How to prevent varicose veins
There are certain risk factors for varicose veins which make it more likely that you may suffer from vein problems at some stage in your life.
Unfortunately being a woman is right up there at the top of the list.
Age is another risk factor – over the age of 60 as an American woman you have a 70% chance of suffering from varicose veins.
If you’ve been pregnant more than once and have varicose veins in the family then your chances are even higher.
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What are the symptoms of varicose veins?
If you think you may have varicose veins you’re certainly not alone. More than 7 out of 10 American women will suffer from varicose veins before their sixties
Common symptoms can include pain and fatigue in the legs, swollen ankles and calves, burning or itching skin, skin discoloration and leg ulcers.
Varicose veins are swollen vessels, blue or purple in color and generally bulging above the surface of the skin. They may appear twisted or “ropey” and can be accompanied by swelling.
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Varicose vein treatment
Recommendations for your varicose vein treatment will vary depending on how severe your varicose veins are.
For milder cases of varicose veins – as for spider veins – your vein specialist will probably start with some suggestions for lifestyle changes and practical ways to ease discomfort and stop your varicose veins getting any worse.
You may be advised to lose weight, exercise more, put your feet up as much as possible, avoid long periods of standing or sitting and wear special compression stockings to support your legs.
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What’s the difference between spider veins and varicose veins?
Varicose veins and spider veins are symptoms of the same disease – something physicians call venous insufficiency – which simply means pooling of blood in the legs. Venous insufficiency is one of the vascular diseases affecting the legs – like deep vein thrombosis.
So what is venous insufficiency?
Arteries carry blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. Veins return blood from the rest of the body to the heart often working against gravity to do so.
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