Avoid Swollen Veins With These Three Important Steps

Did you ever wonder why your veins are susceptible to swelling? Why do some veins on your legs develop into ugly varicose and spider veins? Well, it all begins with the heart and the whole blood circulation process in the body.

You see, the heart is responsible for pumping blood that is rich in oxygen and this blood travels through your arteries before it reaches all the other tissues in your body. Now on the return trip, deoxygenated blood goes back to the heart to be pumped into the lungs for oxygen refill. It is on this return trip that veins have a role in the whole blood circulation process; the veins, not the arteries, carry deoxygenated blood back to the heart.

Unlike arteries, the veins are composed of relatively thin walls. They also do not benefit from the amount of force exerted by the heart so they rely heavily on the contraction of muscular tissues for propulsion in pushing deoxygenated blood back to the heart. This may sound uncomplicated, but what would happen if the veins need to push blood against the pressures of gravity and body weight?

This is exactly what the veins on your legs need to contend with everyday. Despite the valves that prevent deoxygenated blood from flowing in reverse, the veins on the lower parts of the body have a hard time doing their work. It is an uphill battle for these veins as gravity naturally pulls the blood back down. And as if it were not enough, your body weight and posture put some more constraints against your veins.

When all the pressure in your leg veins comes to a tipping point, your veins will break and inflammation occurs. More often than not, damaged veins are harmless. The sheer number of veins on your legs allows numerous alternative routes for deoxygenated blood. So the common problem that you can encounter is having varicose or spider veins.

If you are a coalminer and spends most of your time in an underground tunnel, you wouldn't mind having varicose or spider veins on your legs. But if you are a woman trying to make a living by doing catwalks on fashion ramps or even if you are just a plain homemaker who wants to have a more attractive appearance, then fighting off varicose and spider veins is a serious issue.

Keeping your legs free from varicose or spider veins do not require a major operation. Even so, there are simple steps which can give your veins their much needed relief from the daily pressures that they are subjected to. Incorporating these steps into your lifestyle will surely protect you from having problems with your leg veins. Here they are:

Leg Elevatio

At the end of each day, make it a point to put your legs in an elevated position. Hold up your legs on a chair while watching TV at night or lean your legs on a wall for a few minutes before you sleep. Doing so will take much of the pressure of your weight and gravity away from your veins. For best results, always make sure that your legs are higher than your heart when you do your leg elevation.

Leg Stretches

Never allow your legs to be in a fixed position for a long period of time. This holds true when you are traveling for long distances. When on the road, always try to make a stopover whenever possible. On a plane, try to walk on the aisle when the seatbelt warning sign is turned off. Stretching your legs every thirty minutes will allow blood on your veins to travel more efficiently.

Weight Shifting

There are times when you need to stand for a prolonged period. This is especially true if you are working in a department store, where you are required to stand for most of the time. In this kind of job or situation, make sure to shift your weight on your two feet every once in a while; this means allowing one foot to take most of your weight while you take away the pressure from the other foot.

These simple steps are proven to help in keeping your veins relaxed and more unsusceptible to vein problems. If you are already suffering vein problems, there are dermatological treatment methods that can remove the appearance of swollen veins. For spider veins and other vein problems, you can use products like Veinuderm. Visit http://Veinuderm.com/ for more details. nn