Many people that experience varicose veins suffer pain. This is because the valves in the veins are malfunctioning, making it harder for blood to flow upwards. Without proper blood flow, the blood starts to pool and collect in areas, increasing the pressure on the vein, causing it to bulge and/or twist. Over time this pressure can result in pain. Summit Skin & Vein Care recommends a consultation for advice on a possible long-term treatment for varicose veins. However, when awaiting treatment options, try these methods to assist in reducing the pain of varicose veins.
Compression Socks
While compressions socks won’t fix your varicose veins, they can help promote and encourage the needed upward blood flow. The compression socks will put pressure on the feet and ankles, squeezing and helping the blood have more momentum to move back towards the heart.
Again, this will not eliminate the varicose veins, but it does have the potential to reduce the pain by reducing the amount of blood pooling in the veins.
Avoid prolonged sitting or standing
When you have varicose veins, it’s important to incorporate a healthy mix of sitting and standing during your day. If you sit for long periods of time, you can experience poor blood flow, which will only make your varicose vein pain worse. On the flip side, being on your feet all day puts strain on your veins.
If you are on your feet all day, make sure to take frequent breaks to sit. In addition, if you sit for the majority of the day, make sure you get up and move around to promote blood flow. If you have trouble remembering to move or rest throughout the day, setting an alarm as a reminder may help.
Exercise
Exercising can help improve blood flow and lessen your pain, but it can also put more stress on the vein and cause more pain. It is important to consult a vein specialist before you start an exercise plan.
Losing weight and healthy eating
If you have some extra pounds, losing weight can reduce the pressure that is put on your veins and can reduce the pain. Reducing your salt intake can also help reduce water retention, general heaviness, and added pressure on your legs.
Elevate feet
By elevating your feet, you are helping improve your circulation. Lifting up the legs will allow gravity to do the work and assists in reducing blood pooling and the pressure put on varicose veins.
Varicose Veins Treatment
The only true way to completely be rid of your pain is to treat your varicose veins. At Summit Skin and Vein Care, we offer two different varicose vein treatment options. Both are highly effective and performed by our skilled, experienced medical team. Unlike outdated varicose vein stripping, our treatment options are both minimally-invasive and require little-to-no downtime.
Ready to Be Pain-Free?
If you’re ready to treat your varicose veins and live a pain-free life, we can help. Call Summit Skin & Vein Care today at (816) 533-4398 for a free vein screening and to learn more about varicose vein treatments.