About Varicose Veins

What are varicose-veins? 

Varicose veins are the veins under the skin of legs, which have bulged & widened. There are mainly two main systems of veins in the legs:

Deep veins:  These veins are squeezed by the leg muscles while walking. They carry most of the blood back up the legs to the heart.

Superficial veins: These are placed under the skin which are comparatively less important and generally transform into varicose veins.

All these veins have one-way valves to ensure that the blood flow is towards the heart. Failure in the functioning of these valves allows blood to flow in the wrong direction, down the veins and results in an overload on the veins when standing.  This pressure leads to bulging & widening of the veins so that they do not close properly.  Blood then moves back in the legs along these veins & causes varicose veins.

What causes varicose-veins?

The main causes of varicose veins are increasing age and pregnancy.

As one gets older, the veins tend to lose its elasticity causing them to stretch. The valves become weak, allowing blood to flow backward. Blood accumulates in the veins , enlarging them and forming them into varicose.

Pregnancy increases the volume of blood in your body, but decreases the flow of blood from your legs to your pelvis. This circulatory change is designed to support the growing fetus, but it can produce an unfortunate side effect — enlarged veins in your legs.

The other causes that may worsen the condition are

·        Obesity.

·        Standing or sitting for long period of time.

What are varicose-veins stockings?

Varicose veins stockings or compression stockings are leg hugging long socks which provides therapeutic warmth to the affected area. These socks are generally made up of knitted virgin medical elastic which provides an optimum compression and support to the bulging veins.

Are varicose-veins stockings useful?

Compression Stockings are extremely effective in controlling symptoms and preventing further skin complications.  They are only effective if worn regularly.

There is a minor risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) post-surgery, which can be reduced by wearing compression stockings.

Simple measures such as wearing varicose veins stockings shall control the symptoms for many. Stockings helps to prevent progression or enlargement of varicose veins.

What are the factors to be considered while buying a pair of stockings?

Varicose veins stockings are readily and easily available in the conventional as well as online market places. They are available in various different sizes. Things one should consider while taking a buying call are:

·        The stockings should be from a recently manufactured batch lot. As over a period of time (7 months+) the elastic tends to lose its compactness.

·        The stockings should be made up of knitted virgin medical elastic.

·        One should correctly adhere to the size guidelines (as mentioned by the brand) before selecting the compression stocking size.

·        The stockings should have approved quality standards in order to ensure the product durability.