Leg Veins
What causes Leg Veins and How Can I Prevent Them?
So-called spider veins on the legs are an extremely common problem. These small reddish, purplish or blue veins are usually regarded as unsightly. Some women avoid wearing shorts or skirts because of their appearance. Many people have the mistaken notion spider veins are caused by crossing the legs. Scientific studies have revealed the real reasons responsible for the development of these veins are genetic factors, hormonal factors, and lifestyle factors.
Genetics
Some individuals are genetically predisposed to develop prominent, abnormal leg veins. Just like we inherit hair, eye, and skin color from our parents, so too, we inherit a tendency to have "weak" or "strong" veins. Take a close look at your mother's and father's legs to get an idea of whether or not you might be at risk of developing venous problems. Even if you are prone to vein disorders for genetic reasons, there are things you can do in the area of lifestyle changes to help prevent the problems.
Hormones
Women have more venous disease than men. The reason for that is hormonal. Estrogen and progesterone, two hormones that are involved in the menstrual cycle in women, have a tendency to cause blood vessels to dilate. When leg veins dilate, blood tends to pool at the lowest point in the system, i.e. around the feet and ankles, and the venous blood is not returned to the heart as efficiently. This hormonal effect on blood vessels is one reason women tend to get swelling of their legs and ankles with pregnancy.
Lifestyle
You can't do anything about the genetic or hormonal factors, but the area in which you can make an impact in preventing the development of venous problems is in your lifestyle. Prolonged standing or sitting causes blood to pool in the legs and keeps the veins in a distended state. When the veins are constantly stretched and distended, they begin to sprout new little veins, looking for the path of least resistance. The other bad thing that happens when blood pools in the leg veins is a tendency for the blood to clot (called thromboplebitis). Blood clots in the legs can have serious consequences, especially if a piece of the clot breaks off and travels to the lungs (called a pulmonary embolus).
Exercise
Fortunately, our bodies have evolved a very efficient pump to help the venous blood move from the legs back to the heart. Our foot and calf muscles serve as the pumping system, which pump blood from the leg veins toward the heart. Exercise of the lower extremities, particularly weight-bearing activities that involve flexing the ankle, activates the calf muscle pump. Daily walking, ideally for at least 30 minutes, strengthens the muscles so that they become more efficient in pumping blood out of the legs.
Ankle Flexion
Since most people spend at least a portion of their day sitting or standing activities, it is wise to consciously activate your calf muscle pump whenever possible. This is done by flexing your ankles repetitively during the day. You should flex your ankles 5-10 times every few minutes and walk for 1-2 minutes every 30 minutes throughout the day in order to avoid the pooling of blood that occurs when you are sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time such as at a desk or on a long car or plane trip.
Avoid High Heels
Wearing high heels is bad for your venous system because it prevents the full contraction of the calf muscle involved in pumping the venous blood to the heart. As any woman knows who can't wait to get home and take off those high heels at the end of a long day, high heels cause leg aching and tiredness. They also are the major reason behind foot deformities and the high rate of foot surgeries in women. Avoid them whenever possible!
Leg Elevation
Raising the feet above the level of the heart for 15-30 minutes several times a day is helpful for the venous system because it takes pressure off the leg veins. Unfortunately, this is impractical for most people, but if you get the opportunity, go ahead and put your feet up for a few minutes to let gravity help drain the leg vein.
Compression
The main favor you can do for your veins is to wear compression stockings. Wearing them promotes blood return from the legs to the heart, decreases the chance of blood clots forming in the legs veins and reduces the formation of new spider veins. Most people notice less leg fatigue at the end of a long day when they wear compression stockings. Wearing compression stockings also helps the treated veins to regress faster and more completely after treatment with sclerotherapy.
Today's compression stockings are not thick, heavy, ugly ones of years past. They are now available in relatively sheer, lightweight varieties with an array of colors. The stockings are designed to have graduated compression, meaning they provide the highest level of pressure at the ankle level and less pressure at higher points in the leg. People with large varicose veins or moderate leg swelling need to wear stockings that provide higher levels of compression at the ankle, such as 30, 40 or 50 mm Hg. The lower level of pressure such as 15-20 mm Hg or 20-30 mm Hg are adequate for people with smaller spider veins, or for prevention of aching, mild swelling or leg fatigue. Examples include Medi Swing, Sigvaris Delilah, Jobst Ultrasheer, or Juzo Lite Line. They can be purchased at medical supply stores.
Several other important points need to be made for those who want to incorporate compression stockings into their prescription for healthy leg veins. First, if you don't want to wear full length pantyhose or thigh-high hose in Houston's heat, the knee high compression stocking work just as well as the full-length pantyhose because the critical points to provide the compression are around the ankle, below the calf muscle pump. Second, make sure you buy stockings with graduated compression every day; the next best thing is to at least wear an over-the-counter "support hose" such as Hanes Revitalizing Collection or Givenchy Body Smoothers. On days in which you’ll really be on your feet all day or experience prolonged sitting such as a plane or car trip, go ahead and wear the stronger medical compression stockings. Then you will have "happy legs" at the end of the day.
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