Varicose Veins During Pregnancy - Treatment Options

Although there are a lot of reasons why women should be excited during pregnancy, there are also a lot of things to be worried about. Most women worry about their weight, how they look and other things associated with pregnancy. Included in this long list are varicose veins during pregnancy. Varicose veins are veins that seem to be bulging out of your skin. Varicose veins are common even among women who are not pregnant. However, pregnancy increases the chances that a woman acquires this condition.

What Causes Varicose Veins During Pregnancy?

To understand what causes varicose veins during pregnancy, it helps to know first how the circulatory system works. The heart pumps blood and distributes it to the different body parts through the arteries. The veins then bring back blood to the heart. However, weak veins damage this function. When veins are weak, blood is pooled in the vein, making the blood flow reversed. The blood remains stagnant, causing veins to expand and protrude from the skin. During pregnancy, the veins need extra work to do its function. This increases the chances of having varicose veins.

The good news is that varicose veins, albeit painful at times, are unlikely to cause any harm to you or your baby. Also, if you do not have varicose veins before pregnancy, the spider veins are more than likely to vanish after a few months of giving birth. The bad news, however, is that if you get pregnant again, there is no stopping those varicose veins to appear once more. According to studies, varicose veins can be inherited. This means that if your mother has varicose veins, there is a great chance that you will also have varicose veins at some point in your life.

As a woman, it is completely natural for you to want to look good even during pregnancy. Those veins can be troublesome so here are a few suggestions on how to treat varicose veins during pregnancy:

• While watching television or reading a book, rest your feet on top of a stool. This reduces the amount of work your veins need to bring back blood to the heart.
• Find time to exercise. Exercise improves blood circulation. Just keep in mind that you cannot perform heavy exercises as it can be harmful to both your pregnancy and varicose veins.
• Take a walk every day. Make it a habit to move around as much as you can to help improve your blood flow.
• Avoid wearing tight clothing. This restricts blood flow. You can use support hosiery or stockings to give your veins an extra push to circulate blood. It is recommended to wear this after getting out of bed in the morning.
• Keep a balanced diet. Make sure that you have enough Vitamin C in your diet.
• You can also consult a doctor to be enlightened about the medical options for varicose veins. There are various treatments and surgeries that can be done. Ask your doctor which one is the best choice for varicose veins during pregnancy.

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