Varicose veins are a condition in which the veins in the legs become excessively swollen and swollen, and appear blue or dark brown above the skin. Although this may seem unsightly at first, if not taken care of in time, it can lead to severe heaviness in the legs, chronic pain, swelling, and eventually varicose ulcers. Here are the 5 main scientific reasons behind varicose veins:
Damaged Valves: The veins in the legs carry blood from the legs to the heart against gravity. To prevent this blood from flowing back down, there are valves inside the veins that open only in one direction (one-way valves). When these valves become weak or damaged, blood flows back down instead of up, and the veins in the legs pool, causing them to swell.
Prolonged Standing/Sitting: Teachers, security guards, nurses, traffic police, and textile workers are at high risk of developing varicose veins. Standing for hours at a time puts excessive pressure (Hydrostatic pressure) on the blood vessels in the legs, which damages the valves quickly. This problem can also occur in people who sit for hours at a time, as blood flow in the legs slows down.
Heredity and Genetics: Another important cause of varicose veins is heredity. If your father or mother has this problem, you have a 50 percent chance of developing it too. This is due to genetic weakness in the walls and valves of the blood vessels.
Obesity: When you gain too much weight, it puts a lot of pressure on the blood vessels in your abdomen and legs. This excess weight prevents blood from flowing smoothly from your legs. In addition, when you are not physically active, your calf muscles become weak; these muscles act as a ‘second heart’ that helps pump blood upwards.
Pregnancy and hormonal changes: Varicose veins are common in women during pregnancy. As the uterus grows, it presses on the major blood vessels in your abdomen and blocks blood flow from your legs. In addition, the hormone progesterone, which increases during pregnancy, makes the walls of your blood vessels more flexible, which also impairs the function of the valves.
