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Ezine - April 2005
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How to Reduce Varicose
Veins
By Fiona Gordon
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Varicose veins make your legs look ugly.
Although varicose veins certainly lack popularity -- they
are right down there with cellulite for the least desirable
bodily attribute -- they are actually quite "popular" in
that a great many people have them.
Up to 30 million Americans have these ropey, bulging veins,
usually on the legs. Women age 30 and older are most
commonly affected, but no one is immune. Even Mick Jagger of
the Rolling Stones "can't get no satisfaction" -- he
reportedly has calves crisscrossed by them.
There are things you can do to reduce them:
• Do regular exercise. Walking, running, cycling & swimming
keep blood vessels healthy.
• Stick to a high-fibre & low-salt diet.
• Kick off the high heels.
• Avoid tight-fitting clothing or undergarments that
restrict blood flow at the waist, groin & legs (e.g.
girdles, stockings & socks).
• If elastic stockings are recommended, wear them before
getting out of bed in the morning.
• Don't leave legs crossed or bent for a long period.
• If work requires prolonged standing or sitting, move &
stretch those legs, rotate ankles & wiggle the toes once in
a while.
• Do leg stretching exercises daily.
• Raise legs above the level of the heart whenever possible.
• Rest those legs on pillows while sleeping.
• Stop smoking
Although varicose veins aren't usually considered a
significant health problem, they can make life miserable.
"Varicose veins shouldn't be viewed as only a cosmetic
concern," said Dr. Alan Hirsch, a specialist in vascular
medicine at the University of Minnesota. Often, the
discomfort over the veins' appearance is equalled by the
aching pain they can cause, particularly after a long day of
sitting or standing. In addition, the veins may signal a
higher risk for other more serious blood vessel disorders.
Fortunately, treatments for varicose veins are much more
effective than those for cellulite. Traditional
"vein-stripping" surgery remains a sure way to get rid of
these unsightly blue tangles. In addition, newer and less
invasive techniques are almost as effective without
requiring a
hospital stay or lengthy recovery. Although herbal
supplements claiming to rid the legs of varicose veins
probably won't help, self-help measures such as wearing
compression stockings and getting regular exercise can ease
pain and may prevent veins from getting worse.
Dammed blood
Physicians do not really know what causes varicose veins,
but most believe that family history plays a role. If your
mother or father had them, there's a good chance you will,
too. The reason may be linked to an inherited tendency to
develop veins that stretch too much, have defective
valves or a combination of both.
To understand why, consider the role that veins play. They
return blood to the heart. The relatively low blood pressure
in veins means that blood in them moves sluggishly --
especially in the legs, where the downward pull of gravity
makes the veins' job literally an uphill battle, which is
why varicose veins usually occur here.
Muscle contractions in the leg help push blood upward
through the veins. But when there's little muscle action --
such as when you're sitting or standing still for long
periods -- there's not enough force to keep blood coursing
steadily upward.
To keep blood from flowing backward, veins have built-in
one-way valves that temporarily dam up the river of blood.
Each leg has hundreds of these tiny valves. And normally,
they do a good job holding the blood until muscle action
gets things moving again.
With age, however, veins can become more elastic or valves
less efficient. The result can be that the valves don't
close properly and blood can leak backward, causing blood to
pool and the vein to enlarge and elongate in that area. When
this happens near the surface of the skin, the veins'
deep-blue colour and ballooned-out shape produce varicose
veins' familiar appearance (varicose comes from the Latin
root "varix," which means twisted).
A variety of factors, such as obesity and injury, may
trigger these vein changes in those predisposed to them.
Women are more likely to get varicose veins because female
hormones can relax vein walls; other contributing factors
include pregnancy and childbirth. |
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| Fiona Gordon is a Business Manager and
National Educator for Vincent Davianny in Australia and New
Zealand. Fiona has many years experience in the beauty
industry, as an owner of salons, and with international
training and experience. She brings to our industry a wealth
of resources on health and wellbeing, and also on salon
management. Fiona can be contacted at
www.vincentdavianny.com.au |
