Symptoms of varicose veins are extremely common nowadays. Genetics are considered to be the main reason of their appearance, but finding out the actual reason is much more difficult than simply preventing it.
The term commonly refers to the veins on the leg although varicose veins can occur elsewhere. Veins have pairs of leaflet valves to prevent blood from flowing backwards. Leg muscles pump the veins to return blood to the heart, against the effects of gravity.
When veins become varicose, the leaflets of the valves no longer meet properly, and the valves do not work. This allows blood to flow backwards, and they enlarge even more. Varicose veins are most common in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing.
Besides being a cosmetic problem, varicose veins can be painful, especially when standing. Severe long-standing varicose veins can lead to leg swelling, venous eczema, skin thickening and ulceration. Although life-threatening complications are uncommon, varicose veins may be confused with deep vein thrombosis, which may be life-threatening.
So, generally, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and prolonged standing are the most spread causes of varicose veins.
One of the keys to the prevention of varicose veins is keeping muscles in tone, especially the calves. The simplest way to train those is to perform calf raises, which can be done at any time during day. Calf raises can be done either on floor or on some kind of platform. This training can easily become a habit even for those people who have sedentary lifestyle.
As the veins susceptible to becoming varicose are located beyond the calves, just performing calf raises might not be enough. Fast walking can help to resolve that problem, but rehabilitation training can give the best possible effect.
Of course, the overall condition of the organism needs to be accounted for to avoid possible complications as well as the training should be performed only under supervision of a specialist. Otherwise getting injured might make holding varicose veins’ appearance back much harder.
