Why Women Are More Likely To Get Varicose Veins

It is estimated that nearly 55% of all women will develop varicose veins at some point in their lifetime, especially during hormonal increases and fluctuations like during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause. With such a staggeringly high number, a lot of our patients want to know why exactly women are more prone to getting these painful veins than men. Let’s take a closer look at why.

An Increase Of Progesterone

Progesterone is a hormone that is increased during the menstrual cycle and physical development. The unfortunate thing about progesterone is that it also relaxes the vein walls and valves which weaken them and make it harder for them to push blood back to the heart. The result? Blood starts to pool in veins in the legs and feet which results in varicose veins.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful and amazing thing, but it can also wreak havoc on your body; especially when it comes to blood volume and circulation. Not only do your progesterone levels increase during pregnancy, but blood circulating throughout the body swells, which can form varicose veins. The good news about delivering varicose veins during pregnancy, though, is that they will typically subside just after a few months of giving birth.

How Can You Avoid Varicose Veins

There are several things that we encourage our patients to do to avoid getting varicose veins, including:

• Staying Active: The more active you are, the more circulation you are going to get, which will prevent against varicose veins. If you sit at a desk job for long periods of time, try to stand up frequently and walk around so that you can get the blood circulating
• Maintain a Good Weight: Women who are overweight are at a higher risk of developing varicose veins because it places excess pressure on your leg veins. Try to maintain a healthy weight or lose excess weight to avoid getting them in the first place.
• Wear Compression Stockings: If you stand for long periods of time, consider investing in some compression stockings. Compression stockings are great at squeezing the leg veins, which will prevent the formation of varicose veins in women who stand a lot.

If you feel like you are at risk of developing varicose veins or if you are experiencing symptoms of them, contact our Cadillac office today and call us at (231) 936-2068.