Cause of Varicose Veins

Causes of varicose veins

To understand the causes of  varicose veins it is important to review the basic function of veins and their basic physiology. 

Remember the heart is pumping blood through out the body to supply oxygen and other nutrients to the entire body, so the heart is pumping blood from the heart to the body parts.  The veins carry the used blood or unoxgenated blood back the heart.  The blood that is pumped back to the heart flows in these veins that act like one-way valves that keep the blood flowing toward the heart.  In the legs the calf muscle or musculovenous pump ejects 60 % of the blood in the legs every time the calf muscle contracts. The calf muscle is the primary mechanism that returns blood from the legs back to the heart. The veins returning blood from the legs have the toughest job of all the veins in the body because of the high pressure created by standing and because of the distance the blood has to be returned, and because of the force of gravity.  This makes theleg veins  the primary location of varicose veins and spider veins.

Heredity has a strong association with your chances of developing venous disease.  If both parents have venous disease you have about a ninety percent chance that you will have the same.  If you are female and you have one parent with venous disease, you have about a sixty percent chance of developing varicose veins .  If you are male with one parent affected, your chances are about twenty five percent. So women have more venous disease then men but men that are affected normally have more serious complications such as ulcers.  Other strong associations are increasing age, number of pregnancies, and living in an industrialized nation.

Obesity, diet, constipation, smoking diabetes hypertension has not been confirmed to have any relationship to the development of venous disease.

Learn more go to American College of Phlebology.

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Exercise regularly. Choose low-impact activities such as walking, cycling, rowing and swimming. Walking and jogging will help improve circulation in the legs. Exercise can also reduce the overall high blood pressure and strengthen the entire circulatory system.

Avoid prolonged standing. Try not to stand in one place for a long time because it can increases venous pressure in the legs and feet. Over time this pressure can weaken the blood vessel walls.

Maintain a healthy weight. Having too much weight can cause the entire circulatory system to work harder. Being overweight can put excess pressure on your legs. It is good to exercise regularly and develop healthy eating habits. This can reduce the risk of varicose veins.

Quit smoking. Smoking is bad for your health and can cause many health problems. High blood pressure is associated with smoking which can cause varicose veins.

Raise your legs. If you have to stand up for long periods, remember to take time to relax your legs. Improve circulation by elevating your legs up 6 to 12 inches above your heart when lying down. Doing this a few times a day will help the blood in the lower legs flow easily back to the heart. By taking some pressure off the legs it will help prevent blood from pooling in the veins. Be sure to stretch your legs if you have to sit for long periods. Rotate your ankles and flex your toes while you are sitting.

Check your wardrobe. Wear clothes that don’t constrict your waist, groin or legs. By avoiding tight-fitting clothes on your legs and around your waist it will improve circulation to your lower body. Wear comfortable shoes and avoid wearing high heels. The stress they put on your lower legs can cause a constriction in blood flow from the leg back to the heart. Also, make sure your shoes are properly fitted.

Sit up and stand up straight. Sit up straight and don’t cross your legs. Crossing your legs will slow the upward flow of blood back to the heart and increases the pressure on the insides of the leg veins. Good posture improves circulation and helps decrease pressure in your veins.

Avoid high-estrogen birth control pills. Long-term use of high-estrogen birth control pills have been shown to increase the risk of varicose veins by altering circulatory valve functioning.

Wear compression hose. If you’re developing varicose veins, try regularly using compression hose (support hose). These come in a variety of different compressions. The pressure in the stockings is graded and this allows for the stockings to constantly squeeze the leg muscles. This motion helps to drive blood back to the heart, reduce swelling in the feet and prevent blood clot formation.

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