Enlarged and twisted veins that are close to the skins surface are called varicose veins they tend to affect women more than men and although they can appear anywhere on the body, they typically occur on the legs and sometimes the oesophagus. Varicose veins occur because of weak values which are designed so that the blood can circulated throughout the body easily, even against gravity, these weak valves cause blood pools especially in the veins of the legs which causes them to become dilated, twisted and to bulge. Varicose veins can be caused by being overweight, pregnant, a lack of exercise, standing or sitting for long periods of time or they may even be hereditary. Symptoms of varicose veins are bulging, pain, tortuous veins which may look blue, a dull pain, aching, itching, dragging or heavy sensations in the legs and swelling of the ankles. Symptoms tend to be worst after standing for a long time and tend to ease if legs are elevated. To ease the symptoms of varicose veins try to avoid standing or sitting for a long period of time, elevate the legs frequently, lose excess weight, walk regularly, wear supportive shoes and compression stockings and massage the affected area daily. Include in your diet plenty of oily fish such as salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, sardines and herrings and garlic. The following supplements may help if you are suffering from varicose veins. Bilberry Co-enzyme Q10 Extracts of red vine leaf Fish Oil Garlic tablets Ginkgo bilboa extracts Gotu kola Grapeseed extracts Horsechestnut Multivitamins and minerals Pine bark |
