Varicose Veins
Question: How can I get rid of spider and varicose
veins on my thighs?
Answer: Spider and varicose veins--which affect
one in five men and one in three women--occur when the veins in the legs swell.
Sometimes obesity, pregnancy, or chronic straining during urinating or bowel
movements interfere with normal circulation, causing the veins in the legs to
swell. The swelling of small veins near the skin causes purple
"spider-like" veins. When larger veins swell, they are called varicose
veins. Unlike spider veins, varicose veins may be painful and can cause ankle
swelling.
Spider veins can be covered with
cosmetic creams to hide the veins. Maintaining a healthy body weight and
keeping muscles toned with regular exercise can help prevent them from
appearing in the first place.
Varicose veins can be treated
with tight-fitting compression stockings, which help improve circulation and
decrease ankle swelling. Varicose veins can also be obliterated with techniques
such as laser therapy or freezing therapy. These treatments may cause scarring,
so finding a doctor with experience in performing the procedures is important.
In cases where a varicose vein causes chronic pain or severely impairs
circulation, surgery to remove the vein may be needed. This is called
"vein stripping" and is usually done by a vascular surgeon.
Question: My mother developed terrible varicose
veins in her legs during her pregnancies. Now that I am pregnant, is this
likely to happen to me, and is there anything I can do to prevent it?
Answer: All pregnant women risk developing
varicose veins. Here's why: Varicose veins occur during pregnancy because the
growing fetus and uterus press on the large blood vessel (the inferior vena
cava) that the veins of the legs use to return blood to the heart. So less
blood leaves the legs. More blood in the leg veins creates more pressure in
them, and they gradually widen. The same pressure eventually causes the little
valves in the veins--which keep blood from dropping back down into the veins when
it shouldn't--to fail.
Occupation, your hormones, and
your family genetic history can also make varicose veins more or less likely.
Here's what you can do to help prevent them if you haven't got them and to
reduce how severe they are if you have:
- Avoid standing for long periods of time. Walking is better than
just standing because your calf muscles pump the legs and empty the veins.
- Avoid prolonged sitting. Get up and walk during breaks. If you need
to sit for longer periods, elevate your legs on a high stool or a box.
- Keep weight gain during pregnancy moderate.
- Wear support hose daily, starting early in pregnancy, before there
are any signs of a problem. Knee-high or full-length hose (in maternity
sizes) will be helpful. Look for the highest level of support in
commercially available hose, or go to a medical-supply store.
- A pregnancy girdle may reduce the pressure on the vena cava in
later pregnancy.
If you notice
problems with aching legs or swelling veins, talk with your physician or
nurse-midwife.
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