In order to deal with the pain and discomfort that are caused by varicose veins, there is a need to understand the symptoms that go with it and how to address those symptoms.
Varicose are the swollen veins on your skin that are commonly red or blue and found on the legs because of weight and gravity. The body needs blood pumped into it continuously and the valves are the guardians that check the flow of blood and ensure that there is no backflow when blood goes up the legs. Fragility or injuries on the valves are the causes of blood collection on areas of the legs and so cause the veins to enlarge and become varicose. These are often accompanied by spider veins which are the smaller version of varicose veins and look like webs that often cover a small part of the skin hence the term spider.
Varicose veins are indeed painful and can exhibit a lot of symptoms like:
The frequent causes of varicose veins are:
Varicose veins may result in more serious medical problems like:
As with every medical condition, prevention is infinitely better than cure. If you don't have varicose veins but is often inactive due to your job, standing for prolonged periods of time or see it with your family members; you may want to take preventive measures. The first thing to look at is your lifestyle and weight as this is the main contributor to avoid varicose veins. It includes watching what you eat because anything that cause water retention will put pressure on your legs and thus give you varicose. Fiber on the other hand helps eliminate waste from the body and results in good blood circulation so taking in a lot of fiber is advised. Being overweight puts extra pressure on the valves and makes it hard to pump the blood from the legs back up. Watching your weight by engaging in activities like exercise will keep your metabolism moving and the blood circulating. Vitamin C supplements will help to make your veins stronger and thus avoid varicose.
If you already have the condition, it is always best to consult a physician and ask for the best treatment that will suit you. There may be no cure for weak veins but the rate of success for modern treatment has significantly increased and the most crucial key is to ensure that there will be no new growth of varicose to worsen the condition.
Varicose are the swollen veins on your skin that are commonly red or blue and found on the legs because of weight and gravity. The body needs blood pumped into it continuously and the valves are the guardians that check the flow of blood and ensure that there is no backflow when blood goes up the legs. Fragility or injuries on the valves are the causes of blood collection on areas of the legs and so cause the veins to enlarge and become varicose. These are often accompanied by spider veins which are the smaller version of varicose veins and look like webs that often cover a small part of the skin hence the term spider.
Varicose veins are indeed painful and can exhibit a lot of symptoms like:
- Legs aching due to prolonged periods of sitting or standing.
- Cramps or throbbing in the legs
- a feeling of heaviness
- burning sensation
- swelling
- rashes that becomes irritated
- skin that has a darker color than the rest of the areas of the body.
The frequent causes of varicose veins are:
- Injuries - any harm that affects the blood flow to the body especially to the legs.
- Hormonal changes - for women especially during times of puberty, periods of taking birth control pills, pregnancy, and menopause.
- Advanced age - veins deteriorate and weaken as people age.
- Genetics - most people with varicose veins have it in their family members as well.
- Obesity - pressure escalate as weight increases.
- Too much exposure to sun - this causes spider veins on the face.
- Prolonged periods of non movement - being inactive for long puts pressure on the flow of blood on the legs.
- Pregnancy - the increase in the blood during pregnancy causes the veins to enlarge and become varicose.
Varicose veins may result in more serious medical problems like:
- Skin ulcers - sores are excruciating, difficult to treat and may need to have operations to restore the veins to their normal condition.
- Hemorrhage - when veins become very fine, it can be damaged easily and cause bleeding not just in the legs but throughout the body.
- Blood Clots - when these develop in the veins, the condition is referred to as thrombophlebitis and are characterized by pain and swelling. There are two conditions, the superficial or just below the skin and the deep vein which at times can be a very serious threat to one's health.
As with every medical condition, prevention is infinitely better than cure. If you don't have varicose veins but is often inactive due to your job, standing for prolonged periods of time or see it with your family members; you may want to take preventive measures. The first thing to look at is your lifestyle and weight as this is the main contributor to avoid varicose veins. It includes watching what you eat because anything that cause water retention will put pressure on your legs and thus give you varicose. Fiber on the other hand helps eliminate waste from the body and results in good blood circulation so taking in a lot of fiber is advised. Being overweight puts extra pressure on the valves and makes it hard to pump the blood from the legs back up. Watching your weight by engaging in activities like exercise will keep your metabolism moving and the blood circulating. Vitamin C supplements will help to make your veins stronger and thus avoid varicose.
If you already have the condition, it is always best to consult a physician and ask for the best treatment that will suit you. There may be no cure for weak veins but the rate of success for modern treatment has significantly increased and the most crucial key is to ensure that there will be no new growth of varicose to worsen the condition.