On the other, gentler hand, there are steps (literally) that you can take to help yourself out in this situation. Let’s examine how low-impact exercise, along with a few other adjustments, can help you to take control of maintaining this important part of your circulatory health.

Movement: walking is incredibly helpful in more ways than one. Not only will you increase your circulatory strength by walking, you’ll also see the happy by-product of weight loss as a result. These two changes in your lifestyle, increased walking and decreased weight are profoundly important when fighting against varicose veins. The walking also goes a long way towards improving your muscle tone in the affected areas.

Try your best to maintain a consistent routine and have places designated where you can walk if the weather is poor, such as malls and department stores. You’ll likely find that the more you walk the more weight you lose, which by itself means an easing on your circulatory system.

With the increased activity that comes from walking more, you may wish to check with your physician about anti-inflammatory drugs. Since you’ll possibly be facing bouts of swelling and pain, be certain that you have an option to go to for relieving the discomfort, or lowering the swelling. Most likely your doctor will recommend a common over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen or aspirin. Use them in accord with what your physician tells you regarding dosage. Never overuse anti-inflammatory medications, since that can lead to other complications.

You should give some thought to the support that compression clothing offers you, and consider making use of compression stockings or hose to help your walking program. Did you know that support hose can help your leg muscles by concentrating so much pressure near the ankles that it’s easier for your blood to flow upward? Many folks swear by the gradient-compression support stockings that are readily available at your pharmacy. They feel that the hose offer not only support for walking or standing, but that they also provide an effective method for controlling many of the symptoms that accompany varicose veins.

We’ve examined a few low-impact ideas, but one of the most important exercise methods has more to do with stillness than motion. Remember the old phrase “take a load off your feet?” Here is a situation where taking a load off one’s feet can be a very healthy habit. When walking (or standing in one place for prolonged periods of time) you must take a break and elevate your feet for at least ten or fifteen minutes at a time. By doing this you are refreshing your muscles and easing your circulation.

So how do we proceed with our exercising to combat varicose veins? After checking with your physician you should proceed to walk, walk, walk! Take anti-inflammatory aspirin or ibuprofen as recommended by your doctor to alleviate swelling and pain, wear the right types of support hose and be prepared to force yourself to put your feet up several times a day. You’re on the road to recovery!

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Varicose ulcers point to underlying medical conditions and underlying medical conditions that might have varicose ulcers as a complication; that’s pretty clear, isn’t it? Varicose ulcers, then, are really a big fat symptom then, isn’t it, coming and going, an outcome, an artless guest to the party who keeps pointing at the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room.

A skin ulcer, therefore, that points to the missing loss of skin, the ulcer, therefore who sits right on top of the veins. Usually aching leads to cramping, to itching, to skin staining to eczema to finally, the ulcers. They can be very painful; can bleed and become infected. Most ulcers can be healed. The key is to put a pressure bandage of some kind on the underlying veins, in other words, squeeze the veins with bandages, and in sixteen weeks the ulcer can be vanquished. Every week the bandage can be changed and the ulcer needs to be measured to make sure that it is healing. If the ulcer is on the leg, knee, or ankle, the most straightforward cure would be simply going to bed and putting the feet up.

Now the clot, or thrombus, is a craftier little devil who likes to hide to do its mischief. The thrombus forms in the larger veins deep within the leg. Undetected, deep vein thrombosis can lead to a pulmonary embolism, which is an obstruction of a blood vessel in the lungs, usually as a clot. If it blocks the pulmonary artery can be very serious and in some cases, fatal.

Yes, the clot can interfere with the blood flow, or break off and travel through the bloodstream (embolize). Traveling clots can wind up in the lung, as stated, but it can also head for the brain and heart just as well.

Phlebitis is the inflammation of a vein often caused by prolonged inactivity such as a long flight or travel, or during extended bed rest. This is when a clot may form. Certain types of cancer, paralysis or use of the hormone estrogen may also cause phlebitis.

