Your New Year Resolution: better vein health
Statistics vary, but some estimate that up to 80% of us make and fail to follow through on our New Year’s Resolutions, abandoning them before the end of January. However, if you’re legs are aching, feel ‘heavy’ and look less than attractive with bulging, swollen varicose veins, make 2020 the year that you seek better vein health.
A new year is an opportunity to embrace a healthier lifestyle and this can fit well with a commitment to sorting out your varicose veins. There are a number of lifestyle changes you can adopt that can help reduce the symptoms of varicose veins.
5 steps to better vein health:
- Eat a healthy diet: certain nutrients can help keep your veins strong and elastic and so fill your plate with colourful fruit and vegetables. They are packed with bioflavonoids that have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. They diminish swelling and strengthen collagen which is the connective tissue in the vein walls.
- Swap alcohol for water: although drinking alcohol doesn’t cause varicose veins to develop, it can make an existing vascular condition worse because excessive drinking increases your heart rate, causing blood to pump through your veins even faster. This places stress on the compromised veins in your legs. Drink water instead as it helps to improve vein health by both improving overall blood circulation and strengthening the muscles that support your veins.
- Cut out salt: foods that are high in sodium cause the body to retain fluid which can increase trauma to your already damaged veins.
- Get active: embracing exercise is a common New Year’s Resolution and no wonder: the health benefits are myriad. In terms of better vein health, regular exercise encourages better circulation that helps to push through any blood that has collected in the veins. It also helps to lower your blood pressure which can be another contributing factor in the development of varicose veins.
- Quit smoking: it’s no secret that smoking is hugely damaging to your health, but it also makes you far more susceptible to developing varicose veins. Nicotine, as well as the other 7,000 plus chemicals in cigarettes, causes constriction of your veins, restricting blood flow.
Although these lifestyle changes can often help to prevent varicose veins from worsening, they do not usually address the underlying condition. If you are bothered about the cosmetic appearance of your legs or struggling with the associated symptoms, varicose vein removal no longer involves surgery and significant downtime. There are a number of procedures that are highly effective and minimally invasive. Please call 01872 308 520 to arrange a consultation at the Cornwall Vein Clinic.
