Are Teachers at High Risk for Varicose Veins?

Teachers spend a great part of their day standing and walking around, even as they constantly interact with students, parents, and faculty. Prolonged standing, especially when it occurs over a long period of time, can result in varicose veins due to an increase in pressure in the leg veins. Varicose veins are large, gnarled, bluish-purple, swollen veins, typically occurring in the lower legs.

If you are a female teacher who wears high heels to work, this can put added pressure on your legs and feet. This can compromise proper circulation and can result in the pooling of blood in your leg veins. This is also more likely if you are overweight or pregnant. All of these factors can result in a high risk of varicose veins.

Why teachers are at risk for varicose veins?

Blood circulates throughout our body through arteries and veins. Arteries pump blood from the heart to the tissue and veins pump blood from the tissues back to the heart. There are flaps and valves inside the veins that open so that blood flows downward and then, close, so that blood flows upward. When these flaps and valves lose their strength, blood cannot move and pools within the vein. This excess amount of blood causes the veins to bulge and enlarge, resulting in varicose veins.

There are certain factors that cause blood to pool within the vein. Standing for four or more hours a day or for one hour at a stretch makes the job of pumping blood back to the heart more difficult, resulting in varicose veins. Teachers spend most of their time standing in class and so, are at increased risk for developing varicose veins.

Also, female teachers are at greater risk for developing varicose veins. This is also because hormonal changes during menstrual periods, pregnancy, and menopause can increase the risk for developing varicose veins. Hormones, such as progesterone, can weaken your vein walls, making them more vulnerable to pressure. Hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills can also increase the risk of varicose veins and Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). 

Tips for teachers to protect their vein health

There are a few things that teachers can do to improve their vein health. They are:

• Moving around: Your body is designed to move, so, as a teacher, you should move around the classroom as much as possible. You can also sit for short periods of time to give your legs a rest. This will get the blood circulating in your legs. Also, outside of work, ensure that you exercise regularly.
• Maintaining a healthy body weight: If you are overweight or obese, this puts extra pressure on your body, including on your veins. Additional pounds increase the pressure in your veins. This weakens your valves, which causes them to fail. If you lose weight, this can reduce the pain and swelling in your varicose veins and also slow the development of other venous diseases.
• Putting your feet up while sitting: You should elevate your feet to a level above your heart for a few minutes each day. This will alleviate blood pressure and pooling that has occurred in your veins during the day.
• Choosing your footwear wisely: Invest in comfortable, flat footwear that you can use throughout the day, especially at work. Flat shoes provide great support and can prevent or alleviate your varicose veins. You should avoid wearing high heels regularly, and should only save them for special occasions. 
• Wearing compression stockings: These apply consistent pressure on the legs. This keeps blood moving back to the heart, thereby improving venous circulation and providing relief from swelling and pain.
• Visiting a Vein Specialist: You should not let varicose veins prevent you from doing the job you love, that is, teaching. If you find that the discomfort, swelling, cramping, and pain of varicose veins is preventing you from teaching effectively, you should visit a vein specialist and vascular surgeon. Current varicose vein treatments are nearly painless, minimally invasive, and require only a brief recovery time. After treatment of your varicose veins, you will be back in the classroom in no time.

Possible symptoms and complications of varicose veins in teachers

You will be able to recognize certain symptoms of varicose veins. These are:

• Large, gnarled, bluish-purple veins that can be seen just under the surface of the skin
• Mild swelling of your feet and ankles
• Heavy, achy, or painful legs
• Cramping and throbbing in your legs
• Itching on the lower leg and ankle
• Discoloration of the skin in the area around the varicose vein

Certain complications of varicose veins can occur, some of which are:

• Painful inflammation or swelling of the veins, called Phlebitis
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Ulcers on the legs

Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala, of the Flow Vascular Clinic is a gifted vascular surgeon, who is extremely skilful at treating varicose veins. He will use the latest technologies in the treatment of your varicose veins. He will understand your risk for varicose veins, if you are a teacher, and will work with you to prevent and treat your varicose veins.

Dr. Sandhyala is adept at performing one of the safest and least invasive methods of treating varicose veins called Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT). He will first perform an ultrasound scan to confirm all your weak veins. He will then clean, shave, and numb this area with a local anaesthetic. Once this is done, a catheter and guide-wire will be inserted into your skin through a small incision.

Next, a laser fiber will be inserted into the catheter until it extends approximately 1 to 2 centimetres from the end, after which it is secured in place. The laser energy seals the faulty veins and blood flow is redirected to the healthy veins. The entire process takes about an hour. This EVLT procedure has minimal recovery time and patients are encouraged to walk and resume all their day-to-day activities on the same day.

So, if you are a teacher with varicose veins, there is no reason to be concerned. Do visit Dr. Sandhyala for the best and most optimum treatment possible from one of the safest and most skilled vascular surgeons in Hyderabad, India. Once you are treated by him you will be able to resume the profession about which you are passionate…teaching!

For more information about Diabetic Foot Ulcers, as well as the treatment for DVT, or other vascular conditions, contact Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala at (+91) 9989649498 or 9959033037, or at [email protected] or visit our website at www.drabhilash.com