Naturally Tackle Varicose Veins
What are varicose veins?
They are those swollen and enlarged veins that usually occur on the legs and feet. They may be blue or dark purple, and are often lumpy, bulging or twisted in appearance.
There are other symptoms too and these include:
- Aching, heavy and uncomfortable legs.
- Swollen feet and ankles.
- Burning or throbbing in your legs.
- Muscle cramp in your legs, particularly at night.
- Dry, itchy and thin skin over the affected vein or veins.
You may often find that the symptoms become worse during warm weather or if you've been standing up for long periods of time. You may find relief from varicose veins if you get up and walk around - or if you rest and raise your legs.
How to prevent varicose veins?
Top of the list has to be avoiding prolonged periods of sitting or standing. This is because it makes it more difficult for your blood to travel in the leg veins - against gravity - causing pressure in your veins to rise and leading to blood pooling around the ankles and the feet and calves becoming swollen and achy. Hemorrhoids can also be another side effect of sitting for too long.
Moving around will decrease the venous pressure and improve your blood circulation and an important tip to remember if you have to sit behind a desk is to do small exercises regularly - such as peddling your feet; stretching your ankles; and bending your knees as if you were marching. At the same time, make sure to elevate your legs several times a day - for fifteen minutes at a time.
Another suggestion is to wear compression hosiery. These socks or stockings can help to keep the vein valves in the correct position, making it easier for the veins to function properly while reducing blood pooling, swelling and pain. They can also help in reducing night cramps.
Living a healthy lifestyle will go a long way to prevent any further damage to the veins. Losing weight; eating a healthy diet with complex carbohydrates, protein and good fats as well as foods high in fiber and potassium; and drinking plenty of water.
Regular walking and other forms of exercise. Walking is the most beneficial exercise to prevent varicose veins but taking up yoga is another good suggestion, helping to stretch and tone the deepest muscles in your calves and hamstrings. Those deep muscles can be effective in helping the vein valves to work. Cycling and swimming are also beneficial.
Varicose veins are common during pregnancy. Sleeping on your left side may help prevent varicose veins from forming and ease the symptoms of existing varicose veins by reducing the pressure that your expanding uterus puts on the big vein in your pelvic area. This big vein is on the middle-right side of your body.
How can you tackle varicose veins naturally?
Varicose veins do not always need treatment especially if they are not causing you any discomfort. However, treatment can help to:
- Ease symptoms – if your varicose veins are causing you pain or discomfort.
- Treat complications – such as leg ulcers, swelling or skin discolouration.
There are various medical and surgical solutions for varicose veins too including:
- Sclerotherapy. In this procedure, your doctor injects small to medium-sized varicose veins with a solution or foam that scars and closes those veins.
- Foam sclerotherapy of large veins. Injection into a large vein with a foam solution is also a possible treatment to close a vein and seal it.
- Laser treatment. Doctors are using new technology in laser treatments to close off smaller varicose veins and spider veins .
- Catheter-assisted procedures using radio-frequency or laser energy where the doctor inserts a thin tube (catheter) into an enlarged vein and heats the tip of the catheter.
- High ligation and vein stripping. This procedure involves tying off a vein before it joins a deep vein and removing the vein through small incisions.
But if you want to go the natural route, then H-Varicose Veins Formula is our suggestion...
H-Varicose Veins Formula is specially formulated from 100% natural ingredients for the safe and effective relief of spider and varicose vein symptoms, penetrating deep into skin tissue to rapidly reduce venous congestion and discomfort.
The Formula is applied topically around and above varicose veins and directly onto spider veins with a cotton swab or with your finger. The formula is concentrated, so only a few drops are necessary and of course full instructions will be included with the product.
Sources
How are varicose veins treated? (2014, February 13)
nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/vv/treatment. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021)
Joh, J. H., Kim, W.-S., Jung, I. M., Park, K.-H., Lee, T., Kang, J. M., & Consensus Working Group. (2014, December). Consensus for the treatment of varicose vein with radiofrequency ablation. Vascular Specialist International, 30(4), 105-112.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480318/. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021).
Varicose veins and spider veins. (2017, January 4)
womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/varicose-veins-and-spider-veins. (Accessed, Feb 15, 2021).
Written by Jane Chitty
Jane writes for Healing Natural Oils, a producer and retailer of high-quality, all-natural treatments for a variety of conditions as well as a range of beauty products. Apart from writing about those various conditions, she also covers general health, environmental and other subjects of interest. She has lived in Kenya as well as Cape Town, South Africa and spent time in San Diego, USA. She now lives in Somerset, England with regular visits from her far-flung children and grandchildren. She is a keen gardener and enjoys growing fresh fruit and vegetables with her husband on their joint allotment. As a result, there is something available to use in the kitchen virtually all year round. Her regular posts can be found on our blog.