While varicose veins are well-known for causing cosmetic concerns, they can cause physical discomfort, too. This includes pain, achiness, and heaviness in your legs. Here at Vascular Specialists, our experienced team treats varicose veins at our Vein Care Institute in Tinley Park and Evergreen, Illinois.
Even though we can treat varicose veins, you might wonder if you can avoid them altogether. In this blog, we answer your questions, including what increases your risks of developing these pesky veins and if you can avoid varicose veins.
You can’t always avoid varicose veins. Varicose veins develop for many reasons, and whether you can avoid them depends on the risk factors you have. These include:
Because some of these risk factors are out of your control, it’s impossible to avoid varicose veins with a 100% certainty. For example, you can’t do anything to change your family history of varicose veins.
You can, however, reduce your risk by focusing on the risk factors that are within your control. For instance, maintaining a healthy weight — or losing weight, if necessary — and exercising regularly are smart ways to boost your vein health. And if you already have varicose veins, there are things you can do to prevent them from getting worse.
If you already have varicose veins, the following strategies may help stop your varicose veins from worsening.
If one of our providers suggests compression stockings, wear them as directed. Although compression stockings aren’t fashionable, they do support healthy veins.
The compression helps to keep your valves in the right position. Because varicose veins develop with faulty valves permit blood to flow backward, these socks improve function and reduce swelling, blood pooling, and aches.
Exercise is one of the best things you can do to boost circulation. Walking is especially beneficial because it’s a low-impact workout that strengthens your calf muscles, and those calf muscles help move your blood back up through your legs to your heart. You can find ways to squeeze more exercise into your daily routine:
Exercise doesn’t just improve the circulation in your legs; it’s good for your entire body!
Sitting for hours on end at your desk is just as bad for veins as standing all day on your feet. In both cases, your calf muscles aren’t working to pump blood up to your heart. Whether you sit or stand during your shift at work, try to take to breaks.
If you sit for hours, stand up and walk around the office once every hour. If you’re on your feet all day, try to take more steps to encourage better circulation. Tip: Set a timer if needed to stay on track with walking breaks.
Even though lifestyle changes, compression stockings, and regular exercise can help you reduce your chance of worsening veins, you might still experience the unwanted appearance of varicose veins. Varicose vein treatment can address the cosmetic and health effects of varicose veins.
In our Vein Care Institute, we can walk you through all of your treatment options, including scleropathy, VenaSeal™, and venous ablation.
If you’re bothered by varicose veins, we can help. Call 815-824-4406 to schedule an appointment at the office that’s convenient to you. You also can request a consultation via our online scheduling tool.
