The vital task of returning blood to your heart from every part of your body falls on your veins. Since they must contend with gravity and your own weight to transport blood to the heart, the veins that are the farthest from your heart—typically those in your lower legs—have the hardest job. The veins in your lower legs are put under considerably more strain when you are overweight or obese.
Your leg veins eventually suffer harm from the added pressure. Little valves located inside each of your blood vessels ensure that blood only flows in one way. These valves deteriorate over time and under the pressure of your body weight. This may result in your blood returning to the vein rather than flowing into your heart, weakening and enlarging the vein.
Being overweight puts increased pressure on the veins, making an individual more vulnerable to vein disease. The vein valves may deteriorate as a result over time. Blood will not have anywhere to go if the vein valves are not functioning properly. Moreover, the veins will enlarge and become visible through the skin as a result of this.
With this in mind, it makes sense to believe that lowering weight may cause your varicose veins to disappear. Although lowering weight can help your veins and general health, it cannot repair damaged or dysfunctional vein valves.
RECOGNIZING THE SIGNS OF VEIN PROBLEMS
Varicose veins are a disorder that develops when your veins visibly bulge. Your blood flow may slow down and you may have other symptoms, such as :
- Leg twitches
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Vein tingling and burning
- Your ankles, feet, and legs may swell
- Persistent leg pains and weight loss
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VARICOSE VEINS AND BODY WEIGHT?
Your veins carry the blood back to your heart after your arteries have carried oxygen-rich blood to your organs and tissues. Little valves in your leg veins open and close to forcing blood up against gravity. The vein valves experience more pressure when you are overweight, which might weaken the valves and cause blood to backslide. The vein swells and protrudes from beneath the skin as the blood collects inside.
Sedentary behavior strains the veins as well. Although your calf muscles are essential for the veins to pump blood, they deteriorate when you don’t exercise your legs. Blood can pool inside the vein if you spend a lot of time standing or sitting still, which can result in varicose veins.
HOW SHEDDING POUNDS CAN BENEFIT YOUR VEINS
Even though losing weight won’t always make your varicose veins go away, it will still be beneficial. Losing weight relieves strain on your leg veins, which can reduce varicose vein swelling and discomfort. Exercise can lessen the signs and symptoms of vein disease and stop the development of new varicose veins.
By triggering the calf muscles’ natural pump action, exercise and a nutritious diet low in sodium and fat can help reduce extra body weight and strengthen veins. Low-impact exercises that strengthen the calf muscles and improve blood flow to the legs include walking, biking, and swimming.
While lowering weight will always be beneficial for your veins, the only effective technique to get rid of varicose veins is surgery. Modern minimally invasive procedures are completed in less than an hour and are done as an outpatient. Sclerotherapy, thermal heat ablation, and ambulatory phlebectomy are examples of treatments that only need a local anesthetic. Patients have few restrictions and can resume their normal activities right away.
Physicians at Specialty Care Clinics are specialists in vein health and can guide you through every step of your journey toward healthier veins. To find out which choice best suits your needs and way of life, contact us at (469) 545-9983.