There are many factors that can lead to the development of varicose veins and once they have been allowed to form, it is highly unlikely that they will disappear without treatment. With this in mind, prevention can often be the best cure. 

We have listed 5 potential causes of varicose veins, and the steps that you can take to counter them. 

Are you on your feet a lot? 

Being on your feet all day is exhausting, even if you’re not moving about all that much. By the end of the day you’re probably dying to rest or relax your aching bones. The problem faced in this situation is the effects of gravity on your blood flow. 

As you remain standing, your heart is working extra hard against the force of gravity and may result in your blood pooling in your legs which can lead to a weakening of your vein valves, potentially causing venous insufficiency and varicose veins.

However there are some simple (literal) steps you can take to avoid this; something as simple as taking a stroll around the office or doing a few gentle stretches are enough to get your blood pumping properly again. Alternatively, compression stockings are widely available and can greatly reduce the risk of varicose veins. 

How much time do you spend sitting down?

Somewhat counter-intuitively, remaining sat in one position for too long can be just as detrimental to your health as being on your feet all day and is likely to be a lot more common. Many of us are stuck at our desks from morning until night with few opportunities to stretch our legs. 

Once again it is important to take some time to walk somewhere, even if it is only around the workspace a few times or down to the shops, to prevent swollen ankles, varicose veins and even something as serious as deep vein thrombosis. 

If it isn’t possible to find a chance to go for a stroll, then try to keep your legs elevated as best you can; resting your feet on another chair will reduce the pressure on your heart and prevent gravity from putting your veins through too much stress.

Are you a little older than you’d like? 

Getting older is a fact of life, albeit not a very welcome one. As we age, we begin to feel the wear and tear on our bodies and of course this applies to the heart. Where once our hearts could pump like clockwork all day, during later years they have to work a little harder. 

Staying active is important regardless of age, but it is vital in the elderly to keep things running smoothly. And exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous! There are plenty of scenic walks across Britain that you can spend a day exploring while being rewarded with some incredible views. If that’s not your thing, then swimming is a perfect full body workout that engages muscles you might not have used in a long time.

As you age, be sure to keep an eye on anything that looks out of the ordinary. If you notice that your veins are discoloured or bulging, then visit your GP as soon as possible. 

Could you stand to shed a few pounds? 

People who are overweight can often find themselves at a higher risk of developing varicose veins, as extra weight increases strain on the heart and forces it to work harder in order to keep your blood pumping. 

When it comes to losing weight, you don’t have to drastically alter your lifestyle; many people don’t have the time to regularly go to the gym and some aren’t too fond of strenuous exercise. If this sounds familiar, we have an article for those who aren’t keen on exercise. 

Your diet also plays an important role in keeping your veins healthy; if changing your diet seems more like something you would be able to do to lose weight, information on the foods that can help can be found in our blog post on the topic. 

Are you pregnant?

When pregnant, you are literally carrying an extra person around with you, and the weight of that extra person is going to put extra strain on your heart. For this reason, it is vital that pregnant people stay off their feet as much as possible, but this then raises the risks associated with staying sat down for too long. How, then, can you be expected to do the right thing? 

It may sound obvious, but avoid wearing high heels; stick to flats as much as possible and, if you absolutely must wear those new shoes, don’t stay in them for long. The design of high heels prevents the leg muscles from working properly and can keep blood resting in the veins. In order to ensure your leg muscles and blood vessels are working effectively, maternity stockings work in much the same way as compression stockings and help to keep your legs healthy. 

During pregnancy, you’re likely to hear the old adage about you ‘eating for two’ until you’re sick of hearing it. However, it is important to remember that not only is this true, but your dietary needs are going to shift during this time too. If you would like to learn more about what foods to eat while pregnant to keep the risk of varicose veins to a minimum, then you can read our blog on the subject here.  

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Top 5 Things Your Varicose Veins Would Say If They Could Speak

The life of a vein must be tough. With blood flowing through the body 24/7, veins must feel a lot of pressure - especially having to push against the force of gravity to send blood back to the heart. It all sounds like a lot of hard work.

