Varicose veins are those irregular shaped veins that are most commonly found in the legs particularly in the calf muscle area. Varicose veins are found mostly on older women and recent survey and research indicate that it is found in largely in men than women.
Known cause of varicose veins
Varicose veins are found mostly in humans and not in any animals. This is because we walk upright than the animals. You should know that veins are responsible for pumping the blood back to the heart and arteries are responsible to pump blood to the different parts of the body. Gravity plays an important role in pumping the blood back to the heart through the veins. Sometimes the pressure in the veins is not sufficient to pump the blood back to the heart and some blood may collect in the veins. If you stand for a longer period this would appear clearly. Constipation, overweight, and pregnancy may also cause this condition. This leads to varicose veins.
Symptoms of varicose veins
Varicose veins are the first to appear before you see any other problem from them. Zigzag lines on the surface of the skin are the first appearance of the varicose veins. As days progress, you will feel the pain on these areas when you see these zigzag lines of veins. For some people swelling of the ankles and feet is possible. The skin on this surface may be sore and red.
Factors that affect varicose veins
Some factors influence the varicose veins. Some of the factors are age, sex, genetics, obesity, and the position of your legs for longer periods. Ageing causes wear and tear of the veins and this causes improper functioning of the valves of the veins. It is known that women are the most affected by varicose veins. It is so since women are subjected to frequent hormonal changes. Pregnancy, pre menstruation, and menopause are some of the factors in women that influence varicose veins. Varicose veins could be inherited from your parents. People who are overweight might get varicose veins since they impart more pressure on the veins due to their weight. People who are working while standing for a longer time may experience varicose veins.
Medical advice on varicose veins
Self-help would help you to prevent and complicate the varicose veins in you. Many self-help measures can be adopted to prevent varicose veins from getting worse. Most of the people would be very concerned about the varicose veins since it spoils their look. If the self-care measures that you take are not effective then you can consult your doctor for some other medications or therapies that might help you recover from varicose veins.
This article was posted on September 14, 2005
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