Varicose veins are caused by an inherited venous and/or connective tissue weakness.
However, there is a very important factor leading to venous congestion you can do something about: lack of exercise. Common harbingers of varicose veins are spider veins. These may be a cosmetic problem, but not (yet) a medical one. However, if you are experiencing unusually severe symptoms in one leg manifesting as swelling, skin discoloration, tension or heat and pain, please see your doctor straight away.
HELPFUL HINTS
- Rule of thumb: standing & sitting = bad; running & lying = good
- Get plenty of exercise, e.g. cycling, walking/hiking, swimming
- Take the stairs rather than the lift
- Raise the foot of your bed by 8-10cm
- Let your feet circle, march on the spot and stand on tiptoes several times during the day
- Do not cross your legs while sitting because this compresses the veins
- Watch what you are wearing: Do not wear constricting pants, socks or knee highs. Your heels should not be higher than 2’’
- Dry brushing: Massage your legs with a brush, a mitt made of hemp or coir rope, a piece of loofah (dried sea cucumber) or a very rough towel for 5-8 minutes
- Caution: Always brush towards the heart
- Try leg showers, water treading and/or a dew cure, but make sure your feet are warm! (cold leg shower: always from bottom up and from inside to outside, and not longer than 10 seconds per leg)
- Support with appropriate homeopathic remedies
- Homeopathic remedy
- For adults and children 12 years old and up
