Home Remedies for Varicose Veins

THE HEALTH AND FITNESS BLOG

October 01, 2022 – By Dr. Haider Khalid

Home Remedies for Varicose Veins can be found on this blog. Excess pressure on the leg veins causes varicose veins. The name comes from the word “varicose,” which means swollen or twisted. This can be caused by sitting down all day at work, standing up too quickly after sitting down, or even after pregnancy. Whatever the cause may be, it’s important to treat your varicose veins as soon as possible so that they don’t get worse and cause permanent damage to your health.

If you think it is a very rare issue, let me tell you, it’s not! On the contrary, varicose veins are one of the commonest issues people face. It is estimated that about 20% of all adults get varicose veins at some point in their lives [1]. Moreover, about 80% of men and 85% of women are known to be affected by some venous disease [2]. However, this doesn’t mean you have to live with them forever. There are plenty of home remedies out there that can help with your varicose veins.

What are Varicose Veins?

Varicose veins are nothing but abnormal veins which are dilated, large, or overfilled with blood. They seem like chords because of their twisted and bulged form. You can easily identify them by their typical bluish purple color and swollen or raised appearance. The issue of varicose veins mostly arises in the lower limbs, and you can feel severe pain in that region. 

Generally, people consider spider veins as varicose veins. However, spider veins are small and often appear on the skin’s layer. Therefore, they can also be on your face and can easily be distinguished by their red or blue color. 

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Your veins have tiny one-way valves that allow the blood to pass through and then close them to prevent the backward flow of blood. 

Sometimes the walls of veins lose their elasticity due to stretching, or the valves of the veins become defective. This weakens the valves, and malfunctioning of valves causes backward blood flow. If this happens, veins become swollen or enlarged due to blood collection. 

The adequate reason for weakened valves and stretched walls of the veins still need to be discovered. However, the following reasons can increase the likelihood of developing varicose veins:

• Being female
• Having a family history of varicose veins
•  Being obese
• Standing for long periods.
• Old age
• Pregnancy
• A previous blood clot
• Abnormality in vessels
• Swallowing or tumor in the pelvis

Symptoms of Varicose Veins

You can recognize varicose veins by gnarled, blue, or purple twisted veins beneath the surface of your skin. More symptoms include:

• Swollen and rope-like veins are often in blue or purple color on the surface of your ankles, feet, or legs. 
• After any physical activity, you might feel your legs heavy and sluggish.
• There can be itching around the area of the varicose vein. 
• You might have muscle cramps, and your legs can be achy or sore. 
• There can be swelling or throbbing in the legs, ankles, or feet.
• Your skin might have brown discolorations if it gets left untreated for a long time.
•  Severe varicose veins can cause venous ulcers on your skin. 

How to Know If You Have Varicose Veins?

With the help of the above symptoms, you can get an idea of whether you have varicose veins or not. For more confirmation, you can visit a professional general physician. 

Your health care provider will briefly ask about your pain and soreness. Then your provider will do a physical assessment, including looking at your legs and asking you to move to check for swallowing. 

For further diagnosis, the physician can recommend a test called Venous Doppler Ultrasound of your leg. This is a noninvasive test to examine the blood flow through the valve in the veins. The leg ultrasound also helps in determining the presence of blood clots. 

How Can You Prevent Varicose Veins?

We have always heard that “Prevention is the best cure .”If you are suffering from varicose veins, you have an option to prevent it by making a few changes in your diet and lifestyle. Don’t worry; we will discuss all these valuable tips to lessen your pain in the article. 

Furthermore, seek a medical professional if you think the issue is intense. It can be treated on several surgical and minimally invasive treatments on severe levels. 

What are the Various Treatment Options?

If self-care treatments don’t work, or varicose veins are more severe, then your physician might recommend you the following surgical procedures: 

• Sclerotherapy: In this procedure, foam with the solution is injected into your varicose vein. This scars and closes the vein. Within a few weeks, treated varicose veins will fade. 

There’s a possibility that the method needs to be repeated. But sclerotherapy is an easy treatment that doesn’t require anesthesia and can be done in your physician’s office. 

•  Laser treatment: In laser treatment, an intense burst of light is sent onto the vein. This is a simple process with no cuts or needles; the vein will slowly fade and disappear.
• Ligation and Vein Stripping: The varicose vein is removed in this surgical process. 
• Ambulatory phlebectomy: In this process, the doctor will make small punctures in the skin, and various veins will be removed through small slots. The scarring caused by this process will become minimal over time. 
• Endothermal Ablation: A process in which heat is induced to seal the affected veins. 
• Endoscopic Vein Surgery: It is a surgery of a minimal level. A tiny camera is inserted through your leg to give a surgeon a better idea about the intensity of the vein. After that, via several small incisions, the removal of veins occurs. 

How to Treat Varicose Veins Naturally?

Suppose the idea of needles and surgeries haunts you, so you shouldn’t neglect the early symptoms of varicose veins. It’s better to take care of your medical condition that leads you to varicose veins illness. With numerous medical treatments, there are many home remedies to fight off the issue with ease.

Continue reading because we will share the five most effective home remedies for Varicose Veins.  

Move Your Body

Movement is medicine. You need to fuel your body by adopting healthy habits. One of them is exercise. By exercise, we don’t mean to start lifting heavy weights. Start doing low-impact exercises to increase the mobility of your calf muscles. Some of the most effective exercises include: 

• Swimming 
• Cycling 
• Walking 

Doing exercise will help regulate blood circulation in the legs. This will help to push the collected blood within the veins. The best part about these exercises is that they increase blood pressure, another beneficial factor in lessening the chance of varicose veins. 

