How can I prevent varicose veins and spider veins?
461135
you really can't prevent these things from happening.  a lot of it has to do with your genes and family history.  while there are some things that people believe will help (like taking vitamins and such), if it runs in your family, your chances of getting them are much higher.
428361
Blood does go to your feet.  But your veins have little valves that act like trap doors.  They let blood go through then block it from going back down.  This makes it so the blood doesn't pool as bad in your veins and feet.  However if you aren't using your legs, by moving around and such, then the blood will pool up more.  This leads to swollen legs and feet.  To test this, just hang your feet in the air for awhile, even while just sitting on a swing or something.  After awhile, if you jump down you'll get a shock in your feet from the blood being forced into your capillaries and veins.  \nThis explains why one needs to excercise their legs while on long flights, or you'll get swollen feet and could develop blood clots.
938315
the stripping or getting rid of virocous or spider veins
218288
Wear support hose. They help provide relief. These stockings, available in pharmacies and department stores, resist the blood's tendency to pool in the small blood vessels closest to the skin, explains Dr. Phillips. (Instead, the blood is pushed into the larger, deeper veins, where it is more easily pumped back up to the heart.)\n\nThrow those veins a one-two punch. Dr. Phillips suggests that sufferers of varicose veins combine the powers of gravity and support hose in the following exercise: Slip on your support hose. Then lie flat on your back and raise your legs straight up in the air, resting them against a wall. Hold this position for 2 minutes. This allows the blood to flow out of the swollen leg veins back toward your heart. Repeat throughout the day, if possible, as often as needed.\n\nTilt your bed. You can make gravity work for you through the night by raising the foot of your bed several inches, says Paul Lazar, M.D., a professor of clinical dermatology at Northwestern University Medical School. He cautions, however, that if you have a history of heart trouble or if you have any difficulty breathing during the night, it's best to consult a doctor before adjusting your bed.\n\nWear sensible shoes. Varicose veins are discomforting enough to the legs. Don't give your gams any extra troubles by wearing high heels or cowboy boots, says Dr. Phillips.\n\nBuy a pair of elastic stockings. These special stockings, generally sold in medical supply stores rather than in pharmacies, are to support hose what a 45 Magnum is to a BB gun. Specially fitted elastic stockings, worn up to knee level, can give you considerable relief, depending on the severity of the varicose veins, says Dr. McDonagh. Get measured for a good-quality stocking.\n\nWatch your weight. Added body weight means more pressure on your legs, one reason why pregnant women often suffer from varicose veins. Keep your weight down, and chances are you'll have fewer problems with bulging veins, says Lenise Banse, M.D., a dermatologist and director of the Mole and Melanoma Clinic at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan.\n\nStay away from tight-fitting clothes. Tight garments, particularly a girdle that is too tight or panty hose that are too constricting in the groin area, can act like tourniquets and keep blood pooled in your legs, says Dr. Banse.\n\nOn the Pill? Be suspicious. Hormonal imbalances, which sometimes occur with birth control pills, can be the cause of spider veins. If your problem appeared after you started the Pill, there might well be a connection, says Dr. McDonagh.\n\nDon't smoke. A report from the Framingham Heart Study noted a correlation between smoking and the incidence of varicose veins. The researchers conclude that smoking may be a risk factor for those with varicose veins.\n\nGo for a walk. Prolonged sitting or standing can cause problems in your legs because the blood tends to pool. A little bit of exercise throughout the day, particularly walking, can often prevent this pooling, says Eugene Strandness, Jr., M.D., a professor of surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine. In fact, the Framingham study found that sedentary adults were more likely to have varicose veins than those who were active.\n\nDon't hide from your problem. Much of the discomfort and pain of varicose veins can be masked with pain pills. Don't do it, says Dr. McDonagh. "Varicose veins are a problem that should not be dealt with by hiding the pain," he says. If you've gone down the list of tips and nothing helps, seek medical attention.
371995
Its scar tissue. Sometimes over time it will go away over time, or at least go down a bit. I've heard a rumor that gentle massage and vitamin e will help it loosen up and go back to normal, but I cant tell you if this is true or not. I guess its worth a try.  The theory is that  you want to get blood flow back into the hardened scar tissue so the skin can regenerate veins and go back to normal. Do some research on the internet, or ask your doctor.
