Finding Out What it Really Means to Have Varicose Veins

Have you ever noticed while at the beach that some older women have nearly flawless legs, while others have legs that have prominently vein irregularities? How good the legs look as they age have as much to do with genetics as it does with various lifestyle habits.

Take, for example, varicose veins. These veins can sometimes happen in men, but are far more common amongst women. These kinds of veins are immediately recognizable, because they are puffy, and dark purple, blue, or greenish blue in color. In some cases, they can actually slightly resemble a caterpillar on the legs, although they do not just happen to walk away.

A main cause of varicose veins is excessive weight gain. While this can happen because of obesity, it usually occurs amongst women who have had several pregnancies. As a pregnancy nears completion, a considerable amount of extra weight is placed on the legs. As a result, the circulation in the leg veins can become impaired. So, in an effort to improve the impaired blood flow, the veins swell, and this is how varicose veins can start.

A pregnant woman can prevent these kinds of veins from happening by paying special attention to the footwear that she chooses. It goes without saying, but a pregnant woman should never wear heels, because standing or walking in heels puts additional pressure on the leg circulation.

Instead, a pregnant woman should focus on wearing shoes that are comfortably designed to offer the proper amount of support for her feet. Additionally, the woman should spend at least fifteen minutes a day resting her legs by reclining with her feet supported by a footrest. Varicose veins are not only caused by pregnancy, they are also caused by pressure put on the legs in other ways. Exercise is something that can easily cause them, especially if the woman is not wearing the right footwear once again.

If you happen to belong to a gym, you will probably see at least a couple of other women exercising with just regular flats or tennis shoes. This does not offer the proper support at all! Instead, women who love to exercise need to make sure that they get the proper athletic sneakers with gel soles.

Of course, another way that these veins can be caused is through lots of inactivity. When a woman sits behind a desk all day, that is definitely not good for her circulation, especially if she crosses her legs for long periods of time. So, it is important that the woman at least gets up and walks around during her lunch break.

It is important to note that although these kinds of veins look awful, they are usually more of a cosmetic worry than actually being anything serious. However, if a woman experiences frequent stiffness and aches on the leg in which these veins appear, then that could be indicative of a clot, which the woman must have checked immediately. Otherwise, these veins can be rectified via sclerotherapy, or laser treatments.