Varicose Veins Help and Resources

What are those nasty looking dark blue or purple leg veins doing on your beautiful legs? Why are some women blessed to live their lives without developing the ugly leg veins, while most of us cannot avoid the condition? As with most of us genetics plays an important role in making some women more susceptible than others to develop the condition. Another factor is age although even young women can develop varicose and spider veins.

The cause of varicose veins is due to weak vein walls and the failure of the veins one way valves which help return the blood to your heart and lungs. As your body ages, veins weaken and stretch and the blood sits in your veins and lose oxygen causing the veins to turn blue. This condition is aggravated by obesity, sitting or standing for extended periods.

As noted very few of us are immune from developing varicose veins or the mini version spider veins so what can we do to minimize the problem. How about exercising, walking or running to keep the blood circulating. Watch your weight, if you are overweight. Eating a high fiber diet and low salt diet will minimize water retention. Tight fitting clothing and high heels will also contribute to developing the condition, so avoid them. Where low heeled shoes instead and avoid tight clothes that reduce your blood flow from your legs. A few more tips, avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time if possible, move around at least every half hour. Also try not to sit with your legs crossed, in other words avoid anything that reduces blood
circulation in your legs. When possible elevate your legs above your heart several times a day. This is not to say that you should stand on your head but at least put your feet up on your desk and relax. While there may be no way to prevent varicose veins completely, unless you are one of the lucky few, reduce your chances of developing serious cases of varicose vein problems by improving blood circulation.

Now what if you already have a bad case of varicose veins what’s a woman to do. A simple method that may help that does not involve medical intervention is using compression stockings this should help to move blood from your legs back to the heart.If you decide that your condition has declined beyond what you can live with then it is time to discuss with your doctor the various medical treatments available for varicose veins.

The most common treatment for varicose veins is sclerotherapy. This procedure involves injecting your veins with a solution that scars and closes your veins. Another successful treatment for varicose veins that does not involve needles or surgery is a laser veins treatment, this procedure uses laser light to make the veins disappear. In severe cases several other surgeries are used for treatment of varicose veins, Phlebectomy is a procedure where your doctor removes smaller veins through small skin punctures. In advanced cases endoscopy is performed where your doctor closes veins and removes the veins from your leg. All of the above varicose surgeries and treatments are performed on an outpatient basis.