What to Do if Your Family has a History of a Vein Condition
Varicose veins affect millions of people around the world and its single biggest risk factor is family history. According to studies, almost half of all the people suffering from varicose veins have a vein condition in their family history.
In fact, when both your parents have a vein condition, there’s a 90% chance that you will develop it in your lifetime. But what exactly should you do if a vein condition like varicose veins or spider veins run in your family?
Stay Active
Regular exercise has been proven to help prevent or reduce varicose veins. Make sure to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. If you don’t have time to visit the gym, taking 30-minute walks can already help a lot in preventing varicose veins, which could lead to spider vein removal if not treated right away.
You can also do other exercises that focus on the lower extremities like lunges and leg lifts that will help promote better circulation throughout your body.
It’s also very important to take breaks if your work involves long periods of either sitting or standing. Take breaks every 30 minutes to aid blood flow through your legs. If seated, avoid crossing your legs for a long time and if sitting isn’t an option when your work involves standing for extended periods, try to shift your weight from one leg to the other to give each leg time to rest.
Keep Your Weight in Check
Aside from family history, obesity is one of the biggest predisposing factors of varicose veins. So if you want to avoid those pesky spider veins in your legs, make sure that you keep a healthy weight by following a proper diet. Being overweight puts added pressure on your lower extremities, which makes your varicose veins worse. Before you know it, spider vein removal might be inevitable.
Choose the Right Clothes
If you already have varicose veins, try to avoid wearing tight clothing, especially those around your pelvis and waist. Choose more loose-fitting trousers, for instance, so proper circulation to your lower extremities is maintained.
If your varicose veins are getting worse, you can also consult your doctor about wearing compression stockings that will help put gentle pressure on your legs to reduce swelling.
Take a Vein Screening
Since you’re already at a higher risk for developing varicose veins due to family history, it’s best to have your vein screened as early as possible so you can already take precautionary measures that will keep your spider veins from getting worse.
Early diagnosis will help you get the best results from your treatment, so it’s very important to go through vein screening with the help of a vein specialist.
The Bottom Line
Varicose veins may make you feel uncomfortable and even insecure about your legs, but they shouldn’t stop you from enjoying your life. If you know that varicose veins run in your family, take all the necessary measures as early as possible to get the best outcomes from your treatment, whether you require simple medications or spider vein removal.
We specialize in diagnosis and treatment for any and all vascular health issues for patients in San Diego County, Orange County, and Riverside County. For more information or to set an appointment, please contact us.