Use Compression Stockings 

You might have seen a pair of stockings while visiting a pharmaceutical store. But, have you ever thought about their use?  

These are the support socks that increase blood circulation and prevent the varicose veins from getting worse. 

According to a clinical study, people wearing knee-high compression stockings for one week reported a reduction in pain and aching associated with varicose veins [3].

So you should buy one from the nearest pharmacy store to lessen the intensity of varicose veins. 

Dietary Modifications

We all are what we eat. A healthy diet can prevent you from a lot of health issues. In addition, making a few dietary modifications can reduce the risk of varicose veins. 

Reducing sodium-rich foods and taking foods with high Potassium levels are recommended to reduce water retention in the body. 

Foods that are rich in Potassium are:

• Almonds and Pistachio 
• Potatoes 
• Lentils and white kidney beans
• Green Leafy vegetables

Another factor that helps reduce varicose veins’ shrinkage is the addition of Flavonoids in your diet. 

Flavonoids help in blood circulation and decrease clot formation in the veins. It also helps in the relaxation of blood vessels to keep them healthy. These all are beneficial factors in reducing varicose veins. 

Here are some lentil and almond recipes that will help to increase your potassium levels:

1. Lentil Loaf
2. Lentil Stew
3. Almond Milk

Some of the foods that are rich with flavonoids are: 

• Vegetables include onion, spinach, broccoli, and bell peppers.
• Citrus fruits include lemon, orange, grapes, cherries, and blueberries

Moreover, people who are overweight are more likely to experience varicose veins. Therefore, burning some calories and reducing weight can reduce the pressure on varicose veins. 

Try Effective Herbal Remedies

Some herbal remedies have also shown a great impact on varicose veins. These herbal remedies can be taken as oral supplements or topical ointments. 

According to the National Institute of Health, extracted grape seeds have a compound named Vitis vinifera. Therefore, consuming it can reduce the swelling in the lower legs and other symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency [4]. 

A person prescribed blood-thinning medicines should avoid taking grape seed extract as a dietary supplement. It can increase the risk of bleeding by interacting with the medication. 

Furthermore, a plant called Gotu Kola, this perennial plant is commonly found in Asia. According to Preclinical research, it shows that Centella Asiatica is effective in strengthening weakened veins. You can use the herb as capsules, tablets, or liquid extracts. It can also be applied as gel or ointment on the affected surface [5]. 

A review study from 2006 reports that horse chestnut extract, Aesculus hippocastanum L, may help to reduce the heaviness of legs,  itching, and pain caused by varicose veins [6]. 

In addition, a review study from 2010 suggested using sea pine extract. It contains Pinus maritime and Butcher broom extract called Ruscus aculeatus [7]. They both help reduce swelling of the legs and prevent edema, which are significant issues related to varicose veins. 

Plant extracts and essential oils should be consumed in diluted form. For example, they can be diluted in carrier oils before being applied topically or used in aromatherapy as a diffuser. 

Massage Your Legs

One way to improve the blood flow in the legs is gently massaging the affected areas. Use a moisturizer or herbal oil for optimal effects. 

Beware of massaging veins directly with hard hands. This can damage the fragile tissues and lead to more severe issues. 

With leg massage, it is also advised to prop up your legs on a stool or pillow every two hours for about 15 minutes. This will place your legs above your heart level, resulting in the correct blood flow. This technique will prevent venous dermatitis disease, and the blood won’t pool in your veins. 

The Conclusion

Itchy varicose veins can make you uncomfortable, but usually, they don’t adversely affect our health. Lifestyle changes like wearing compression socks, increasing mobility, and trying herbal medicines can increase your blood flow. That will reduce the pain and agony caused by varicose veins. 

However, if they cannot lessen your pain and it’s bothering you a lot, you should consult a phlebologist (vein specialist). The specialist will recommend the required surgical or minimally invasive surgeries to remove the affected vein. 

I hope you enjoyed this information on Varicose veins. If you did you can choose to follow this and other resource material on my other Social Media Platform, TIKTOK, SOMETHING BETTER TODAY, PINTEREST, and YOUTUBE.

References

1.  Varicose veins: Overview [Internet]. Nih.gov. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2019 [cited 2022 Oct 1]. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279247/

2. Piazza G. Varicose Veins. Circulation. 2014 Aug 12;130(7):582–7.

3. Acute Effects of Graduated Elastic Compression Stockings in Patients with Symptomatic Varicose Veins: A Randomised Double Blind Placebo Controlled Trial. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. 2018 Jan 1;55(1):118–25.

4. Grape Seed Extract [Internet]. NCCIH. [cited 2022 Oct 1]. Available from: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/grape-seed-extract

5. Chong NJ, Aziz Z. A Systematic Review of the Efficacy ofCentella asiaticafor Improvement of the Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2013;2013:1–10.

6. Suter A, Bommer S, Rechner J. Treatment of patients with venous insufficiency with fresh plant horse chestnut seed extract: A review of 5 clinical studies. Advances in Therapy. 2006 Jan;23(1):179–90.

7. Reuter J, Wölfle U, Korting HC, Schempp C. Which plant for which skin disease? Part 2: Dermatophytes, chronic venous insufficiency, photoprotection, actinic keratoses, vitiligo, hair loss, cosmetic indications. JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. 2010 Oct 22;8(11):866–73.