In India, as many as one-third of the adults suffer from varicose veins at least once in their lifetime. These figures do not include the people who remain unaware of their medical condition and thus never get treated.
Predominantly a lifestyle disorder, the varicose vein symptoms get worse for patients who are overweight or obese, have a hormonal imbalance, suffer from high blood pressure, lack of Vitamin E, etc.
Eating a healthy diet and making exercise an important part of your daily routine, can not only delay the onset of varicose veins for the aged but also work wonders in easing its unpleasant symptoms for most patients.
In this detailed write-up today, let us highlight the factors that are responsible for worsening the varicose vein condition and also learn about 10 easy tips and tricks that can help the patients get immense relief from varicose veins pain and discomfort.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are the enlarged and swollen veins that are formed as a result of the poor blood circulation in the body. These occur when the valves of certain veins become weak and fail to send the used and de-oxygenated blood back to the heart.
The veins with the faulty valve appear bloated and discoloured as the blood remains collected in them. These bluish-purple veins are visible to the naked eye right below the surface of the skin and leave the patient with a heavy feeling around the affected area.
Often accompanied by pain and itching, varicose veins can occur in any region but are commonly found on the legs and feet. The severity of the varicose vein condition varies for person to person. A few patients may complain of mild pain and stiffness while others may suffer from unbearable pain and extreme discomfort.
How can varicose veins get worse?
There are a few popular risk factors that are rightly known to not only be the triggers for the onset of varicose veins but also be the dominant contributors to the worsening of the condition that is highly probable to lead to other severe ailments like Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and active venous ulcers.
It will be helpful to understand these critical varicose vein risk factors and make a note of them to reduce the symptoms and stop the condition from exaggerating further.
- Being Overweight or Obese – Irrespective of your gender and age, having a BMI (Body Mass Index) score above 25 puts you at a high risk of developing varicose veins at an early age. This is because when you are overweight or obese, there is excessive pressure on your veins and the circulatory system has to make additional efforts to maintain the regular blood flow.
This results in high blood pressure as the blood is forcefully pumped through the body. High BP causes the lining of the blood vessels to get ruptured and this overtime leads to varicose veins accompanied by its multiple deteriorating symptoms. - Congestion in Liver – For most people, a liver congestion medical disorder does not sound like an obvious connection to the varicose veins. As you would probably know, the liver is responsible for filtering the blood, absorbing nutrients from the bloodstream, and detoxifying the body.
The portal vein is the one that carries blood and nutrients to the liver. If this vein gets damaged, it can lead to backward blood flow and enlarged blood vessels down till the stomach. - Suffering from Malnutrition – Many people confuse malnutrition to not eating sufficient food while it simply means that you are not consuming enough nutrients. When you are suffering from malnutrition, you may be eating all your meals on time but your meals are not rich in the vital nutrients that are needed by the body for its normal functioning.
As blood circulation is largely related to the intake of healthy food, if you do not eat sufficient quantities of good nutrients, it can lead to constipation and thus intensify the varicose vein symptoms.
If your body is deficient in Zinc or Vitamin C, it may adversely affect the usual operations of your liver, digestion, and even blood circulation. Also, excessive intake of alcohol is known to increase liver toxins that can cause congestion and may lead to varicose veins in the due course of time. Vitamin E is also vital for the body as it helps in the formation of RBC and reduces the risks of blood pooling and blood clots. - Hormonal Imbalance – As per the reports of multiple surveys, varicose veins are more commonly found in women than in men. The liver is responsible for generating the female sex hormone named Oestrogen. When the liver does not function as desired, there are considerably higher levels of Oestrogen in the body as the liver is unable to flush them out.
Increased levels of Oestrogen, especially during PMS and pregnancy can weaken the walls of the veins and cause blood clotting thus leading to varicose veins. Also, low hormone levels during menopause have been known to weaken the valves of the veins thus worsening the varicose vein symptoms. - Lack of Exercise / Immobility– If you desire to have an ideal blood circulatory system and get rid of your varicose veins, you must keep moving every now and then. Having a sedentary lifestyle and not exercising every day can cause the varicose veins to get worse.
