Top 4 Tips for Varicose Vein Prevention Melbourne Get Expert Advice

Legs with varicose veins on a beach during Melbourne’s summer

Bulging veins in legs or arms may result from varicose veins, which are caused by blood pooling in superficial veins near the skin’s surface. A healthy circulatory system relies on muscle contractions and vein valves to help pump deoxygenated blood back to the heart. When vein valves weaken, blood instead begins to collect, resulting in swollen, twisted varicose veins that can be both unsightly and painful.

Despite the cause for concern with varicose veins, modern vein removal treatments have made a big difference. Even so, experienced vein doctors who specialise in varicose vein treatment still encourage patients who may be at a higher risk of developing varicose veins to follow a few proven tips for preventing vein problems from occurring in the first place. Here are four tips on how to prevent varicose veins as recommended by the Vein Care team in Melbourne.

1. Prioritise Weight Management and Make Healthy Choices

Some of the risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing varicose veins include advanced age, genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, poor nutrition and excess weight. While we can’t do anything about genetics or getting older, we can take steps to make healthier choices in our daily lives that may reduce the risk of varicose veins. Some tips on how to avoid getting varicose veins include considering:

  • Weight Loss: Losing weight is one way you can reduce the amount of pressure placed on your veins. As body weight increases, so does the force your veins have to work against to pump blood back to your heart, especially in the lower half of your body. As body weight reduces, blood flow improves due to the alleviation of high pressure, preventing varicose veins from occurring while reducing the severity of symptoms if the condition has already developed. In some cases, weight loss can even reverse varicose veins.
  • Exercise: Regardless of your weight, your circulatory system relies on proper blood flow to function effectively. By increasing your heart rate through exercises such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, skipping or rowing, you can boost blood flow and ensure your veins and muscles work together well to pump blood rather than pooling, which will help you avoid varicose veins.
  • Good Nutrition: Eating nutrient dense, low salt, high fibre diet can also help lower your risk of developing varicose veins. This includes whole grains like oats, lentils, beans, apples and broccoli. Other essential vitamins and minerals to incorporate into your diet include potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, omega-3 and bioflavonoids. Other great foods for vein health include citrus fruit, spinach, capsicum, blueberries, tomatoes, bananas, avocado, fatty fish, nuts and seeds. These are all great sources of the nutrients listed above, helping to maintain the strength and elasticity of veins.
  • Quit Smoking: Chemicals such as nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke make it harder for your circulatory system to work efficiently. Nicotine increases your heart’s need for oxygen while carbon monoxide reduces the amount of available oxygen in your blood. Smoking also damages veins through fatty deposits that narrow your blood vessels, making it harder to pump blood around your body.

Keep in mind there may be other underlying reasons if you do develop varicose veins that are not related to weight, nutrition or other factors outlined here. Before making assumptions, it’s best to get personalised professional advice on how to prevent varicose veins or what may be causing existing ones to appear.

2. Stay Supported With Compression Socks

Modern graduated compression socks or stockings are sophisticated tools that can help prevent vein issues in legs for some patients, such as elderly and pregnant people. Designed to provide the perfect amount of pressure in each part of your legs, these stockings are designed to improve blood flow back towards the heart. They typically exert more pressure near the feet and ankles before gradually reducing pressure going up your legs towards your waist.

Different types of stockings provide different levels of pressure, with vein doctors prescribing particular ones based on each patient’s circumstances. They should be worn consistently throughout the day to ensure ample support for your veins and the entire circulatory system, especially if you stand a lot at work.

Keep in mind that wearing the proper size is crucial as stockings that are too tight can cause pain and cut off your circulation. Inappropriately high levels of pressure also can also potentially lead to dry skin, redness, itching and even minor bruising and skin ulcers without the right care. Ensure you consult a vein doctor to get the right fit and explore whether compressions stockings are an appropriate preventative treatment for you.

3. Choose Smart Footwear

Your clothing choices can also have an impact on your risk level of developing varicose veins. This includes avoiding tight clothing, especially around the waist, which can impact the efficiency of your circulatory system. High heels should also be avoided. By interfering with our natural walking movement, they impede muscle pumping action and increase venous pressure in the lower legs.

It’s better to opt for supportive footwear with cushioning on the arch to help prevent vein issues in legs. If you need to wear high heels, save them for limited special occasions and wear them for short periods of time. Bring a pair of low heeled or flat shoes to change into. Supportive shoes with arch support help distribute pressure throughout your foot, allowing for complete muscle movement while improving your posture and providing balance and stability.

Find a pair of shoes that fit well and are comfortable. Avoid shoes that are too tight, hard to take off or are stiff, such as wedges and men’s dress shoes. Great options for your vein health include athletic shoes like sneakers, slip on shoes, velcro sandals and lace up ankle boots. The right supportive footwear will be comfortable, keep your foot in place and allow for good blood flow.

4. Switch Between Sitting and Standing

Sitting or standing in one spot for long periods at work is common for many of us. More than half the Australian workforce is in roles where they sit for the majority of their day. A sedentary lifestyle with limited physical activity can contribute to a range of health issues including an increased risk of developing varicose veins. Similarly, work roles in industries like retail, which require standing for too long, can increase the likelihood of blood pooling in legs.

  • Standing at Work: If you are on your feet all day, try to alternate your posture and weight distribution to vary the volume of pressure placed on different parts of your legs. Take a minute to pace or walk around every half an hour or so, as this can also help increase blood flow. Standing on supportive anti-fatigue mats can also help. At the end of the day, when relaxing at home, elevate your legs while sitting down to encourage blood to flow the other way.
  • Sitting at Work: If you mostly sit for work, try to find ways to alternate between sitting and standing as much as possible throughout the day. This can include using sit-stand desks. There are also ways to improve the ergonomics of your sitting posture. This includes avoiding crossing your legs, knees or ankles, elevating your legs when you can while at work, such as putting your legs up on a stool or another chair while on a phone call. You can also boost blood flow by flexing your ankles and doing some calf raises while seated.

When our clients ask us how to avoid getting varicose veins, we respond that keeping active, even with something as simple as a daily walk, goes a long way. Our veins don’t need excessive movement to pump blood. When we walk, every step we take naturally pumps blood back up towards the heart. Movement helps contract muscles and apply pressure to veins, helping to circulate blood consistently around our body.

Consult a Vein Doctor at Melbourne’s Top Vein Clinic

While there are several cutting-edge options for minimally invasive varicose vein removal in Melbourne, it’s best to try and avoid this vein condition altogether. If bulging veins in your legs or other areas of your body are making you physically uncomfortable or self-conscious, you can choose from a range of treatments with high success rates and minimal downtime. Your local vein clinic can help prevent varicose veins and offer non-surgical treatment options.

Speak to Vein Care in Melbourne about varicose veins prevention and how to address bulging veins in legs. Call 1300 730 100 or contact us online.

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We are currently open for appointments and consultations, Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5.00 pm. We have three vein clinics conveniently located near Melbourne in Camberwell, Boronia and Sydenham.

  (03) 9813 1535 / 1300 568 676
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