Family history ("Family Veins")

Many of the choices we make in life can lead to varicose veins or aggravate them. However, it’s not necessarily your choice or your fault– family history is often a factor. If your close relatives have varicose veins, it may be only a matter of time until you develop them too – despite all the good things you may do for your health, like not smoking, making sure you eat right and getting regular exercise.

Pregnancy ("Mommy Veins") 

During pregnancy, your body goes through monumental physical and hormonal changes. Most of them are temporary, but your new varicose veins may not be.

Pregnancy makes you more susceptible to this health problem because, as your baby grows, the uterus puts increased pressure on your veins. Hormonal changes can also cause the walls of the veins to relax.These factors can combine to cause the one-way valve in one or more veins to stop working. So, blood that should return to the heart instead pools and stagnates.The result can be the heavy, itchy, uncomfortable feeling of varicose veins.

Your doctor can recommend many ways to keep you comfortable during pregnancy, including regular, moderate exercise, plenty of rest, support stockings and keeping your legs elevated, especially during the evening.

If you’ve had varicose veins with previous pregnancies or you have a family history of varicose veins, the problem may not go away on its own.Your varicose veins may even get worse and require treatment so that you can feel your best and enjoy life with your growing family. It is best to wait a least 3 months postpartum to seek treatment for venous insufficiency.

Your job ("Work Veins")

If you stand on your feet all day, you may be paying a price – achy, tired, heavy
legs caused by varicose veins. Blood in your veins has to fight gravity to return to your heart. So, when you’re on your feet for hours at a time, especially standing in one place, that blood has an even harder time making its way back up through the body. It can flow backwards and begin pooling – and that’s what leads to varicose veins.

Weight problems ("Heavy Veins")

Being overweight puts added pressure on the entire body – veins
included. Increased pressure can cause the veins to enlarge and damage the valves that keep blood flowing toward the heart. Often, people with weight problems are not getting regular exercise, which can lead to circulation problems and make varicose veins worse.