Natural Methods To Reduce The Appearance Of Varicose Veins
If you notice varicose veins started to develop across your legs, then you may be embarrassed and upset by the appearance of the blue, protruding formations. While vein surgery that involves the removal or filling of the veins may be necessary in extreme cases, you can try to treat the veins at home with natural methods if the condition has just started to develop. Keep reading to learn about a few ways that you can minimize the appearance of varicose veins.
Exercise Your Legs
Varicose veins often appear across the legs because the valves in the blood vessels start to weaken. When this occurs, the blood vessels and the valves will stretch out. Blood will pool in the veins and force them to widen and protrude from the skin. Valves will start to fail as this occurs and they will allow blood to move backwards through the veins instead of continuing on to the heart. This series of events will occur due to general weaknesses along the blood vessels. Fortunately, you can strengthen the veins and your cardiovascular system as a whole by completing regular exercise routines several times a week. You should specifically focus on the legs to help increase blood flow. Biking, running, and swimming are three types of exercises that are likely to be helpful.
When exercising, make sure to wear shoes that will encourage good blood flow to strengthen the blood vessels in the foot, ankle, and lower leg region. This will assist your veins with moving blood towards the heart against the force of gravity. While loafers and tennis shoes are suggested to help with foot and ankle circulation, these shoes may not be right for exercising. Instead, consider a pair of minimalist shoes that cover the toes and the underside of the foot with a thin layer of rubber. If you have a low arch or suffer from flat feet, then consider adding a small arch support or cushioning orthotic to the shoes before using them. This will help to support the arches so your feet can properly absorb shock.
Avoid Extremely Hot Water
It may seem like a good idea to sit in a bathtub to soak sore legs, but this may worsen the appearance of your varicose veins. Warm water naturally allows the tissues in the legs to relax and the blood vessels to expand and loosen. This can cause a small amount of blood to pool every time you soak in the bathtub and this will cause the veins to protrude even more.
To prevent this, avoid hot baths, saunas, hot tubs, and pools that are heated above a lukewarm temperature. In general, you want to use lukewarm water for baths and showers, and this means keeping water temperature around 90 or 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, the water will feel only slightly warm when cascading over your hand. However, since varicose veins are commonly associated with poor circulation, your hands are likely to be colder than normal due to the reduced blood flow through the extremities. This means that you should probably invest in a bath thermometer to keep bath water at the right temperature. Floating digital bath thermometers are the easiest to use, so look for one that is designed as a safety device for bathing children.
When you are done taking your bath, think about rinsing your legs in cool water before drying off. This will help to tighten the skin and the veins across the legs. To keep the skin tight around the veins, think about placing elastic stockings on your legs immediately after bathing.
If you have started to see varicose veins around your legs, then you should try to keep the veins from worsening. You can keep the veins from becoming noticeable by doing things like exercising and avoiding hot water. You also should think about discussing the veins with a vein removal specialist at a clinic like Premier Surgical Associates to see if he or she has any other tips on preventing new varicose veins from appearing.
