You’ve probably heard that stress can put a serious strain on your health. Did you know that chronic stress can affect your veins? The more you manage your stress, the better chance you have of managing your vein health.
Stress vs. Vein Disease
Stress doesn’t necessarily cause vein problems, but it can exacerbate any issues you already have. Here’s how:
Insufficient Circulation
One of the key downsides to stress is that it raises your blood pressure. If you’re worried or anxious for a long period of time, high blood pressure puts constant strain on your veins. Varicose veins can form if blood is struggling to circulate back to your heart.
Gaining Weight
Some people tend to turn to comfort foods when they are tense. That’s because cortisol, a stress hormone, tells your body it needs more fuel when you’re under emotional strain so that you can have the energy to deal with the stressful situation. However, if your body is constantly telling you that it needs food, you will put on extra weight that puts extra pressure on your veins.
Progress Block
Stress makes a lot of people do the exact opposite of what they should do, like eating more than usual and avoiding exercise. It’s important to maintain healthy habits when you’re stressed, both to help yourself alleviate the stress and keep your veins in good shape.
Don’t Let Stress Overwhelm You
It’s important to keep yourself as calm as possible when you have varicose veins to keep your mental health from negatively affecting your physical health. Try some of these stress management tricks to take some worry out of your life.
- Maintain a good work/life balance to keep work stressors at a minimum
- Do some non-strenuous, healthy exercise to keep stress levels down
- Prep healthy meals on the weekend to take a step out of your weekly routine and better regulate your diet
- Talk to your doctor about treatment options if your varicose veins are causing your stress