It almost seems anticlimactic to introduce the last vein-y denizen of the leg, the humble spider vein. This one, unlike his larger brethren, doesn’t pose a health threat, but still does its largely emotional damage. This network of tiny vessels is akin to a spider’s web, and that is how it got its name. The Telangiectasia is seen on the face, and the Arborising Telangiectasia is the good neighbor to the south that inhabits the legs and thighs.

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The first beauty rule, of course, is confidence. You can try every trick in this article, but if you are tiptoeing around as if looking for an escape route, which are what people will remember you for, if they remember you at all. So, even though you don’t feel confident (heck, you do it at work all the time), project it anyway. Head up, big smile. You’re on your way!

One of the oldest beauty tricks around is to accentuate your best feature. Do you have expressive eyes, a beautiful color, or just the contacts to make your eyes a richer or different color? Excellent! Even a fine brow line can help. Make up enough to wear your eyes are highlighted, not camouflaged.

The same goes for any feature on your body. Thick hair, beautiful hands, a small waistline, or even a pretty or distinctive laugh, take advantage of it confidently and you can almost guarantee that’s what people will remember you for.

So many women use their makeup as a confidence factor, and that’s fine. Know that while you are using cosmetics on your face, there are many other cosmetics out there to conceal your varicose veins. You can find concealing creams in a range of skin tones that will stay on for sixteen hours, while you dance, bike or swim! They are made to be waterproof and smudge resistant. There are powders, concealers, special brushes, hydrating creams, and much more, even a makeup remover that promises to quickly dissolve faster than the regular removers on the market. All you need to do is type “makeup for varicose veins” into your computer, and prepare to be amazed!

There are also compression stockings that have more natural color than Grandma’s support hose, in different lengths and fashions, sheer and opaque, even pantyhose and open toed styles.

When it comes to concealing your legs, how about a nice pair of jeans or a long skirt? Everybody’s got a favorite. Jeans can be so expressive these days, with decoration, cut, and wonderful deep colors. There are different weights and fabrics it’s nearly a no-brainer.

With skirts or dresses, the hemline is where you say it is. Skirts that hit at calf-length is killer with a pair of boots. Shorter skirts and opaque stockings may be your cup of tea. The long, flowy summer dress never goes out of style, especially on humid days. And who can’t resist a nice broomstick skirt with lots of color?

When you first put on makeup (with or without your parent’s permission!) you began, and ultimately perfected, the persona you project today. What’s so bad about a new persona?

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Take heart; within three months of childbirth, the majority of all kinds of varicose veins (along with varicose veins on the legs, we are also talking about hemorrhoids and varicosities of the vulva and labia), are either, gone, going, getting better, or changing for the better! Meanwhile, just remember to take just a little time each day for yourself, and take advantage of some of these ideas to help Mom feel better!

Especially if you also had an episiotomies, soaking that whole region will give you relief from swelling, pain, and itch. You can do it in a basin as a sitz bath, or in the bathtub. If it’s OK with your doc, you might add a bit of chamomile to the bathtub. Actually, a couple bags of chamomile tea thrown in while the tub is filling make a no-mess disposal later. (Especially if you shop at the warehouse kind of supermarket, or a supermarket that has its own health food sections with herbs and herbal teabags in the serve it yourself barrels, you will find that the healing herbs you are looking for are very often put into teabags. Buying the bulk teabags will save money and you will not need to buy a large amount of an herb when you don’t need it.) Soak for as long as you can, and try to relax as completely as possible. Compresses for your tender parts can be made in the same way, with the teabags instead of bulk herbs. The compresses may be warm or cold, whichever method affords the most relief.

When you find the time to sit down, try to elevate your legs and buttocks. Sleep with your feet elevated, if possible.

For your hemorrhoids, try to keep your stool soft. There will be less straining, which is very hard on you. Drink prune juice, drink lots and lots of water (another thing that will be of benefit for several reasons!), get lots of bran down you and eat dried figs, peaches, etc.).

