Varicose veins. You know the ones that appear in snakes of raised, swollen blood vessels under the skin, are unfairly more common in women than men. In fact, the National Institute of Health reports that varicose veins occur in 33 percent of U.S. women—yet only in 17 percent of U.S. men.
Although, varicose veins can develop on almost any area of the body—the legs and calves are the most commonly struck due to jobs or lifestyles where long durations of standing and walking put excess pressure on the veins in the body’s lower extremities…
1. 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 the 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.
