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Varicose Veins: Home Remedies for Varicose and Spider Veins | The Old Farmer's Almanac

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Home Remedies for Varicose and Spider Veins

Symptoms, Causes, and Remedies

Heather Blackmore
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They’re as common as mosquitoes in summer and just as beloved. Unfortunately, there’s no repellent for varicose veins and spider veins, but we’ll explain the causes and provide health remedies to help.

What Are Varicose and Spider Veins?

Varicose and spider veins are similar but not exactly the same. Here’s the difference between them in terms of appearance:

  • Varicose veins appear as gnarly, ribbonlike tubes that push against the skin, giving a raised, bubbly effect in shades of blue and purple.
  • Spider veins look more like leafless tree limbs that sit just beneath the skin’s surface, forming dense clusters in reds and blues.

While any vein can become varicose or spider, the legs, feet, and ankles are favorite hangouts. Thank you, gravity! Pressure from standing and walking increases blood pressure within the legs, which can compromise the circulatory system and inhibit the flow of blood from the lower extremities back to the heart. Spider veins also are common on the face, particularly around the nose and eyes, where skin is most delicate. 

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Usually, these vein issues are purely cosmetic in nature, but sometimes they can be a red flag for more serious circulatory issues and warrant a doctor’s visit.

Symptoms of Varicose Veins

Besides the appearance, other symptoms include:

  • aching or feelings of heaviness in the legs 
  • burning or throbbing in your legs
  • cramping in your legs, particularly at night
  • swollen feet and ankles
  • bleeding from the vein
  • itchiness around the vein
  • pronounced pain in your legs after long periods of sitting or standing

Varicose veins are rarely a serious condition. If you have fears about blood clots or closed veins, know that varicose and spider veins are superficial; your body relies on much deeper vessels and veins for blood flow.

However, see a professional if your veins are causing you pain, the skin is sore, or the aching is disturbing your sleep at night.

What Causes Varicose Veins?

Who gets varicose veins? Age and genetics are the most common risk factors, but there are a few others to consider.

  • Age: Veins lose elasticity and weaken as we age, causing blood to pool and veins to bulge. More than 40% of women over age 50 and 75% of women over age 70 have varicose veins.
  • Genetics: Well, you can finally blame your mom for something! The way your vein walls or valve functioning work runs in families.
  • Gender: Women are more prone to the condition, which is believed to be linked to pregnancy with extra weight, greater abdominal pressure, and increased blood flow. Hormonal fluctuations also causes blood vessels to dilate. Hormone replacement therapy and birth control pills seem to increase your chances of developing the condition.
  • Obesity: More weight puts more pressure on your leg veins. Moderately overweight women are more likely to have varicose veins than their thinner counterparts, and the risk is tripled in obese women.
  • Sedentary Lifestyle: Lack of activity slows blood flow.
  • Occupation: Having a job that requires prolonged standing is a risk factor. Women who spend more than 75% of their working time standing or walking are more likely to have varicose veins than others.

Home Remedies for Varicose Veins and Spider Veins

While it’s not possible to “cure” them entirely, there are several home remedies for varicose and spider veins, including:

  • Movement! Force yourself to get up every 30 minutes to 1 hour. Avoid sitting still or standing for long periods.
  • Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Even a daily 30-minute brisk walk can help to improve circulation, tone calf muscles, alleviate pressure, and reduce swelling—as well as support a healthy weight.
  • Put your feet up. When at rest, elevate the legs. Raising your legs above the level of your heart gives your veins a break as they don’t have to work against gravity.
  • Invest in compression stockings, which can aid in contraction of the veins and muscles in the legs to increase blood flow. For mild symptoms, regular support stockings or over-the-counter compression stockings should help. For more severe symptoms, your health professional will prescribe a special stocking.
  • Increase fiber in diet. This means incorporating more whole grains like bran, plus fruit and vegetables. Eating fiber reduces the chances of constipation.
  • Reduce salt intake. Eating less salt can help with the swelling that comes with varicose veins.
  • Lose the high heels. They put undue stress on your legs.
  • Avoid tight clothing around the waist and legs.

That’s about all there is to it. There are many misconceptions and “quick fixes” on the Internet that you should avoid. A couple examples of falsely advertised products include herbal supplements and creams containing vitamin K.

If all else fails and you’ve exhausted the self-care treatments, consult your doctor, who can suggest a variety of procedures, mostly outpatient, to alleviate your discomfort. 

If you get leg cramps at night, also check out our article on leg cramp causes and remedies.