Vulvar and labial varices are benefited by a lot of the hints we have given you already, but the thing that they need the most is support. The more support, the less pain! Some new moms wear bicycling shorts. There is a kind of support garment you can buy online that supports well. Some women find wearing several sanitary napkins at one time provide firmness.

By far the most out there of the suggestions seems to not only work quite well, but might even be a fond memory between the parents. It is said that a jock strap can hold a large sanitary napkin and will firmly support it. It’s even maybe a little romantic, if you and your lover have a kind of antic sense of humor!

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Maybe you developed varicose veins while pregnant, and while most women find that they were gone or greatly improved by three months after the birth of her child, yours did neither. Maybe they are the same or worse, and you are concerned.

Maybe you work at a job that requires you to stand in one place for most of your shift, and that itchy, painful bump that just popped up has you thinking that it may be a varicose vein, and you are concerned.

Maybe you have had varicose veins for a long time. Maybe one that resolved itself has come back. Whatever the scenario, you are concerned and you’d like to have it looked at and if there is anything to be done about it.

The first person you go see is your family doctor. In insurance lingo, that is your primary care physician (PCP). If you don’t have one, it’s time to get one. The reason why is that for many insurances, you need a PCP to refer you to the proper practitioner. Perhaps your PCP knows something about varicose veins and can help you himself. This would also be good because your PCP won’t charge you as much as a specialist will.

Whoever you see, you will want to find out what the Diagnosis Code the doc is using. This is especially important for those with varicose veins (do you mind if I just call them VVs? Thanks.), because there are numbers that say that your VVs are a cosmetic problem rather than a medical problem.

If the doc uses the cosmetic code your insurance will not pay. That would make any procedure you had done an elective procedure, one that wasn’t really important enough to have done, just because you wanted to. See the difference? You must impress on your PCP if you are in pain, if the VVs wake you up at night, that they interfere with your life or work, whatever the reason is that brought you to see your PCP. You can ask the doc what the code he wrote down is and what it means. If he doesn’t know, talk to the office manager, because she probably does the coding. Be persistent and insistent, until someone can tell you what you want. If the correct code is used, there will be at least some form of coverage. If you crunch the numbers (and you are wise to know how much an office visit and all related charges will run you) and the amount still scares you, there might still be a remedy for you.

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The first step on finding out if sclerotherapy is right for you is an initial consultation with the vascular medical specialist (usually an MD, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or RN) to have a look at your varicose veins, go over your medical history and medications you regularly take, and to answer any questions. Factors ruling out sclerotherapy are pregnancy, breast feeding, less than three months after childbirth, or bedridden. Any history of blood clots will be determined on an individual basis. Your medication will also be gone through thoroughly because there are some meds that do not go with sclerotherapy. If you take tetracycline or minocin, both antibiotics will need to be discontinued and/or another antibiotic prescribed to take its place. If you are required to take an antibiotic before any invasive procedure such as dental procedures,

colonoscopy (or any kind of surgery), make sure your vascular specialist knows all about it. It is of the utmost importance that all of your health practitioners know every medication you take, so make sure you always take your med list with you.

You won’t be able to take any anti-inflammatories such as aspirin, ibuprofen (like Advil) for 48 hours before surgery because they could interfere with the agent you will be injected with. Tylenol is OK. If you take prednisone you will have to ask for guidelines on how to discontinue. One other thing to remember is to not put lotion on your legs before the procedure. All that’s left is to grab a pair of shorts and head out the door!

Once at the office, you will don your shorts and the procedure will begin. An irritating agent (such as sodium chloride), lidocaine (a local anesthetic) and heparin (an anticoagulant) will be mixed in a syringe with a very fine needle, and directly injected

into your varicose veins. Depending on the size and location of the veins and how you tolerate the procedure, it will take 30 to 45 minutes. Again, depending, further procedures will be scheduled. You will have been told what kind of compression hosiery to obtain, and you will put them on and go!

Side effects are mild, some bruising, brown discoloration, or little lumpy spots will fade.

