Why are varicose veins more common in women than in men?

Why are we women considered the weaker sex if, as the classic claims, we will stop a galloping horse and enter a burning hut? And the point, dear friends, is in our physiology, more precisely, in the female hormone progesterone. Take for example varicose veins, which can pose a threat to any person, but due to the sex hormone progesterone, varicose veins occur much more often in women than in men.

varicose veins on the legs in women

Of course, the elasticity of blood vessels is influenced not only by progesterone, but also by corticosteroids secreted by the adrenal glands in stressful situations. However, it is the female hormone that has a greater effect on the fibers of the venous wall. The chaos increases not only during pregnancy, but also when taking birth control pills and medications containing corticosteroids. The most commonly known is a steroid drug used to treat certain types of allergies, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, and cancer.

Oh, these hormones, "thanks to" what varicose veins disfigure beautiful women's legs. Venous hypertension begins with inflammation of the internal wall of the veins, on which thread-like structures made up of the protein fibrin are deposited. They in turn serve as a kind of structure for the formation of blood clots. If the outflow of venous blood is obstructed, the first sign of this disorder is the appearance of edema, the possible appearance of night cramps and a feeling of heaviness in the legs.

You should not ignore such symptoms, especially if spider veins are added to them. The first thing you need to do is give yourself and your loved one time to prevent the blood vessel condition. It's quite simple. For those who love high heels, it's time to change your shoes to more comfortable shoes with a heel height of no more than five centimeters. Don't get upset, this measure applies to everyday shoes, and not to festive events. Unless you have a holiday every day!

Varicose veins in women may have a hereditary factor. Knowing this predisposition, in the presence of the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to replace normal tights with compression ones, especially since in appearance they do not differ from nylon products. The condition of blood vessels is influenced by our lifestyle. If your job involves sitting or standing for a long time, movement is vital for you. Unfortunately, many women now travel in their own car, so walking is out of the question. What to do? Ignore the elevator and go up to your floor.

Physical education and sport are good things, especially swimming and cycling. I foresee objections due to lack of time! The simplest thing you can do even at work is to move your feet in different directions if you are sitting or raise yourself from toes to heels using a pendulum motion if you are standing. What you should get rid of is carrying heavy bags. The load must be measured, even on both hands.

Varicose veins in women can be associated with excess weight

With obesity, the load on the heart, as a blood pump, increases. The more you weigh, the worse your blood circulation. If it flows down without problems, returning to the heart is no longer easy. Blood retention in the lower extremities leads to stagnation and the appearance not of asterisks, but of swollen veins, disfiguring the appearance of the legs.

Men, unlike women, are not supporters of various diets, especially mono. Losing weight at any cost in this case would be wrong. A radical change in diet can lead to disruption of fat metabolism. I will not delve into the intricacies of lipid (fat) metabolism in the body. The main thing to know is that it causes inflammatory processes in the blood vessels. Therefore, the diet for weight loss with varicose veins should differ from conventional diets.

Fatty and spicy foods should be excluded. The main emphasis is on consuming foods containing fiber. Dietary fibre, which fruit and vegetables are rich in, inhibits the absorption of simple fats and carbohydrates and reduces blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Furthermore, fiber normalizes intestinal function, preventing constipation. Impaired bowel movements and efforts made in this case also contribute to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and disruption of venous outflow.

Preventing constipation is an important part of preventing varicose veins. To activate gastric motility and ensure stool regularity, the NSP company offers a natural product containing only joster bark. The dietary supplement contains extracts of such medicinal plants, sea buckthorn bark, licorice root, etc. a large amount of dietary fiber is provided by plant dietary fibers, which are essential components of the human diet.

You should be careful when taking oral contraceptives. Synthetic analogues of the hormones contained in them can also cause varicose veins in women. You should not purchase or take such drugs on your own without consulting a doctor. In addition to the fact that pregnant women are at risk of developing varicose veins due to increased progesterone, menopausal women also fall into this group. The fact is that a change in hormonal levels in one direction or another affects a decrease in the tone of the veins. They become elastic and stretch under the influence of venous blood.

At the first symptoms of varicose veins it is recommended to take venotonics, drugs that strengthen the venous wall. The company has developed a horse chestnut-based food supplement in capsules for oral administration and a cream for external use. The composition includes, in addition to horse chestnut extract, butcher's broom extract, flavanone glycoside contained in citrus fruits, vitamin C, which can improve the condition of the veins, reduces congestion, eliminates swelling, inflammation and fatigue in the legs.

The modern treatment strategy for women with varicose veins is based on the use of an integrated approach aimed at reducing the negative impact of risk factors and changing lifestyle. We are only talking about the initial phase of the disease. If proper attention is not paid, inflammation of the inner wall of blood vessels can lead to the further development of thrombophlebitis. Thrombophlebitis is not just a clot in the veins. No wonder varicose veins are called the female plague of the 21st century. Reduced blood circulation has dangerous consequences: trophic ulcers, development of malignant tumors, gangrene, leading to both disability due to loss of a limb and death.

Although varicose veins in women are caused by female sex hormones, our goal is not to increase the statistics of the disease. To do this, you need to follow simple preventive measures and pay attention to the condition of the lower extremities, because the legs are an indicator of health. When the first symptoms appear, find time to visit a phlebologist to prevent more serious consequences.