Causes of varicose veins
The causes of varicose veins are diverse, and include obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, heredity, jobs involving long periods of time in the same position (both standing and sitting), birth control pills, pregnancy, etc.
Some of the causes predisposing to varicose veins include:
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Overweight: Thick legs require more blood supply from the arteries. The blood needs to be later drained through the veins, which causes an overload of the latter.
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Pregnancy: Pregnancy (especially on the last few weeks) is the most frequent cause of varicose veins in women, since the pregnancy develops a pressure on the zone the veins increase.
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Menopause: The typical menopause-related hormonal changes can also cause varicose veins.
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High blood pressure: High blood pressure (which is in turn caused by obesity) is another major cause of the appearance of varicose veins.
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Wearing tight clothes/shoes: Clothing must be wide, smooth and constantly ventilating. If you suffer from varicose veins or if you are prone to them, then you should avoid tight garments on your legs (such as panty hoses, garters, girdles, etc.) because they restrict an adequate blood flow.
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Birth control pills or hormonal drugs: The use of birth control pills causes fluid retention, in addition to promoting the failure of the valves of the reticular veins. Many women notice how the hormonal changes they experience during menstruation change the morphology of the reticular veins. Many of them agree that they started experiencing the first superficial “spider veins” when they started taking birth control pills.
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A sedentary lifestyle: The driving pump of the venous return is the plantar pad and the muscles of the legs. Since a sedentary lifestyle fails to promote muscular contraction and the functioning of the plantar pad because of a lack of activity, the blood gets stuck, the valves get overloaded which naturally leads to the appearance of varicose veins.
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Prolonged standing: Just as it happens with a sedentary lifestyle, jobs requiring long periods of time standing (and consequently, just standing for long periods of time) significantly reduces the exercise of the muscles, and the return system must always work against gravity, given the position.
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Heredity: If your parents or grandparents suffered from varicose veins, it is very likely that you suffer from them as well.
