Avoid sedentary life to prevent varicose veins

Standing or sitting still for a long time increases the risk of varicose veins. / Korea Times file

By Yoon Ja-young

Most office workers and students spend up to eight hours a day sitting on chairs. By sitting still for hours, they can develop problems in blood circulation, which is essential for a healthy life.

If the problem continues, diverse troubles will occur in the body. While most of the troubles are invisible, there is one visible outcome of the poor blood circulation that startles many — varicose veins.

Kim, an office worker in her late 30s, suffered numbness in her legs every afternoon. As she sat all day, the legs would swell and there was also pain. She would get a massage to relieve the pain, and the masseur told her that her veins protruded. She went to a clinic to find what was wrong and the doctor told her that she had the early stages of varicose veins.

In veins which return blood to the heart, there are valves that prevent blood from flowing back. When there is problem in blood circulation, however, the valves don’t function properly.

In varicose veins, veins in the calves bulge. The victims feel pain and easily get tired when they walk. When left without treatment, the skin turns black as the blood clots form and components of the red blood cells that leak outside the capillaries turn the skin black looking.

In varicose veins, poor blood circulation makes blood vessels protrude. / Korea Times file

Statistics show that patients with varicose veins are increasing as many office workers continue a sedentary life. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, the number of patients stood at 144,000 in 2012, which is 24,000 more compared with 2008. The data also showed that it is twice as common in females than males. This is because their blood vessels are likely to become fragile due to hormonal changes following pregnancy.

Prof. Ahn Hyung-joon at Kyunghee University Medical Center in Seoul says varicose veins won’t disappear on their own once they develop. You can lessen symptoms in the early stages, but it is difficult to completely get rid of them. There are treatment options such as sclerotherapy, laser treatment, or surgery. “Instead of getting rid of the problematic veins, laser treatment is more common these days. Unlike surgical treatment that leaves pain and scars, laser treatment minimizes these side effects,” Prof. Ahn said.

Stretch from time to time

If you have varicose veins, it is advisable to elevate the legs higher than heart. “When you put your legs on a cushion or pillow, the blood that concentrated in the legs during the day will go to the heart due to gravity, helping easing the edema,” the doctor said.

Wearing compression stockings will also help. Unlike ordinary stockings, the medical stockings press the leg muscles with constant pressure, helping contraction and relaxation of the calf muscles to promote blood circulation. In circumstances where you have to stand or sit still for a long time, the doctor recommends turning ankles from time to time, or doing stretching or exercises that can stimulate the calf muscles, such as standing up and sitting down. He said that such small activities help blood circulation and strengthen the muscles around the vessels.

Meanwhile, people shouldn’t sit with their legs crossed. Obesity also increases the risk of varicose veins. “Obese people have more blood circulating in the body compared with non-obese people. It makes veins prone to bulge, and the fat accumulated in the vessels can make them weak,” the doctor said. He also warned against tight jeans and boots, as they put pressure on the vessels and hinder blood circulation.

Prof. Ahn Hyung-joon at Kyunghee University Medical Center provided the information for this article.