Varicose veins: The risk factors and treatments you need to know
Varicose veins are enlarged, blue or dark purple swollen veins that appear just below your skin. Here are the symptoms to look out for and what you can do to treat them.
They’re the swollen and twisted blood vessels that appear just below the surface of your skin and are most commonly found on legs and feet.
Often blue or dark purple, varicose veins can also cause pain and discomfort.
According to the Vein Institute, varicose veins impact up to 30 per cent of Australians1 and become more common as we age.
What causes varicose veins?
Our veins have tiny valves that pump blood in one direction – to the heart.
When these valves aren’t functioning properly or become weak or damaged, it can cause blood to pool and the veins to stretch2.
When this happens, the blood can also flow backwards into the smaller blood vessels (capillaries), leading them to enlarge and form “spider veins”.
What are the symptoms?
While some people don’t notice anything other than the change in appearance of their veins, others experience symptoms, such as:
- Aching legs
- Itchy, heavy legs
- Swollen legs and ankles
- Pain that gets worse after prolonged sitting or standing
Who is at risk of varicose veins?
The risk of developing varicose veins increases with age3, as the wear and tear on healthy blood vessels and blood flow increases.
Carrying excess weight can also put you at risk due to the stress on your organs and increased pressure on your circulatory system, which can result in weakened veins and valves3.
Your genetics will also affect the strength of your vein walls, valves and muscle density.
Other risk factors include lack of exercise, standing or being immobile for long periods3, pregnancy4 and menopause.
How to treat varicose veins
Symptoms of varicose veins can be relieved by one or a combination of the following:
- Wearing compression stockings5
- Exercise
- Raising your legs when sitting or lying down
- Trying not to stand for too long, or moving your legs in order to get the blood flowing
Varicose vein remedies
Incorporating key ingredients, such as vitamin C, Butcher’s broom and hesperidin into your diet can also help to manage symptoms of mild varicose veins.
- Vitamin C helps enhance the health of blood vessels and support the formation of collagen6. Collagen is an important component of the structure of the walls of our blood vessels, including veins.
- Butcher’s broom is a herb that helps support healthy blood circulation7 and helps to reduce and relieve the symptoms of mild varicose veins, such as aching, heavy legs and leg swelling3.
- Hesperidin helps to maintain blood circulation8 to the legs and feet.
Caruso’s Veins Clear tablets, which contain all of these ingredients, can help to relieve symptoms of mild varicose veins, help enhance blood vessel health and maintain healthy blood circulation.
This article is brought to you by Caruso’s Vein Clear Tablets. Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
1The Vein Institute, What are Varicose Veins. Accessed via: https://www.theveininstitute.com.au/what-are-varicose-veins/
2Campbell B. Varicose veins and their management. BMJ. 2006 Aug 5;333(7562):287-92. Accessed 21/09 via https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1526945/
3Jones RH, Carek PJ. Management of varicose veins. Am Fam Physician. 2008 Dec 1;78(11):1289-94. PMID: 19069022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19069022/
4M J Callam, Epidemiology of varicose veins, British Journal of Surgery, Volume 81, Issue 2, February 1994, Pages 167–173, https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.1800810204
5Gregory Piazza. Varicose Veins. Circulation. 2014;130:582–587. Accessed 21/09 via https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/circulationaha.113.008331
6J. Glowinski and S. Glowinski. Generation of Reactive Oxygen Metabolites by the Varicose Vein Wall. Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg 23, 550±555 (2002) doi:10.10 /ejvs.2002.1656, available online at http://www.idealibrary.com
7Bruno, G. (2000). Butcher’s Broom. Huntington College of Health Sciences. 2000. Accessed via: https://literature.vivavitamins.com/literature/Circulation.pdf
8Hesperidin – Uses, Side Effects, and More. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1033/hesperidin
