by Ju-Lee Bell

Created on: June 09, 2008   Last Updated: June 11, 2008

Varicose Veins

The other day I noticed some tiny, dark purple veins on my thighs and thought to myself, "Why me?" I wasn't sure whether to jump for joy at this thing called aging and accept that I was only growing wiser or simply cry and get all those sad hormones out in a stream of tears.

Varicose veins are not life threatening, they simply are obvious spidery coils that appear mostly in the legs. If you're a lady who likes to wear tight fitting clothes and high heel boots, I'm talking to you. A simple way to avoid these suckers is to limit your wardrobe to loosely fitted attire and low, comfy shoes. On the other hand compression hosiery can help aid the circulation in your legs.

Standing for a long time can have the same effect on ladies' legs. If your job requires you to stand all shift be sure to take breaks where you can move around a bit to encourage blood flow. Elevating your legs and using cold compressions can help lighten up the squigglys and alleviate any discomfort.

So not all varicose veins are born from the practice of dressing in excessive tight clothing and heels or standing for long periods of time, some are caused by carrying around that extra weight you've been trying to rid yourself of for years. Moderate exercise can help send much needed blood to the veins of your calves and thighs allowing your circulation to improve dramatically. In turn your veins will be healthier and less visible due to the weight loss and strength training. A great little tip is to stand with the balls of your feet pressed against the edge of a step. Balance and then stand on your tip toes and then release and stretch your calves as far as feels comfortable. Repeat 20 repetitions for three sets.

Along with exercise comes diet. Be sure your meals are rich in minerals and vitamins such as foods that contain lots of fiber to ensure regularity so that those pesky road maps don't appear, but if they are already there and exercise and diet have done all they can do for your veins then you have the option of removal by a doctor or surgeon. Sclerotherapy is a procedure whereby a certified physician injects a very thin needle filled with a special solution that pretty much zaps the vein forcing the blood to flow elsewhere. This procedure is not very painful but does require a few sessions that most times results only in slight bruising and inflammation. More severe side affects include allergies, rashes and sores that could take a while to heal.

(See http://chealth.canoe.ca/channel_section_details.asp? channel_id=7&relation_id=25709&text_id=1474 for more details on the procedure.)

There are ways to treat varicose veins and there are ways to avoid them too but keep in mind that if your mom's got them you probably will get them too, eventually. Lucky there are ways to get rid of them.

http://www.health911.com/remedies/rem_vari.htm

h ttp://bodyandhealth.canada.com/condition_info_detail s.asp?channel_id=0&relation_id=0&disease_id=216&page _no=2

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