Varicose veins, you know the ones that appear in snakes of raised, swollen blood vessels under the skin? They are unfairly more common in women than men. In fact, Dr. Cheryl McDonald from the National Institute of Health reports that “By the age of 50, nearly 40% of women and 20% of men will have some significant leg vein problem.”
Although varicose veins can develop on almost any area of the body, the legs and calves are the most commonly affected due to jobs or lifestyles where long durations of standing and walking put excess pressure on the veins in the body’s lower extremities. There’s a lot more to know about varicose veins too. Here are six facts you should know about varicose veins…
Common Causes of Varicose Veins
Sure, gravity is useful for some very important things in life, but when it comes to varicose veins, gravity is not your ally. Why? Because the veins in your body (that deliver blood back to the heart) are a strictly one-way mode of transport.
According to Medical News Today, this means your veins, particularly those in your lower extremities, have to put in a lot of extra effort to pump against gravity. So if a vein happens to suffer damage or weaken, blood will naturally pool in your lower half and cause bulging varicose veins to form.