Leading consultant vascular surgeon Mr Michael Gaunt offers his advice:
Varicose veins are very common, affecting at least 20% of the adult UK population. Symptoms can vary from unsightly, raised bulging veins to chronic leg pain and daily discomfort.
Many varicose vein symptoms increase with age or a sedentary lifestyle. Most of us are familiar with the advice to exercise regularly to avoid health risks associated with poor circulation. Did you know poor posture and lack of movement can lead to muscular stiffness, aches, and pains as well as affect your venous circulation.
Poor venous circulation symptoms:
- Aches and pains
- Restless legs
- Itching skin
- Swelling in your lower leg
- Varicose veins
- Thread veins
- Skin discolouration around the ankles
- Leg ulcers
A healthy lifestyle, eating well and finding ways to stay active is important and even more so if you have varicose veins, as weight gain can make symptoms seem worse.
Get active and improve your vein health
Varicose veins impair circulation, that’s why they often appear raised or bobbly. Instead of all the blood from the legs returning to the heart, a proportion of blood refluxes back down the superficial veins impairing the venous circulation of the leg and giving rise to the symptoms of aching, swelling and night cramps.
Poor circulation occurs when the blood doesn’t flow freely through the body. Blood flow naturally improves with the onset of activity, it needn’t be high impact, but it does need to be consistent and frequent.
You don’t have to run a marathon to improve your circulation, little changes like taking regular breaks if sitting at a desk all day, will help, and may temporarily reduce varicose vein symptoms.
Can I prevent varicose veins?
Unfortunately, you can’t prevent varicose veins, however the best way to avoid complications is to seek professional treatment early and not ignore symptoms. In the developing stages, varicose veins and thread veins may be primarily a cosmetic problem but if left untreated the condition can deteriorate and a variety of complications can occur such as leg swelling, pigmentation of the skin around the ankles and leg ulcers.
Top Tips for good vein care
- Vary your day to include movement
- Stretch and change your posture regularly
- Alternatively flex and extend your ankle in a pumping action
- Monitor your skin and vein changes
- Seek a professional consultation and treatment package (link)
- Varicose vein complications
Enlarged varicose veins appear twisted and raised on the skin. If left untreated further venous health complications may develop :
- Increased pain and discomfort
- Swelling and inflammation
- Skin changes: broken skin and discolouration
- Venous ulceration
- Looking for varicose vein treatment?
Book a consultation with internationally renowned Mr Michael Gaunt, specialising in varicose vein and thread vein treatments using Endovenous Laser (EVLA), ClariVein (MOCA), Ultrasound Foam Sclerotherapy (UGFS) and saline micro-injection sclerotherapy. with award winning patient satisfaction.
· Walk-in, walk-out minimally invasive procedures
· Individual tailored treatment plans
· Diagnostic ultrasound scan
· Post-operative care
· Multi award-winning research
· Celebrated patient satisfaction
Private Secretaries:
Tel/Fax: 01223 305858
Email: megsecretaries@michaelgaunt.com
