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Pain In The Vein
By: Marivic Perdido
Many mothers are unappealing but all too-familiar-sight: tiny clusters of blue and red veins marking the thighs and calves. Not only are these troublesome tracks a cosmetic nuisance, but also they can sometimes cause physical discomfort.
According to medical experts, ?telangiectasia? also known as spider veins occur when a blood pools in the minute vessels beneath the surface of the skin, causing them to swell and become visible. A faulty valve farther along the vein usually causes the back up.
The tendency to develop spider veins is hereditary, although other factors can contribute to their formation as well as elevated hormone due to oral contraceptives, pregnancy, obesity, excessive sun exposure, and a job in which you are on your feet all day. While the problem cannot be prevented, regular exercise may help delay the onset of spider veins by maintaining proper circulation in the legs.
Walking is particularly effective because it contracts the leg muscles and squeezes the leg veins, forcing the blood back toward the heart. It is also recommended that if you stand for long periods, take frequent breaks and sit with your feet elevated or rise up and down on the balls of your feet.
If you are sitting at a desk all day, try flexing your ankles every few minutes to increase blood circulation. Pregnant women can relieve some of the pressure on their legs by wearing support hose early in pregnancy and sitting with their feet elevated above the heart for 10 to 25 minutes.
Fortunately, 60 to 70 percent of spider veins can crop up during the first pregnancy may shrink or disappear after delivery, along with any painful symptoms that accompany them.
Veins that persist or are otherwise bothersome can be removed with ?sclerotherapy?, the infection of a saline solution into the veins, which causes them to collapse and eventually be reabsorbed by the body.
It is advisable to wait until at least six weeks after delivery or until a woman has finished breastfeeding, before having the procedure done.
In some cases, protruding veins known as varicose, may occur in tandem with spider veins, and can often be treated successfully with ?sclerotherapy?. However, varicose veins sometimes lead to medical complications such as a painful inflammation of the vein in the legs also called in medical term as ?Phlebitis?, surgical correction may be required.
Some doctors now use a hand-held ultrasound instrument called ?Doppler?. This is to determine the source of problematic varicose veins, and whether or not they can be treated without surgery.
Marivic Perdido is a freelance writer. You can check some of her writings at http://anhourglass.blogspot.com. |
