Varicose Veins
Varicose Veins
15 Helpers and Healers
If you were to wake up tomorrow, rub the sleep from your eyes, and find a slew of gaping crocodiles at the foot of the bed, would your very first thought be, "Oh my, what ugly reptiles!" Of course not. Yet, were you to look down and notice varicose veins for the first time, your first thoughts might turn to matters of appearance.
Most people don't even see varicose veins as a disease—they think of them only as something cosmetic. But this is far from the case. "People with varicose veins have a disease, a disease with a cosmetic aspect," says Brian McDonagh, M.D., a Chicago, Illinois, phlebologist (vein specialist) and founder and director of Vein Clinics of America.
Bluish, swollen, lumpy-looking veins—and their cousins the crimson "spider veins"—are only the most evident signs of varicose vein disease. Veteran sufferers know all too well that with these visible veins often come achy, tired, listless legs.
The condition is usually not life threatening (certainly not on a par with having a slew of crocodiles in bed with you). So there is no reason to panic nor to rush to a doctor. But if you are afflicted with varicose veins, you—and your poor legs—will be infinitely better off knowing how to manage them.
Here are some suggestions from the experts.
MEDICAL ALERT
Clots: A Cause for Concern One hundred years ago, doctors would yank out varicose veins with hooks. Rest assured the treatment today is much more humane—and helpful. Today injection therapy is used with resounding success against even the wiliest varicose veins. But when do varicose veins warrant a trip to the doctor? Brian McDonagh, M.D., says that there are two major complications presented by varicose veins: vein clotting and rupture. How do you recognize a clot? "It will become very painful, sore, and tender—it just hurts," says Dr. McDonagh. Clots are usually visible as red lumps in the veins that don't decrease in size even when you put your legs up. Varicose veins around the ankle areas are more inclined to rupture and bleed. This is much more dangerous than clotting because you can lose blood very rapidly. If this happens, put pressure on it to slow the bleeding and get to your doctor. |
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Don't feel guilty. By far the greatest risk factor for varicose veins is having a parent with the problem, says Dr. McDonagh. Myths abound to explain the existence of this largely hereditary disease—the largest myth being that varicose veins are caused by crossing one's legs. "That's nonsense," says Dr. McDonagh. You are simply one of the 17 percent of all Americans who possess the culprit genes (most of you are women).
The Alternate Route
Assume a Different Pose The ancient system of yoga has much to offer sufferers of varicose veins, says John Clarke, M.D., a cardiologist with the Himalayan International Institute. This yogic breathing practice can be done without instruction, without danger, and with a good chance that your discomfort from varicose veins will be relieved, claims Dr. Clarke. Try this exercise right now. Lie flat on your back and prop your feet up on a chair. Breathe slowly and evenly from your diaphragm, through your nose. That's it! While gravity is pulling excess blood out of your raised legs, your full, steady inhalations will create negative pressure in your chest, Dr. Clarke says. This negative pressure helps pull in air to the chest cavity, as well as blood from all over the body, including your blood-gorged legs, he says. |
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Get gravity on your side—lift your feet. Varicose veins are weakened veins that lack the strength they once had to return blood to the heart. Veins in the legs are the most susceptible, for they are farthest—and straight downhill—from the heart. You can make their job much easier by putting gravity on your side. It's easy. Using an ottoman, pillows, or an easy chair, raise your legs up above hip level whenever they're aching, and the discomfort should start to go away, says Dudley Phillips, M.D., a family practitioner in Darlington, Maryland.
Wear support hose. They help provide relief. These stockings, available in pharmacies and department stores, resist the blood's tendency to pool in the small blood vessels closest to the skin, explains Dr. Phillips. (Instead, the blood is pushed into the larger, deeper veins, where it is more easily pumped back up to the heart.)
Throw those veins a one-two punch. Dr. Phillips suggests that sufferers of varicose veins combine the powers of gravity and support hose in the following exercise: Slip on your support hose. Then lie flat on your back and raise your legs straight up in the air, resting them against a wall. Hold this position for 2 minutes. This allows the blood to flow out of the swollen leg veins back toward your heart. Repeat throughout the day, if possible, as often as needed.
Tilt your bed. You can make gravity work for you through the night by raising the foot of your bed several inches, says Paul Lazar, M.D., a professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School. He cautions, however, that if you have a history of heart trouble or if you have any difficulty breathing during the night, it's best to consult a doctor before adjusting your bed.
Wear sensible shoes. Varicose veins are discomforting enough to the legs. Don't give your gams any extra troubles by wearing high heels or cowboy boots, says Dr. Phillips.
Buy a pair of elastic stockings. These special stockings, generally sold in medical supply stores rather than in pharmacies, are to support hose what a 45 Magnum is to a BB gun. Specially fitted elastic stockings, worn up to knee level, can give you considerable relief, depending on the severity of the varicose veins, says Dr. McDonagh. Get measured for a good-quality stocking.
Watch your weight. Added body weight means more pressure on your legs, one reason why pregnant women often suffer from varicose veins. Keep your weight down, and chances are you'll have fewer problems with bulging veins, says Lenise Banse, M.D., a dermatologist and director of the Mole and Melanoma Clinic at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.
Stay away from tight-fitting clothes. Tight garments, particularly a girdle that is too tight or panty hose that are too constricting in the groin area, can act like tourniquets and keep blood pooled in your legs, says Dr. Banse.
On the Pill? Be suspicious. Hormonal imbalances, which sometimes occur with birth control pills, can be the cause of spider veins. If your problem appeared after you started the Pill, there might well be a connection, says Dr. McDonagh.
Don't smoke. A report from the Framingham Heart Study noted a correlation between smoking and the incidence of varicose veins. The researchers conclude that smoking may be a risk factor for those with varicose veins.
Go for a walk. Prolonged sitting or standing can cause problems in your legs because the blood tends to pool. A little bit of exercise throughout the day, particularly walking, can often prevent this pooling, says Eugene Strandness, Jr., M.D., a professor of surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In fact, the Framingham study found that sedentary adults were more likely to have varicose veins than those who were active.
Don't hide from your problem. Much of the discomfort and pain of varicose veins can be masked with pain pills. Don't do it, says Dr. McDonagh. "Varicose veins are a problem that should not be dealt with by hiding the pain," he says. If you've gone down the list of tips and nothing helps, seek medical attention.
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Lenise Banse, M.D., is a dermatologist in Detroit, Michigan, where she is director of the Mole and Melanoma Clinic at Henry Ford Hospital.
John Clarke, M.D., is a cardiologist with the Himalayan International Institute in Honesdale, Pennsylvania.
Paul Lazar, M.D., is a professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago, Illinois. He is a former board member of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Brian McDonagh, M.D., is a phlebologist (vein specialist) based in Chicago, Illinois. He is the founder and director of Vein Clinics of America, the largest medical group in the country dedicated solely to the treatment of vein disorders.
Dudley Phillips, M.D., of Darlington, Maryland, has practiced family medicine for more than 40 years.
Eugene Strandness, Jr., M.D., is a professor of surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