1099164
get a massage regularly, it will help increase your circulation. See a doctor in case it is something to be concerned about. If you have diabetes, this is a common symptom. Use heat packs in bed (be careful of burns though) and I've heard drinking ginger tea helps also :)
1037714
1. valves in veins help prevent the back flow of blood as it returns blood back to the heart even if it is against gravity\n2. skeletal muscles with plenty of tone, ie calf muscles, can help "massage "the veins, (especially if varicose) help prevent them from collapsing so that the max blood is in venous return to heart. \n3.blood pH affects blood pressure; blood pressure affects venous return......\n\nblood is naturally slightly alkaline 7.34; alkalosis can makes bp drop. Women in labor who have hyperventelated may make both mom and baby in imbalance!  Mom in alkalosis and baby in acidosis. Alkalosis can cause BP to drops and so fetus does not get the adequate oxygen needed.  So fetus blood accumulates CO2, making fetus in acidosis from the carbonic acid produced when carbon dioxide and water mix and make acid.  By mother breathing in a paper bag (inhaling CO2) her and neutralizing alkaline blood by making more carbonic acid in her blood, her pH returns it to its normal slighly alkaline level again, BP of mom goes back up and pumps the O2 back across the placenta to the baby whose acidosis goes away. They both have returned to homeostasis...so prevent hyperventilation in a laboring woman and prevent both alkalosis and acidosis in both of them.
1033690
Doctors can give you an injection that collapses the vein and does away with them.  It is called scelrotherapy (unsure of spelling).  If they are real bad they can be stripped out too but I hear that is real painful.
941349
VARICOSE AND SPIDER VEINS\nVaricose veins are large, raised, swollen blood vessels that twist and turn. They usually develop in the legs. \n\nSpider veins are smaller, red, purple and blue vessels that are also twisted and turning. Spider veins are easily visible and are found just under the skin. Like varicose veins, they are most often seen on the legs. \n\nWhat Causes Varicose Veins and Spider Veins? \n\nA number of factors predispose a person to varicose and spider veins. These include: \n\n\nHeredity (passed on from a parent to a child through genes) \nOccupations that involve a lot of standing, such as seen among nurses, beauticians, teachers and factory workers \nObesity \nHormonal influences during pregnancy \nThe use of birth control pills \nPost-menopausal hormonal replacement \nA history of blood clots \nConditions that cause increased pressure in the abdomen including tumors, constipation and externally worn garments like girdles \n\nOther reported causes include trauma or injury to the skin, previous venous surgery and exposure to ultraviolet rays. \n\nWho Is Affected by Varicose Veins and Spider Veins? \n\nVaricose veins and spider veins develop more often in women than in men. They increase in frequency with age. An estimated 30% to 60% of adults have varicose veins or spider veins. \n\nWhat Are the Symptoms of Varicose Veins and Spider Veins? \n\nMany patients with varicose veins complain of pain, described as an aching or cramping in the legs. Other common symptoms include tiredness, restlessness, burning, throbbing, tingling or heaviness in the legs. Pain caused by varicose veins is usually relieved by elevating the legs or by wearing support hose. \n\nIn women, symptoms may be worse during certain parts of the menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. Patients also may develop swelling, ulcers (large sores), and an increase in the pigmentation or darkening of the color of their skin, especially in the ankle region. Occasionally, varicose veins and spider veins can form a painful blood clot with inflammation of the vein called thrombophlebitis. \n\nWhat Are the Treatment Options for Varicose Veins and Spider Veins? \n\nTreatment options are many and include:\n\n\nWearing support stockings. The most conservative approach is simply to wear properly-fitting support hose, especially when the veins cause painful or uncomfortable symptoms. These stockings can generally be purchased at any surgical supply store and at some pharmacies. They come in below-the-knee, above-the-knee and pantyhose styles. \nMaking lifestyle changes. Good skin hygiene, weight loss (if needed), and walking can help treat varicose veins and spider veins. \nSclerotherapy. This procedure, which has been available since the 1930s, uses a highly concentrated saline (salt) solution or a specially made detergent that is injected directly into the vein, causing the vein to disappear gradually over 3 to 6 weeks. The procedure is simple, relatively inexpensive and can be performed in an outpatient setting. \nEndovenous laser treatment. A small laser fiber is inserted into the vein so that pulses of laser light can be delivered inside the vein, which causes the vein to collapse. The procedure is done as an outpatient under local anesthesia. \nRadiofrequency occlusion. During this procedure, a small catheter is inserted into the vein to deliver radiofrequency energy to the vein wall, causing it to heat, collapse and seal shut. The procedure is generally done in an outpatient or in-office setting and may be done under local anesthesia. \nSurgery. Surgical techniques to treat varicose veins include ligation (tying off of a vein) and stripping (removal of a long segment of vein) and ambulatory phlebectomy, which allows for the removal of large surface veins through very small incisions that do not need stitches. Surgery may be performed using local, spinal or general anesthesia. Most patients return home the same day as the procedure. Surgery is generally used
408768
Varicose veins don't show up as noticeably on darker skin.  A self-tanner or bronzer might help.\n\n\nAnd if you're going to Greece, you won't know anybody there anyway - don't worry too much about them.  Go and have fun.
