Someone presenting with swollen, twisted veins, typically in his or her legs, is diagnosed with varicose veins. These damages blood collecting vessels are mostly seen as a cosmetic issue, but they may also indicate circulatory diseases and can be a source of pain or discomfort. With this knowledge, one can seek to address the condition using available means, as well as enlist preventive measures against varicose veins development.

What Causes Varicose Veins

To effectively look for an answer to the question, ‘how do you get varicose veins’ understanding how veins work is critical. Left-over blood returning from the feet, goes back into the heart experiencing the fight against gravity. These veins, however, do contain small valves that open and shut so as to compel and control the blood movement within the vessels.

These valves when weak or dysfunctional, resulting in weak muscle action, blood does not go up but stays in the inflow veins. This could cause these veins to bulge, twist, or distort; and pain usually arises from this abnormal functioning.

Boosting Genetic Background

Family history is the number one cause of varicose veins. If your parents or other close relations had such veins, there is a very high possibility you will develop a similar problem. This inherited vulnerability influences the vein, the valve characteristics and the general tissue, vessels and the whole blood pressure.

Age-Related Changes

Age affects everybody, including the vein walls and the valves that guard them. It may cause malfunction of the veins with time. The loss of elastic tissues makes the blood flow efficiency pretty low as the person ages, thus putting them at a greater risk for varicose veins.

Hormonal Changes

Women are mostly affected more than men, but hormonal changes play a big role in the development of varicose veins. Certain hormones like progesterone can relax the venous walls, thus exposing them to more forces that cause weakness. Key life events that alter the hormonal structure include:

• Pregnancy
• Menopause
• Hormonal birth control usage

Pregnancy is an important factor, because increased blood volume combined with rising pressure from a growing uterus adds extra load on leg veins.

Prolonged Standing or Sitting

Your profession and daily routines can also have a negative effect in the development of the varicose veins. Occupations where a person has to stand or sit for a long period of time affects the blood flow in legs. This or stagnation of blood puts more strain on the walls of the vein and leads to veins being engorged, and later on, rupturing.

Obesity and Excess Weight

Extra weight is like an addition burden over the special parts of the body which are the veins, especially the veins of the feet. Adding such pressure may take time but eventually can weaken the wall and valves of the veins thereby leading to the situations of varicose veins. Hence having a balanced body weight can help you in avoiding such risks.

Lack of Physical Activity

Sedentary lives lowers contraction of muscles that facilitate venous return concisely flow of blood to heart. When there is inactivity in leg muscles, there is a tendency for blood to pool in the veins and this allows for the formation of varicose veins to occur. Adequate physical exercise may prevent some forms of circulatory problems and also aids in improving the performance of the veins.

Chronic Venous Insufficiency

Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) is a medical condition where the veins have problems returning most of the blood back to the heart. CVI is closely associated with varicose veins and may also aggravate their symptoms. If the varicose veins remain untreated for durations, which is considered as persistent for a long time, it may gradually evolve into advanced forms of CVI and thereby has a risk of developing ulcers and blood clots.

Pregnancy and Increased Blood Volume

Pregnancy is one phase that makes the body undergo a couple of changes which also increases the levels of varicose veins inverted commas risk. Changes in the hormones along with increase in the blood volume combined with the stresses from a tangentially growing fetus can simply be factors which stretch the walls and valves of the veins. What is good news is that, in most women, the varicose veins that develop during pregnancy get better after delivery.

Wearing Tight Clothing

Belts and skinny tight jeans are examples of clothing which are known to obstruct blood circulatory flow. Tight clothing may down sample the vessels and thus aggravate the chances of having varicose veins. Therefore wearing loose fitting dresses and proper shoes will go a long way in enhancing the blood flow.

Injury or Trauma

Leg injuries that can damage veins in the legs make it easy to notice structural defects. Some surgeries or deep cuts may put the veins at risk and compromise their function.

Preventative Measures

Some risk factors like hereditary and age factors cannot be mitigated however there are a few measures which you can take to reduce the chances of developing varicose veins:

• Engage in physical activities like walking or swimming on a regular basis.
• Make it a routine to raise the level of your legs to increase the flow of blood.
• Compression stockings can be used against the development of varicose veins.
• Eat healthily to reduce the pressure on the veins.
• If possible do not remain seated or in a standing position for a long time without any movement.

When to Seek Medical Help

In case some of these symptoms are severe and have not been treated, then seeing a doctor is recommended. In some later stages, treatments like sclerotherapy or laser therapy or vein surgery may become necessary. If you are seeking advice and treatment from the doctor for the veins, go as early as reasonably possible- it may prevent future complications and manage the existing symptoms.

Conclusion

A combination of hereditary, hormonal, lifestyle and aging factors creates the circumstances in which the veins will become varicose. Knowing the reasons that are behind their forming and knowing how to help prevent them helps patients cope with their health and overall wellbeing in a great manner. There are proper medical facilities available which if guided properly will enable patients to treat and control varicose veins completely.