|
How
To Reduce Varicose Veins
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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
clothings 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.
| Bad
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 color 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, says Rooke. Women are likelier to get varicose veins
because female hormones can relax vein walls; other contributing factors
include pregnancy and childbirth.
Varicose Vein Treatments include
surgery and cremes. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(This
information is general knowledge and can be found in any Doctor's Office, Medical
Pharmacy, Public Library or
Dictionary and not a specialized medical teaching
generated from Pastor Deborah. Pastor Deborah sincerely
expects all heads
of the family
to visit their personal Doctor or caregiver about all medical issues without
exception) |
|
|
