Treating Varicose Veins After Pregnancy
In this article, we’ll give you a few tips on how to prevent, relieve, and treat varicose veins after pregnancy.
Circulatory problems are very common in pregnant women. There can be many triggers for this. These include hormones, weight gain, and the pressure the uterus puts on certain veins.
Therefore, varicose veins develop in many women during pregnancy . The legs are most commonly affected.
Varicose veins can cause pain and discomfort, both during and after pregnancy. Varicose veins are enlarged, nodular veins that shimmer through the skin.
They are common in women who are expecting a baby. While you are pregnant, your body produces more blood than normal, which then needs to circulate throughout your system.
This can lead to inflammation and cause varicose veins to form. In addition, the weight of your baby bump can compress certain blood vessels, making proper blood flow even more difficult.
The appearance of varicose veins can be accompanied by a tingling sensation or a feeling of heaviness in the legs, which could also make you feel a certain tiredness.
Although they will usually go away on their own in the first few months after giving birth, there are some steps you can take to speed up this process and get rid of your varicose veins.
How to treat varicose veins
Regular exercise
Regular exercise promotes blood circulation and prevents the varicose veins from becoming permanent.
Exercise has many other benefits, both for your baby and for yourself. You can use it to improve your general health and at the same time promote the healthy development of your baby!
Healthy weight
This is one of the most important aspects of getting rid of varicose veins. Being overweight causes blood vessels to become inflamed. This is because the pressure on the veins and circulatory system is greater.
Of course you will gain weight during pregnancy, but you should make sure that the weight is kept within a healthy range.
Change the position
Standing or sitting for long periods of time is not good for your health, it is well known. You should change your position at least every hour. Get up briefly and move or do simple exercises to get your venous pump going!
Don’t cross your legs
Many women cross their legs when they sit down. Especially if you are pregnant and already have varicose veins, it is advisable to avoid this position.
This sitting posture creates higher blood pressure in the legs, which in turn leads to the formation of varicose veins.
Cold showers
Showering with cold water can relieve the tension and pressure in your legs while increasing blood circulation.
If you can’t do without your warm shower, you should at least shower your legs with cold afterwards. Avoid excessively hot water!
Sleep on the left side of the body
Once the belly gets bigger, most pregnant women follow this rule. This is because the inferior vena cava runs on the right side of the body.
This means that sleeping on your left side relieves pressure on this important blood vessel.
Stop smoking
This seems to be taken for granted. If for some reason you have not quit smoking even though you are pregnant, keep in mind that smoking is extremely harmful to your baby’s health!
Since smoking also affects blood circulation, varicose veins are just a minor aspect of the many health risks.
Avoid salt
A high salt consumption increases the need for fluids. This, in turn, causes the tissues in the legs to swell and put extra pressure on the surrounding blood vessels.
A diet high in potassium
You should drink plenty of water and eat a balanced diet to maintain a healthy weight.
Apart from that, foods rich in potassium are helpful in draining excess salts and fluids from the body and thus also preventing varicose veins.
Compression stockings
Compression stockings can help relieve the strain on the legs. This improves the blood circulation in the legs.
Since they are thicker than normal stockings, they help to reactivate the blood flow and thereby gradually reduce varicose veins.
Complementary methods of treating varicose veins, both before and during pregnancy:
Acupuncture and shiatsu
An expert can use acupuncture or Shiatsu to improve blood circulation while relieving other ailments.
Aromatherapy
Check with an aromatherapy expert about essential oils that are suitable for use during pregnancy.
They can help you relieve the symptoms of varicose veins. Some blends of oils can be applied topically or used during a massage.
