Do Varicose Veins Run in Your Family?

You may think you are doing everything you can to avoid the formation of varicose veins. You exercise daily, wear loose clothing and avoid long periods of sitting and standing. Bases covered, right? Actually, these habits may not go as far as you would like in preventing varicose veins if you have the one big count against you that impacts your potential for varicose veins more than any other. That factor is genetics.

Your Gene Pool

Heredity is indeed one of the biggest risk factors for varicose veins. Statistics show that if one of your parents sports the bulging vessels, you are 60 percent more likely to develop the veins yourself if you are female. If you are male, you are not immune from the heredity curse either. In fact, men are 25 percent more likely to have varicose veins if one of their parents have them.

If both your parents have varicose veins, the odds are stacked even higher. Both men and women who have two parents with varicose veins may have a 90-percent higher chance of having the vein condition as well.

Other Risk Factors

Your genes are not the only risk factor for varicose veins. Your likelihood of developing varicose veins could be higher with any of the following:

-Age – as many as half of all adults over the age of 50 may have varicose veins
-Gender – women are more likely to get varicose veins than men
-Pregnancy – a number of changes during pregnancy increase your varicose vein risk
-Sedentary Lifestyle – people that do not exercise regularly are more likely to develop varicose veins
-Overweight – extra pounds can put additional strain on lower leg veins, increasing the odds of varicose vein formation
-Sitting and Standing – prolonged periods of either make varicose veins more likely

As a general rule, the more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop these bulging, uncomfortable vessels. The good news is there are steps you can take to reverse at least some of your risk.

Preventing Varicose Veins

Varicose veins prevention is not an exact science, but there are steps you can take to minimize your propensity to those swollen veins. Some of those steps include:

-Adhere to a daily exercise program to keep the veins in top condition
-Maintain a healthy weight
-Avoid tight clothing that restricts the legs or midsection
-Take frequent breaks when sitting or standing for long periods
-Elevate your legs for a period of time each day
-Consider compression stockings, especially if you are at high risk

Treating Varicose Veins

Once varicose veins form, there is no way to repair the veins that have been damaged. However, there are effective procedures that remove the affected veins, eliminating both their appearance and the pain and swelling that often accompanies them. At Center for Vein Restoration, we offer the latest in varicose vein treatments, allowing you to say goodbye to painful veins with minimal discomfort and downtime involved.

While varicose vein treatments are highly effective today, there is a chance new varicose veins can form, especially if they run in your family. The good news is that if additional veins develop, treatments can be repeated to remove those veins and maintain your positive results. To learn more about your options in vein treatments, contact Center for Vein Restoration.