4 Ways to Help Your Varicose Veins

A common problem for many people, varicose veins can be painful and prevent you from enjoying your favorite activities. However, once you speak to your doctor and start learning more about your condition, you will find there are many things you can do to help your varicose veins. Rather than live with pain and be unable to live life as you really want, here are four ways you can improve your varicose veins.

Compression Socks and Stockings

The most common items used to help deal with varicose veins, compression socks and stockings have come a long way in recent years. Tight-fitting, the purpose of these socks and stockings is to put mild pressure on your legs, which in turn will encourage proper blood flow and support damaged veins. They are also good at helping to prevent blood clots, which sometimes can be life-threatening.

Limit Sitting and Standing

If there is one thing that makes varicose veins worse, it is prolonged sitting and standing. Should you have a job that has you sitting or standing for much of your shift, try to move about as much as possible. If you are standing for hours and hours, take a few breaks to sit down and relax. If you sit for a long time, get up and walk around a bit. By doing so, you'll reduce the pressure on your varicose veins.

Medical Treatments

Should your varicose veins be extremely painful and not respond well to other treatment options, you may want to visit a varicose vein treatment specialist to find out about specialized medical treatments that may be available. One of the most common is sclerotherapy, which involves a treatment specialist making injections into your varicose veins. By doing so, this helps to reroute blood flow to veins in your leg that are healthy. Endovenous thermal ablation is another option, and is a treatment method that uses laser heat or high-frequency radio waves to reroute blood to other veins.

Exercise

Finally, certain exercises can be great ways to improve your varicose vein condition. Biking and swimming are particularly good if you have this condition, since each will get blood flowing through your calf muscles without putting added strain on those areas. However, prior to beginning any exercise routine for your varicose veins, it's best to consult with your doctor.

By talking to your doctor, working with a varicose vein specialist, and using some of the tips mentioned here, you may find it becomes much easier to live with and manage your varicose veins.