Vein Health
Having had three children, I’ve had my fair share of varicose veins. They have cleared up after some time, but there are still a few lingering especially in the areas behind my knees.
I’ve been aware of varicose veins for a long time. My mother has five children, so her varicose veins are many. When I was in elementary and middle school, I know that she had some procedures done to try to work on some of the visible ones. There were saline treatments with needles. There were puffy veins on her shins. I’ve always wondered if I would experience something like that. So far, I haven’t had anything more than the few from my pregnancies. It made me curious about the causes and symptoms of this condition, and I wondered if it’s a genetic issue.
According to the Vein Clinics of America site, varicose veins very well are genetic. In fact, 80% or more of the time, varicose veins are inherited. And go figure that the people most often affected are pregnant women (that’s me!) and nurses or teachers (ding ding!). No wonder I’ve found a few in spots. It’s interesting to note, however, that pregnancy doesn’t necessarily cause varicose veins. Instead, the pregnancy may exacerbate the condition that already exists or was already a possibility.
So what are they? The Vein Clinics of America site explains:
Varicose veins are caused by unhealthy valves inside the veins. When these valves fail or leak, the blood falls backward through the poorly functioning. Gravity causes the blood to gather in the veins and makes them look enlarged, twisted or full and bulging.
Like my mother did many years ago, there is help for the appearance of varicose veins. You can either have sclerotherapy injections (this is what my mom did) or endovenous laser treatments.
If you’re dealing with varicose veins (or other vein conditions) and need help, be sure to visit one of the many treatment centers found in the US.
