Effect on Veins if Standing or Sitting all Day

Varicose veins and spider veins are some of the most common leg and vein problems. They may not be particularly serious to begin with, but if not treated in time, could lead to other serious health issues. Venous insufficiency may result from prolonged sitting and standing, which puts excessive pressure on your legs. This causes the veins to stop functioning properly.

The blood needs to flow from the legs to the heart. The veins in your legs have small valves that push the blood against gravity. If you sit or stand for long periods, this blood flow becomes blocked and blood begins to pool in the veins. This puts added pressure on the veins, causing the vein valves to become weak.

With your body being designed to move, if you sit or stand for long periods in one position, this can seriously affect not only your veins but also your overall health. While standing requires 20% more energy than sitting, it can cause the veins to overwork, resulting in their weakness. Two hours of standing may not cause any problems but after that problems may arise.

If you are beginning to have varicose veins, you may have some symptoms before the veins actually begin to show. Some of these are:

• Aching and cramping of muscles
• A very heavy feeling in the lower legs
• Pain that results and increases after sitting or standing for long periods
• Generalized itching for no apparent reason around one or more veins
• Sores or ulcers that do not heal near the lower leg and ankle
• A stubborn brown pigmentation on the lower legs and feet
• A persistent rash around the ankles

How to avoid varicose veins if you are sitting or standing all day

There are several ways to avoid varicose veins if you are sitting or standing all day. Some of these are:

1. Get moving: Even if your job requires you to sit or stand all day, there are ways to prevent varicose veins. One of these is to get moving. You should move your legs just a little bit at regular intervals. This will help the blood in your legs and feet to circulate. You can take a little walk or do some easy stretching and move around. This prevents the blood from settling in the varicose veins or in the veins with insufficient flow. Your exercise plan need not be elaborate. It can be as easy as walking a quick lap around the office or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. These small shifts make a big difference in the health of your veins.
2. Losing weight: Loss of weight can make your veins and overall circulation more efficient. There is less workload for your circulatory system and this can prevent varicose veins.
3. Exercising regularly: This makes it easier for the blood to circulate by strengthening the heart and lessening the cardiac workload.
4. Quitting smoking and drinking: This helps the heart’s ability to circulate blood and improves circulation. This in turn, prevents varicose veins from appearing.
5. Wearing compression stockings: These improve blood flow and gently squeeze your legs to move blood up your legs. They prevent blood from circulating to the skin’s surface, thereby causing swelling. Instead, it helps the blood move through the veins and back to the lungs for re-oxygenation.
6. Sitting with your legs elevated: This is one of the most relaxing ways to prevent varicose veins. This helps blood to flow taking the pressure off your heart and your veins and reduces swelling. Sitting with your legs elevated also helps move blood through your varicose veins and reduces pain and irritation as well. Not only does this prevent varicose veins and helps your circulation, it is also one of the most relaxing ways to unwind after a long day at work.
7. Wearing supportive, low-heeled shoes: These put less pressure on your legs and lower back and prevent the occurrence of varicose veins.

Certain professions that are more at risk

There are certain professions that are more at risk for developing varicose veins as workers in these professions are usually sitting or standing all day. Some of these professions are:

1. Education: Teachers and professors spend hours sitting or standing in the classroom, and hours sitting while grading papers, creating lesson plans, and preparing a curriculum. This puts teachers at risk for varicose veins. Female teachers are more likely than male teachers to suffer from varicose veins due to pregnancy and wearing high heels.
2. Medical: Nurses have an increased risk of developing varicose veins. This is especially true for ward nurses, because they spend so many hours on their feet. They also often work shifts that last well beyond eight hours.
3. Hospitality, Beauty, and Retail: Career hairdressers, baggage checkers, hotel workers, store greeters, and retail employees are at greater risk for developing varicose veins. Standing for an extended period behind a cash register, behind a hotel desk, or inside the entrance of a supermarket can also lead to developing varicose veins.
4. Office or Technical: Office workers are also at risk for developing varicose veins due to prolonged sitting. This is especially true for computer professionals who sit for hours on end in one position. Some office workers do not even break for lunch and prefer to take lunch at their desks. Information technology professionals who remotely access computers for repair and maintenance are also at high risk for developing varicose veins.
5. Transportation: Bus and taxi drivers who pull long shifts behind the wheel are also at high risk for developing varicose veins. Long-distance drivers who often sit for more than 10 hours at a time are especially at risk.

If you are at risk for developing varicose veins or have already developed varicose veins, consulting with the right doctor is essential. One such doctor is Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala of the Flow Vascular Clinic in Hyderabad, India.

He is not only a skilled interventional radiologist and vascular surgeon but he has experience treating thousands of patients with varicose veins. He will patiently consult with you to determine your risk factors and possible ways to avoid developing varicose veins. If you do have varicose veins, he will work with you to determine the best varicose veins treatment of choice for you.

He is not only skillful, but is also very empathetic and cares deeply about his patients. He will never treat you as just another case. So, if you need to consult with a doctor about your varicose veins, don’t look any further than Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala and avail of the best treatment possible!

For more information about varicose veins, their treatment, as well as the treatment for DVT, or other vascular conditions, contact Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala at (+91) 9989649498 or 9959033037, or at contact@drabhilash.com or visit our website at www.drabhilash.com