If you experience inflammation within 5″ of the groin, small ulcerations at an injection site, or sudden swelling of the leg, contact your physician immediately. This happens very rarely, but your doc will want you to know what to do.

So, in brief, this is an overview of sclerotherapy, one option to consider. Perhaps not for the needle-phobic, but a procedure that has been successful for many for seventy years.

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Spider veins are aptly named, as the tiny, damaged capillaries do resemble spiders. They are caused by the backflow of blood to the tiny veins and capillaries. If these appear in conjunction with varicose veins, their treatment, by itself, is considered inappropriate, as it is not addressing the underlying problem. They can be a red or purplish color, and in many cases can be so small that they are rarely noticed.

Spider veins can be covered with makeup, if they appear on the face. There are laser treatments for facial spider veins, but insurance will rarely cover the procedure, as it is considered cosmetic and not medically necessary.

Spider veins, particularly on the face, can show up at first as little squiggles on the cheek, barely noticeable. Makeup or a tan can hide them from view, until they are noticed. They are so small as to not cause concern, but later they can cover the cheek area. For a while it may appear quite like a blusher has been applied to the cheek when it hasn’t. Over the period of twenty years or so, the spider veins can spread all over the face, and sometimes on body parts as breasts and legs. They can be very visible on the face, particularly in warm weather, during sports, in periods of heightened emotion, or hot flashes during menopause. Sometimes the face can feel overly warm, but usually there is nothing to alert a person to their exacerbation until someone asks,” Are you alright?”This usually means that the face is an all-over shade of hot pink, red, or magenta.

Varicose veins and spider veins are caused by the same mechanism. These veins are affected by heredity, hormones, pregnancy, an occupation that requires standing in one place for long periods of time, weight, inactivity, and something as innocuous as wearing high heels. Therefore, women are much more likely to develop varicose veins than men, however, men do develop varicose veins and spider veins, although women are four times more likely to develop spider veins than men.

Sometimes spider veins can be painful, but this occurs very rarely. The subjective pain of a sometimes unsightly problem will have to be worked out by the sufferer.

It is said that varicose veins are the price humans have to pay for being erect. While it may be painful we continue to walk on two legs and lead our lives.

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Common Treatments:

Mild cases: low salt high fiber diet, exercise, and rest for your legs.

Sclerotherapy:

Can be used for mild varicose and also spider veins, which are smaller varicose veins. This treatment involves an injection of a solution that will cause the vein to swell, and then stick together which will cause the flow of blood to cease and the vein to turn into scar tissue. Later the vein should fade. Multiple treatments may be necessary, as the vein will sometimes reoccur. Usually the treatment has a 50% to 90% success rate. There is no need for anesthesia and usually this is done in the office.

Simple things to do

It is important to elevate your legs so that they are above your heart and to do this 3 times a day for approximately 15 minutes. Wearing elastic support stockings can also help to allow the blood flow form legs to your heart.

Exercising such as walking, dancing or swimming can help maintain good blood flow, which will strengthen the cardiovascular body system. Absolutely avoid crossing your legs when you sit. When you cross your legs you cut off the blood flow to your legs.

Do all you can do to maintain a healthy weight.

Other procedures:

Surgical vein stripping – Removal of affected vein through small incisions. Usually an outpatient procedure.

Catheter-assisted surgical procedure where longer veins are removed. In hospital procedure.

Laser surgery makes the vein slowly fade and eventually disappears.

Ambulatory phlebectomy

Endoscopic Vein Surgery is used when the patient has leg ulcers. A video camera is inserted so that the doctor can view and visually close the varicose veins.

There are homemade remedies that you can use to help reduce swelling, relieve the soreness, reduce the pain and soothe the night cramps which are all symptoms of varicose veins.

One thing that may help these symptoms is to take a multivitamin that contains vitamins A, B complex and C & E vitamins. You can apply vitamin E oil directly on sores if you have them. This will help the healing process.