1009702
You can go to the doctor and they inject a saline solution right into the area where they occur.  It is a temporary measure but if you wish them hidden for the summer it may help.  ride a stationary bike, that helps circulation.  sitting with your legs up may feel good after a long day at work but you still need the blood pumping the blood a little more energetically after the abuse we put them through a long day.
166960
These are called "varicose veins".\n\nIt's not just women.   50% of people over age 50 develop varicose veins. Many factors increase a person's chances of developing varicose or spider veins. These include:\n\n* Increasing Age\n* Having family members with vein problems or being born with weak vein valves\n* Hormonal changes. These occur during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. Taking birth control pills and other medicines containing estrogen and progesterone also increase the risk of varicose or spider veins\n* Pregnancy. During pregnancy there is a huge increase in the amount of blood in the body. This can cause veins to enlarge. The expanding uterus also puts pressure on the veins. Varicose veins usually improve within 3 months after delivery. A growing number of abnormal veins usually appear with each additional pregnancy\n* Obesity, leg injury, prolonged standing and other things that weaken vein valves\n\nAt the source below, there are suggestions for preventing varicose veins.
1138710
Short answer: No it's pretty harmless!\n\nCirculation: crossing your legs only compresses a small circumference of the leg which your rather well designed body can easily cope with by diverting blood around\n\nVaricose veins: Varicose veins develop due to progressive failure of valves in the veins. This process occurs due to the weight of blood upon them, which is maximal when standing, so sitting cross legged is fine.\n\nNerve injury: Dead legs sustained from prolonged cross-legged sitting are due to the nerves being short of blood flow over the compressed segment, it would need to be continuous firm pressure for over 2 hours to start to cause any permanent problems - and who sits for over two hours without adjusting their position? ....The answer is people who are drunk or smashed on drugs or collapsed with a medical problem, these can have prolonged compression on one part of the body (even lying still for a few hours) and kill off some of the compressed tissues (pressure sores) - but that is kind of shooting off-topic.\n\nDVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) - flow rates in the deep calf veins are inevitably reduced when sat cross legged, and reduction in the rate of blood flow is a risk faactor for blood clotting, but it is enormously unlikely to result in a DVT unless you have other major risk factors, especially as with frequent changes in position, the blood flow is frequently returned to full flow rates.
1022189
Excercise more, it increases your blood flow, vein capacity and thus increases your size of veins.  You sort of want your veins to be able to allow for higher volumes of blood, it allows the heart to work less.
434160
My mother-in-law got them zapped with lazor treatments.  I'm not sure what the actualy treatment is called, but she had them done a few weeks in a row and now her legs are vericose veins-free.  Check with your doctor.\n\nP.S. - She says it didn't hurt
104798
to counteract any venoumous sting or bite
94589
vze2wy4t RN, I believe you are thinking of venous disease (as in varicose veins) when you suggest elevating the limb. Although walking, and smoking cessation are the first steps. Support hose are to help improve VENOUS return.\n\nIn lower extremity arterial occlusive disease the dependent position (ie feet down) aids in circulation to the smaller blood vessels in the feet and lower extremeties. Many patients who complain of pain at rest, have a history of having worse pain at night while in bed sleeping, with relief from "dangling their feet from the side of the bed". \n\nBefore you decide to do anything, see your physician if you have not already done so. There are other disease proceses that may mimic peripheral artery occlusive disease. If it is arterial disease he will be able to better answer your questions, after a good examination. If it is warranted, (after more involved tests) referal to a vascular surgeon might be necessary. Good luck.\n\nhttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4692