tissue and get the blood flowing back up to your heart.
They also help to decrease swelling.
However, first, check with your doctor as there are few medical conditions in which wearing compression stockings can be contraindicated.

Surgery involves vein litigation and stripping, which requires anesthesia.
The varicose vein is cut and removed through incisions made in the skin.

Sclerotherapy uses a liquid or foam chemical that is injected into the vein, thereby causing it to scar and forcing the blood to change routes.

Micro sclerotherapy is similar to sclerotherapy but more targeted for smaller veins.

Laser surgery uses high-intensity light to zap the vein, thereby closing it off.
There is no need for cuts or needles and it is mostly used for smaller veins.

Endovenous ablation therapy uses laser or radio waves to block off a vein.
A thin tube that has a laser wave device, is inserted through a cut in the skin, creating intense local heat to block off the vein.

Endoscopic vein surgery uses a small camera on a tiny tube, which is threaded into the vein through a small incision in the skin.
A surgical device on the end of the tube closes off the vein.

Other prevention measures

Avoid extended periods of standing
If necessary, lose excess weight and maintain a healthy weight
Exercise regularly to improve your circulation
It also helps to elevate your legs whenever you’re resting or sleeping

Are varicose veins the same as spider veins?

Spider veins are easily visible through the skin.
They are finer and smaller in size and can be red, purple, or blue in color, and are most common on the legs and face.

Can you prevent spider veins?

In order to keep blood flowing in the right direction, your veins have one-way valves.
These function to prevent the blood from flowing backward and keep it going in the right direction, back up to your heart and away from your legs.
They are not indestructible and their life span is unfortunately not indefinite.

Symptoms of spider veins

Aching or cramping in the legs
Tiredness
Restlessness
Burning, throbbing, or tingling
Heaviness in the legs
Less common is swelling, ulcers and a darkening of the skin, especially around the ankle region.
A painful blood clot with inflammation of the vein, known as thrombophlebitis, although this is not very common

Sources
healthline.com – varicose veins
webmd.com – cosmetic procedure spider veins

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