Blood flow to the heart is a crucial function of the circulatory system. We are 100% dependent on a functioning heart just to stay alive, so what the heart wants, it must have: oxygen, water and nutrients.

However, when the veins are not quite so healthy due to factors like increased blood pressure, this can lead to a weakening of your vein walls and valves, and varicose veins can start to form throughout the body, particularly in the legs. Factors that make one more prone to varicose veins include lifestyle, age, pregnancy, and family history.

This is why we think that if veins could speak about these different risk factors, they would probably give us a piece of their mind about what we’re doing to them…

“OUCH! That was a really intense powerlift.”

Exercise is important for boosting blood circulation but, if you have varicose veins, some kinds of exercise can be too intense, and high-impact activities such as heavy weight-lifting can actually end up causing further damage to your veins. Walking, cycling and doing squats are low-intensity and low-impact exercises that will help promote healthy blood flow.

But, if you decide to take on a high-impact, high-intensity physical activity that further strains your veins, you can expect your veins to be angry - and rightfully so! Here’s what they would probably say:

“Hey Debbie, did you really think you could do that without causing more damage to us? I thought I made myself clear when I took my sisters to the surface of your skin a month ago. We’ve been sitting there ever since. I thought you would have been far more considerate.

For the umpteenth time, while you should most definitely exercise to get the blood flowing through us, please avoid such intense and high-impact activities like marathons and powerlifting.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of crisps for one day”

When you lose count of how many weeks of lockdown have passed and you’ve been leaning on comfort food a bit too much, that may negatively impact your veins.

High sodium foods like processed meats, soups, pickles and crisps can increase your blood pressure, and “empty calories” like simple sugars and carbs that are rich in trans and saturated fats also lead to weight gain. This in turn places more pressure on the veins. So if you’re halfway into your second family-sized bag of crisps on the same day, your veins will feel a little burdened.

“Andy, are you going to stop eating crisps today? It’s been three hours straight. We’re feeling a bit suffocated. The fat could be linked to this pressure which we’re struggling with. We’re starting to feel a bit squeezed and, well, we’ve always been a tad claustrophobic. Could you please give us some space?”

“Is that a human hand?”

Pregnancy is one of the major risk factors that leads to varicose veins. This is because the expanding uterus applies growing pressure on the large vein that carries blood back to the heart from the feet and legs.

Wearing compression tights can help, and most of the time the varicose veins disappear a few months after childbirth. But still, it must be a bewildering experience for your veins when there is another human growing inside your body.

“Uh-oh. What is going on? I feel like there’s actually more blood pumping through me right now. Hey Samantha… did you know that a change of diet can help prevent us from being damaged? Check out this article on 5 recipes to help during pregnancy.”

“You go ahead. I’m gonna rest for a minute”

The older you are, the more likely it is that you’ll develop varicose veins. This is usually due to a weakening of venous walls and valves, causing blood to pool in the veins over time.

This is a common phenomenon, so you should remain active and eat healthily to manage any symptoms you may experience.

“The pooling has been excessive lately. Back in the day, my walls were so sturdy the blood flowed through so swimmingly! Now, things are feeling somewhat convoluted. I wish you would start a new hobby like this Nordic walking trend.”

“You really have your mum’s valves.”

Family history is one of the main risk factors for varicose veins. If it runs in your family, you are more likely to develop vein disease. While there isn’t much you can do to prevent varicose veins if you are genetically predisposed to the condition, you can maintain a nutritious diet, sleep well, exercise daily and lead an overall healthy lifestyle.

“Sharon, I’m experiencing a wave of déjà vu - don’t these veins look so familiar to you? We both know what happens next...so why don’t you do us both a favour and go to see a specialist?”

Even though there are many things you can do to help manage your varicose vein symptoms, there is no substitute for treatment. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our minimally invasive procedures to get rid of your varicose veins.