Vein health is likely something you haven’t thought about, however, is extremely important. Various causes can lead to malfunctioning veins therefore causing an enlargement of veins. This is known as varicose veins. Varicose veins can be caused due to pregnancy, older age, genetically, and most commonly through obesity or periods of little activity or long periods of standing. Signs of varicose veins can be that your veins appear more visible, often on your legs, and you have swelling, achiness, or pain in that area of the enlarged veins. If you notice any of these, visit your doctor to be diagnosed snd treated. Without the proper treatments, bleeding may happen and ulcers may form.
Preventing or treating mild cases of varicose veins can be quite simple through a quick lifestyle change. Being at an unhealthy weight can be a major cause of varicose veins, therefore losing weight and starting a more active lifestyle can be a good way to prevent or help varicose veins. Try incorporating more exercise in your day-to-day routine to help with body movement and circulation. In addition, by starting to exercise more, you’ll help your body maintain or lose weight which may further help varicose veins from forming or becoming worse. In addition, if you require to stand for extended periods of time, try to take quick seated breaks or moving your body more during those periods. Compression socks have also been shown to help in certain cases. Another prevention method to decrease the rest of new varicose veins is to elevate your legs when resting or sleeping. You can do this by adding a pillow or two by your feet to keep your feet a bit higher than your body which helps blood circulation.
In the event of severe varicose veins or if lifestyle changes are not working for an individual, a doctor may recommend one of the different invasive procedures. Some of the procedures include vein ligation and stripping in which a patient is put under anesthesia and a surgeon goes through the skin into the vein to remove it. Other less invasive treatments include sclerotherapy in which a liquid or foam is injected into the vein to block it off larger veins, or its counterpart microsclerotherapy uses the method to block off smaller veins. Laser surgery or endovenous vein surgery may also work in certain instances to block off the vein as they use light energy or heat/radiofrequency respectively.
In the prevention of new varicose veins, the goal is to help move the body and circulate the blood, however in the event of further treatments, surgery to block off any of the veins or remove them may be the necessary next step.
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