No matter how hard you try to prevent it, age catches up all of us. Despite eating healthy, exercising and avoiding bad habits, our body breaks down. Over time, skin wrinkles and sags, you may lose hair and you’ll fee more aches and pains. Unfortunately, another unwelcome change that affects both our health and appearance is the development of varicose veins.
What are Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins are enlarged veins that take a blueish hue with a ropelike, knotted appearance. They generally tend to form in the rear side of the calf area. While they can affect both sexes, women tend to be more prone to varicose veins than men. The main reason why these veins form is due to increased blood pressure inside the veins, which weaken the vein walls and valves. While veins are designed by nature to pump blood forwards, weakened vein walls result in the opposite occurrence, leading to the enlargement of the vein.
However, if diagnosed soon enough, adopting a healthier lifestyle often leads to the problem dissipating on its own. But in most cases, the patient doesn’t realize notice vein formation until it’s too late to reverse without treatment.
What Causes Varicose Veins?
Now that you know what varicose veins are let’s have a peek at what causes varicose veins. While we have already mentioned one above, there are also a host of other reasons for their formation. They are as follows:
- Obesity– By far, obesity is currently the biggest reason for varicose vein formation around the world. This factor also affects children who are not generally susceptible to varicose veins for any other reason. The increased weight increases blood pressure, causing damage to the veins.
- Pregnancy– While motherhood is a blessing, it’s after-effects on the body are not welcome by most women. Pregnancy stimulates weight gain on the female body for a short while, which results in varicose vein formation during the last stages of pregnancy.
- Smoking– This still-prevalent vice is also a major culprit of varicose vein formation. Smoking decreases the blood flow in veins, causing damage.
- Family History– If there is a history of other members in your family having varicose veins, you’re more likely to be affected. This means you should take remedial measures from early on to decrease your chances of varicose vein formation.
How Can You Control Varicose Veins?
There are a couple of treatment options for controlling varicose veins, with some being more effective than others. Common treatment options include:
- Varicose vein injections
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Sclerotherapy
- Endovenous laser treatment
All of these treatment methods have their pros and cons and are suitable for various stages of varicose vein formation.
Varicose Veins are Preventable and Treatable
While varicose veins affect many people throughout the world, they are fortunately both preventable and treatable. With proper precaution or proper medical care, you can confront varicose veins and regain your healthy-looking skin.
