How to prevent varicose veins from getting worse?

I work as a sales person so I have varicose veins in my legs. During Tet I stand a lot and the condition gets worse. How can I improve it? (Ngoc Ai, 39 years old).

Reply:

Varicose veins of the lower extremities (varicose veins of the legs) is a condition in which blood in the venous system stagnates in the legs and does not return to the heart as usual. This condition increases the pressure in the veins, causing the veins to dilate.

As a result, the patient feels heavy legs, aches and pains, swollen legs, numbness, tingling, and cramps at night. The disease can lead to eczema, non-healing leg ulcers... making treatment prolonged and difficult.

The disease is common in older people, but is increasingly affecting younger people and is more common in women. Symptoms can vary from person to person, but the end result is a reduced quality of life.

Standing too much and wearing high heels regularly can make varicose veins worse. Photo: Freepik — Standing too much and wearing high heels regularly can make varicose veins worse. Photo: *Freepik*

Many risk factors cause leg vein disease such as old age, overweight, obesity... However, the most common is sitting or standing for a long time. During Tet, leg vein disease can become more severe, especially in women due to standing for long periods of time to cook, high-intensity house cleaning, going to the market, shopping, carrying heavy objects, and the habit of wearing high heels.

You have varicose veins in your legs due to the nature of your job that requires you to stand a lot. Therefore, during Tet, you can apply the following measures to improve this condition.

Avoid standing or sitting for too long : When cleaning the house, preparing food for guests or sitting and chatting with friends, be careful not to stand or sit for too long. You can walk, stand up, and change positions so that your legs do not become numb. Limit positions that impede blood circulation in the leg veins such as squatting, sitting with your legs crossed...

Wear comfortable shoes : You should choose shoes that fit your feet, with heels that are not too high, convenient for walking. If you wear high heels when visiting relatives during Tet, you should bring a pair of slippers to change into in case you have to travel far or walk a lot.

Avoid wearing tight pants: Choose comfortable, soft clothing to keep blood circulation in the legs unobstructed.

Wear venous compression stockings: You should use medical stockings to improve blood circulation in your legs. Compression stockings from the foot to the knee help your legs stay comfortable on long trips.

Elevate your legs when sitting or sleeping : This helps blood circulate and stabilize, minimizing the risk of varicose veins. When lying down, you can elevate your legs for a few minutes to help blood circulate well to the heart. People who have to sit in a car for a long time to go home should elevate their legs higher than usual and use venous pressure stockings to prevent the disease.

Weight control: If you are overweight or obese, you should lose weight scientifically. During Tet, you should avoid greasy foods, sweets, alcoholic beverages, carbonated soft drinks... Instead, you should prioritize foods rich in vitamins, fiber, whole grains, fish oil and drink enough water every day.

Regular exercise : Your daily routine during Tet has changed a lot. However, you should arrange time for physical exercise, especially leg exercises to increase the strength of blood vessels and prevent varicose veins.

MD.CKI Tran Quoc Hoai
Cardiovascular Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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