Witch Hazel has been used to help reduce the swelling and also to reduce the pain.

Teas:

There is a tea that you can drink up to 3 times a day that will help to allieviate the pain and help the blood to flow easier in your legs. The tea is made from Cayenne Pepper and water.

There is another tea that is made from Hawthorn Berries, Ginger, Yarrow and Horsechestnut. This tea helps to strengthen the blood vessels and is used to promote better circulation.

Juices:

There are several juices that can help to strengthen veins; they are cherry, blackberry and blueberry juices. Another juice that can benefit those with varicose veins by preventing blood clots and it tastes great, is pineapple juice.

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It is common to encounter varicose veins of the vagina or anus during pregnancy due to the pressure the expanding abdomen puts on the lower body. Overweight people are prone to varicose veins. People who stand or sit for long periods of time are also at risk for varicose veins.

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins are swollen veins that are raised above the surface and visible. They look like dark blue or red or purple cords that are twisted and bulging. They can appear anywhere on the body but are most common to appear anywhere from the groin to the ankles. They can be around the anus in the form of hemorrhoids that have become engorged.

Who gets varicose veins?

Women tend to have varicose vein issues more than men do. Up to 41% of all women will suffer some kind of leg vein abnormality by the time they reach age 50. More than half of all men and women will experience varicose veins. This is why it is so important to understand what you can about varicose veins. The more you know the more you can do to help reduce your risk for varicose veins.

The 3 biggest factors concerning varicose vein development are: heredity (born with the gene for having weak veins), hormones (during pregnancy or puberty or during menopause), being overweight.

Why on the legs?

The reason varicose veins appear most often on the legs than any other body part is because the legs bear the weight of the body, have to fight gravity to bring the blood up to the heart and have the task of bringing blood all the way up from the lowest parts of the body up to the heart.

Prevention

There are things you can do to reduce your risk of getting varicose veins. You can maintain a healthy weight. You can exercise your legs to strengthen them. You can eat properly so you can maintain an ideal weight for your body frame. You can wear loose clothing and also wear support hose.

Preventing Varicose Veins:

Exercising your legs by walking or running helps to strengthen the legs, veins and improves circulation.

Keep your weight in the ideal range for your height, sex and age.

Avoid crossing your legs while sitting and elevate them while resting.

Do not wear tight clothing, especially around your waist, groin or leg areas.

Wear elastic support stockings fi possible.

Include fiber foods in your diets and reduce your salt intake as too much sodium can cause you to retain water.

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Varicose veins can occur whenever there is a great deal of extra pressure placed on either the abdominal area or the legs. Varicose veins are also sometimes referred to as “varicosity.” It is common for hormonal fluctuations that take place during pregnancy or hormonal changes that occur as a result of menopause. This may explain why varicose veins occur more readily in women than they do in men. Deficiencies in the diet a person consumes on a regular basis as well as the loss of elasticity in the skin which are linked to aging are believed to also be contributing factors when it comes to the development of varicose veins.

There are factors that can greatly increase the chance that a person will develop varicose veins over time and these include constipation, clothing that is constrictive, prolonged sitting or standing, obesity, constant heavy lifting, and a lack of adequate physical activity. These factors can also worsen a pre-existing case of varicose veins. In the most chronic of cases, the veins that are distended can also have other symptoms accompanying them such as aching discomfort and/or itching. In some cases if the stretched skin ends up breaking down then open sores may develop.

A person should telephone their physician if their varicose veins suddenly become very sore, uncomfortable and painful. If the swelling in the legs becomes to the point where you are unable to walk or move about or if your skin where the varicose veins are located becomes ulcerous, discolored, flaky or starts to bleed then you will need to visit the doctor and might even have to consider having the veins removed from your leg(s). Removal of the veins can help to prevent further pain and discomfort and can help to prevent more serious problems related to the circulatory system. If your varicose veins turn a very red color then this could very likely be a sign of phlebitis, which is an extremely serious and can be severe circulatory problem.

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