The main symptoms of varicose veins are thickening of the veins in the legs, appearing blue or green in color, and severe pain and heaviness. While arteries carry clean blood to various parts of the body, veins carry impure blood back to the heart. Varicose veins are caused by certain defects that occur when blood flows upward from the legs against gravity. Here are the 5 main scientific reasons behind this:
Valvular Incompetence: The veins in the legs have small one-way valves that help blood flow only upward. These valves close to prevent blood from flowing back down after it reaches the heart. But when these valves become weak due to aging or other reasons, the blood does not go all the way up, but backs up (reflux) and accumulates in the veins in the legs, causing them to swell.
Prolonged Standing or Sitting: People who stand for hours at a time, such as teachers, traffic policemen, security guards, and those who work in the kitchen for long periods of time, are more likely to develop varicose veins. Also, people who sit with their legs down for long periods of time, such as IT workers, experience decreased movement of the leg muscles, which slows down blood flow and increases pressure on the veins.
Heredity and Genetics: If a parent has varicose veins in the family, the next generation has a 50 percent chance of developing them as well. This is due to a genetic weakness in the walls and valves of the veins.
Pregnancy and hormonal changes: Women are more likely to develop varicose veins during pregnancy. During pregnancy, the body’s blood volume increases to support the growing baby, and the uterus puts pressure on the major blood vessels in the abdomen, which impedes blood flow from the legs. This is also due to the increased progesterone hormone during pregnancy and menopause, which relaxes the walls of the veins.
Obesity and severe constipation: As you gain weight, the pressure it puts on the veins in the legs doubles. In addition, people with chronic severe constipation strain excessively to pass stool, which increases the pressure in the abdomen, which prevents the impure blood from going up from the legs.
