Varicose veins are unsightly, bulging or knotted veins that typically appear in the legs. A false belief is that this condition only affects the elderly and women. What makes this belief all the worse is that varicose veins are treated as a cosmetic concern, when in reality they can be extremely detrimental to healthy lifestyles. This means, however, that getting them removed can prove difficult, because insurance providers do not cover “cosmetic” procedures. This is all the more reason to invest in some quality compression socks or stockings.
Compression stockings roll up the legs like leggings or pantyhose and hug the legs. The reason for this is to increase pressure and tighten the leg muscles to best improve the vein walls. Many doctors recommend this as a viable and inexpensive treatment option.
Compression stockings are important because not only do they disguise the varicose veins, but they also improve the condition. Veins travel to heart, carrying deoxygenated blood, to be pumped full of oxygen and subsequently travel around the rest of the body. Veins are much looser however than their counterparts, arteries. Arteries are tight because they have to support a great deal of blood pressure coming from the heart. Veins are much looser with flexible walls so that valves can prevent blood from flowing backwards. This is why varicose veins typically occur on the legs, it’s because they’re fighting against gravity.
If the vein walls have weakened from insufficient muscle pressure or venous insufficiency-which can be hereditary-then the valve won’t close all the way, causing the blood to pool. When the blood pools this causes the veins to appear knotted and bulging in the legs. They are extraordinarily unsightly and can be very painful. If they are not treated, blood clotting may occur deep within the vein-called deep vein thrombosis or DVT-and a large clot may eventually be pushed through the veins, up to the lungs. This can actually result in a pulmonary embolism (PE), blocking passage to lungs, and consequently death.
This is why, while seemingly cosmetic, varicose veins can lead to much more severe, and in some cases, deadly aftereffects. To prevent this, there are surgeries-both invasive and noninvasive-to remove these veins, but more immediate and less expensive are compression stockings.
Compression stockings not only disguise unsightly legs, but also tighten those vein walls to prevent blood pooling and increase blood flow. They are inexpensive and doctor recommended.