Tips on preventing varicose veins
Posted on Aug 19th 2007 1:45PM by Lauren Greschner
While both men and women can get varicose veins, it seems that we ladies tend to worry about them more than guys. The bulging masses occur when veins weaken and become loose, allowing blood to pool. Not only are varicose veins unsightly, they can also be painful and itchy. Not exactly fun.
Genetics, obesity and pregnancy all play a part in causing veins to weaken but there are still ways to try and prevent varicose veins from forming. Blood flows to your heart faster when muscles contract and put pressure on your veins, forcing blood though more quickly. If blood isn't moving, it starts to pool resulting in varicose veins. Exercise helps because it keeps blood flowing but for those who spend a lot of their day being inactive (if you've got a desk job, for example), you can still contract leg muscles by standing up and down on your tip toes or by flexing your feet.
If you're obese, losing weight will help, and wearing support hose also works as the garment puts gentle pressure on your legs, helping constrict veins and force blood back to your heart. Want more ideas? Check out this article for additional ways to keep varicose veins at bay.
