Varicose Vein Prevention for Athletes

Varicose veins, traditionally thought of as a condition plaguing women after pregnancy, can also affect even the most physically active individuals. Athletes that spend plenty of time on their feet place plenty of strain on the veins of the lower legs, which can lead to the development of those twisting, bulging ropes on the lower thighs and calves. Varicose veins may be asymptomatic, but they can also cause uncomfortable symptoms and hinder athletic performance. For this reason, it is a good idea for even physically active people to take the risk of varicose veins seriously.

Causes of Varicose Veins

There are a number of reasons people might develop varicose veins that have little to do with their level of physical activity:

Heredity – if one parent has a vein disease, you are 33 percent more likely to have one as well; if both parents have a vein condition, your risk factor goes up to 90 percent

Gender – more than one-third of all women have varicose veins, while less than one-quarter of men develop them

Age – women over the age of 50 have a 41-percent chance of developing varicose veins

Other risk factors might include pregnancy and hormonal fluctuations. While there is little you can do to impact these risk factors, there are some other steps you can take to lower your varicose vein risk.

Varicose Vein Prevention

Physically active individuals usually don’t have to worry about excess weight playing a role in varicose vein development. However, there are other steps you can take to reduce your risk of varicose veins:

Elevate feet in the evenings to make it easier for veins in the lower legs to pump blood back to the heart
Wear compression stockings that promote healthy blood flow in the lower extremities
Maintain a daily diet that is high in fiber and low in sodium to prevent conditions that might increase your risk for varicose veins, such as water retention and constipation
Avoid overheating the veins of the lower legs in saunas, hot tubs and hot baths

Treating Varicose Veins

In some cases, varicose veins may develop despite your best intentions. Those veins may be accompanied by uncomfortable symptoms like heaviness or aching in the legs or leg cramping, especially at night. Treatment for varicose veins effectively eliminates both the unsightly veins and accompanying symptoms, and may even improve your athletic performance.

At Center for Vein Restoration, we offer a wide variety of vein procedures that allow us to customize treatment to the specific needs of the patient. Most of our treatment options involve little or no downtime, so you can say goodbye to varicose veins without major interruption to your training schedule. To learn more about varicose vein treatment, contact Center for Vein Restoration.