Natural Remedies
About The Author

Heather Blackmore

Heather Blackmore tends a perennial and vegetable garden in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. She writes about her garden successes, failures, and observations on her blog. Read More from Heather Blackmore

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Comments

Lindy lou (not verified)

1 year 1 month ago

Use coconut oil and the veins will lessen or disappear

Do you mean use the coconut oil as a topical or ingest it?

Skyjones (not verified)

1 year 6 months ago

I was told I had varicose veins. It was scary before everything. I heard from my friends that this product works. So I decided to buy dermal md varicose vein serum and provide it a try. I do not know if it was a coincidence, but the first time I used it, I felt better. This product is brilliant!✅

Zula Wuckert (not verified)

1 year 10 months ago

I developed some varicose veins during pregnancy, varicose veins of dermal md improved my circulation, the veins became less noticeable and the throbbing pain was eliminated. I have gone off them a few times but shortly there after my symptoms returned.

irfacilities (not verified)

2 years 9 months ago

Who gets varicose veins? Age and hereditary qualities are the most well-known danger factors, however there are a couple of others to consider.

Age: Veins lose versatility and debilitate as we age, making blood pool and veins to swell. Over 40% of ladies more than age 50 and 75% of ladies over age 70 have varicose veins.

Hereditary qualities: Well, you can at long last fault your mother for something! The manner in which your vein dividers or valve working work runs in families.

Sex: Women are more inclined to the condition, which is accepted to be connected to pregnancy with additional weight, more noteworthy stomach pressure, and expanded blood stream. Hormonal changes likewise causes veins to expand. Chemical substitution treatment and contraception pills appear to build your shots at fostering the condition.

Corpulence: More weight squeezes your leg veins. Decently overweight ladies are bound to have varicose veins than their more slender partners, and the danger is significantly increased in stout ladies.

Inactive Lifestyle: Lack of action eases back blood stream.

Occupation: Having some work that requires delayed standing is a danger factor. Ladies who spend over 75% of their functioning time standing or strolling are bound to have varicose veins than others.

HOME REMEDIES FOR VARICOSE VEINS AND SPIDER VEINS

While it's impractical to "fix" them totally, there are a few home solutions for varicose and bug veins, including:

Development! Power yourself to get up like clockwork to 60 minutes. Abstain from standing by or representing significant stretches.

Exercise! Exercise! Exercise! Indeed, even an every day 30-minute lively walk can assist with further developing course, tone lower leg muscles, ease pressure, and decrease growing—just as help a sound weight.

Put your feet up. When very still, lift the legs. Raising your legs over the level of your heart offers your veins a reprieve as they don't need to neutralize gravity.

Put resources into pressure stockings, which can help in constriction of the veins and muscles in the legs to build blood stream. For gentle indications, standard help stockings or over-the-counter pressure stockings should help. For more extreme manifestations, your wellbeing expert will recommend an uncommon stocking.

Increment fiber in diet. This implies joining all the more entire grains like wheat, in addition to foods grown from the ground. Eating fiber lessens the odds of blockage.

Diminish salt admission. Eating less salt can assist with the expanding that accompanies varicose veins.

Lose the high heels. They put unnecessary weight on your legs.

Try not to tight dress around the midsection and legs

irfacilities (not verified)

2 years 9 months ago

Varicose and arachnid veins are comparative, yet not the very same thing. Here's the distinction between them, as far as appearance:

Varicose veins show up as intense, ribbonlike cylinders that push against the skin, giving a raised, effervescent impact in shades of blue and purple.

Arachnid veins look more like leafless tree appendages that sit just underneath the skin's surface, shaping thick groups in reds and blues.

irfacilities (not verified)

2 years 10 months ago

Vein illness perhaps the most widely recognized infection measures is underdiagnosed and under-treated. It is more not unexpected than coronary illness and fringe blood vessel sickness consolidated.
With propels in phlebology, the determination, and treatment of vein infection, there is no requirement for you to defer assessment and treatment. In light of that idea, I need to share an arrangement on remarks from my patients with varicose and bug veins.

Claire Masters (not verified)

2 years 10 months ago

I didn't previously know that genetics can play a role in the growth of varicose veins in my legs. I've recently noticed that huge veins have started popping out of my legs and I am unsure what I should do about it. Maybe it might be good to consult a specialist about this next week.

Aliston (not verified)

3 years 2 months ago

The surgery requires the surgeon to open the chest to access the heart. The most common type of open-heart operation is a coronary artery bypass. The coronary arteries supply the heart of blood. If the arteries become blocked or narrowed due to cardiovascular problems, an individual may be at risk of a heart attack. The operation involves going for a healthy blood vessel from another area of the boding using it to bypass the obstructed blood vessels.

Flora (not verified)

3 years 3 months ago

I am being disturbed about the spider veins on my hands.What can i do about it?