Although if you are suffering from the aching and irritating varicose veins, you may not feel like exercising at all, if you indulge in stretching, yoga, brisk walk, or other mild exercises, this will stimulate your blood flow and restrict blood from accumulating or pooling around the affected area.
How can you get relief from varicose vein symptoms?
Here we present to you 10 simple tips that will help you take care of your varicose veins and get relief from the symptoms:
- Consume Nutritional Meals – As already stated above, suffering from malnutrition can have a destructive effect on your overall health. You must schedule regular intake of the essential nutrients especially antioxidants like Vitamin C and Vitamin E to maintain your digestive system and circulatory system. Consuming packaged food that has large amounts of refined sugars and processed fats can lead to constipation and thus worsen your varicose vein symptoms.
Ensure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are an ideal source of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, high fibre contents that are rich in Vitamin B, and ginger as it is known to relieve the symptoms of varicose veins and prevent blood clotting.
- Drink Plenty of Water – Failure to consume sufficient amount of water accompanied by excessive intake of coffee, tea, or alcohol can leave your body dehydrated. This will affect your circulatory system and make you feel sluggish all throughout the day. As your body will not be able to absorb the nutrients from the food, this will eventually lead to constipation and make your varicose veins symptoms worse.
You must drink a minimum of 8 to 10 glasses of water every day and keep a check on your daily consumption of alcohol, coffee, and tea.
- Assist Your Liver – Proper functioning of the liver is indispensable to exceptional vascular health. Liver not only regulates the hormone levels but also removes toxins from the body.
You must exclude toxic foods from your meals and include raw vegetables along with potassium-rich foods to detox your liver and support its normal functioning.
- Regular Use of Compression Stockings – Compression stockings are the suggested go-to-option for varicose vein patients who are looking for instant pain relief. These help pacify the varicose vein symptoms by adding external pressure to your legs, stimulating the blood flow, easing inflammation, and offering quick pain relief.
You must consult the doctor before buying and using a pair of compression stockings as they are available in multiple sizes and wearing a wrong size can increase than pain instead of offering relief from varicose vein symptoms.
- Exercise Routine – Although any form of exercise can be a tedious task for people who are experiencing extreme varicose veins pain and discomfort, it is essential for varicose vein patients to remain mobile as it will aid in overcoming their acute varicose vein symptoms.
Perform simple exercises like walking, stretching, yoga, etc that do not put extra pressure on the body but stretch your muscles and improve the blood circulation.
- Avoid being stressed – If you are suffering from varicose veins, a stressful emotion or a verbal fight can cause the blood to be pumped more forcefully and this can trigger a varicose vein episode. Also, stress is known to negatively affect your digestion and lead to malnutrition.
Thus, you should always stay calm and relaxed. Read a good book, watch something on TV or take a hot water bath. Practice meditation along with a few breathing exercises to feel at peace and calm down your mind.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that aid in relieving most of the varicose vein symptoms. Regular consumption of water diluted apple cider vinegar is also known to improve blood circulation that reduces the swelling and pain in the varicose veins. You can also use apple cider vinegar to gently massage the affected area.
- Essential Oils – Rose and lavender essential oils are renowned for not only improving the blood circulation but also soothing the skin, and lifting up the mood. For instant relief, you can massage these essential oils gently into your skin or add a few drops of them to your evening bath.
- Gingko Biloba – Produced from the gingko tree, gingko biloba is used in a wide range of herbal medicines and is known to improve the blood circulation. Regular consumption of gingko biloba has been proven to offer relief from the varicose vein symptoms.
- Horse Chestnut – Horse chestnut is also known to offer relief from varicose vein symptoms like fatigue, swelling, and cramping. It supports the blood vessels and improves blood circulation. Available in tablet and oil form, you can either take two tablets a day or massage the affected area with oil.
All the above remedies have been tried and tested. These are sure to offer your relief from your painful varicose veins. If, however, you have extreme pain and the condition is getting unbearable, you must immediately rush to a vascular expert for emergency assistance.
Dr. Rajah V Koppala is an internationally qualified and extensively trained vascular expert. MD in Interventional Radiology, he is an expert at performing the painless and stitch-less endovenous laser treatment for varicose veins. If you have severe varicose vein symptoms, do not hesitate is scheduling an appointment with Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis Hospitals.
