

7 Tips For Lovelier, Livelier Legs For Those Suffering From Varicose Veins Most efforts to manage varicose veins attempt to prevent blood from pooling in your legs and pump it back up toward your heart. Here’s how you can help it on its way – and help prevent leg veins from worsening.
blood from pooling in your legs. For heavy-duty support, ask you doctor about custom-fitted, more heavily elasticized hose. Take off the tight stuff. Don’t wear tight panty hose or constricting foundation garments like panty girdles; they can cut off your circulation. Get moving. Don’t sit or stand for long periods. If you sit at a desk all day, take frequent breaks to get up and walk around. Kick up your heels. To help your blood make the return trip to your heart, elevate your legs above the level of your heart for 10 to 15 minutes three or four times a day. Get back into circulation. Getting regular exercise will keep your blood circulating nicely. Even a 20-minute daily walk is fine. But avoid high-impact aerobics and stair-climbing: They stress your vascular system, can lead to valve damage and may cause varicose veins in genetically predisposed people. Take special care if you’re expecting. Varicose veins are especially likely to appear or worsen when you’re pregnant, so follow the tips above. Also, don’t gain too much weight, wear special maternity support hose and sleep on your side to keep your uterus from putting unnecessary pressure on underlying blood vessels. Chill on the Pill. If you first noticed varicose or spider veins after you started taking birth control pills, take notice: The high levels of estrogen in estrogen-based oral contraceptives are associated with the development of varicose veins. |
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