Heredity, Genetics & Varicose Veins

Old Wives Tales

Warnings abound on the internet that crossing your legs causes spider veins and varicose veins. Theoretically, they say that crossing your legs causes compression in the leg veins, which, in turn, causes the blood to back-up to the heart due to the slowing of the flow of blood. This slowing causes blood to pool within the veins, stretching them and damaging them. The truth of the matter is that crossing your legs does not create the kind of pressure necessary to stop the flow of blood in the veins. Crossing your legs is not the same as putting a tourniquet on your legs-which would indeed stop the flow of blood to the heart.

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Another theory out there is that wearing compression stockings will cause varicose veins. In fact, if a person has varicose veins, compression stockings will help rather than hinder in terms of treatment. Standard treatment for varicose veins includes compression stockings since they help reduce swelling and the pain associated with damaged veins. Tight socks do not cause varicose veins, and neither do restricting knee-highs. However, if the elastic in your socks or knee-highs are too tight for comfort, get yourself a looser pair.

What Are The Real Risks?

So, if neither of these theories implicates varicose veins, what does cause them? Many factors increase risk for varicose veins including gender. More women than men get varicose veins. Being overweight, poor circulation (often caused by diabetes or heart conditions), pregnancy, having to stand for long periods and even hormone treatments are all contributors to varicose, and spider veins.

Blame It On Your Genes

However, the most common factor in developing varicose veins is heredity. Genetics are the cause of more than 50 percent of all cases of varicose veins. Even though varicose veins generally appear later in life, there are many young women who have the evidence of varicose and spider veins in their legs when they are in their late teens and early 20s. Unfortunately, there is not much a person can do to avoid genetic predisposition to varicose veins. If there is a family history of them, then the risk is greatly increased, especially for women.

An Ounce Of Prevention

There are some things a young woman can do to ward off varicose veins. Proper diet, exercise, and good vein health are excellent methods of control and prevention of varicose veins. Maintaining a healthy weight goes a long way in preventing varicose veins. If you have to stand for long periods, be sure the shoes you wear are well structured, have sufficient support for your feet and legs, and fit well. Pretty shoes with high heels and pointed toes are not practical for long periods of standing, and they can be contributors to unsightly veins.

While you can't control your genetics, you can control your lifestyle. By choosing a lifestyle that contributes to overall health as well as good vein health, and seeking professional help should veins become an issue, it is possible to divert the negative effects of varicose veins.