With changes in the weather, we also experience many changes in the body and even changes in the health conditions like diabetes, asthma, arthritis, respiratory conditions, cardiovascular diseases and even varicose veins if we are dealing with any. When it comes varicose veins, in contrast to other health issues that appear to improve in warmer weather, tend to deteriorate in hotter temperatures.
When we think about varicose veins and room temperature, the text always favors heat and varicose veins over cold and varicose veins. And, yes, it is true that varicose veins can worsen and cause greater discomfort when temperatures rise, or summer arrives. The cold can help to treat varicose veins since the veins’ vasoconstriction improves when the temperature drops. Cold exposure often benefits blood circulation the most. The cold might be caused by the change in weather or administered topically.
In this blog, let’s have a look at how summer and winter have an effect on varicose veins. Before that, we’ll have a brief on what varicose veins are, their causes and symptoms.
Varicose Veins
Varicose veins, also referred to as varicose or varicosities, develop when your veins expand, widen, and get overfilled with blood, which is usually swollen and elevated and a bluish-purple or red tint and are frequently uncomfortable and painful. Varicose veins and spider veins – a frequent, moderate form of varicose veins — are only aesthetic concerns and can sometimes lead to more serious complications.
Causes and Risk Factors of Varicose Veins
Varicose veins develop when veins do not function correctly. One-way valves in veins prohibit blood from going backwards. When these valves fail, blood begins to pool in the veins instead of flowing toward the heart. The veins widen as a result. Varicose veins are most commonly found in the legs. The veins in this area are the furthest away from your heart, and gravity makes it difficult for blood to move upward.
The following factors can raise the risk of getting varicose veins:
1.Gender:
Women are more prone to get the illness. Because female hormones relax vein walls, hormonal fluctuations before a menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, or during menopause might be a factor. Hormone medications, such as birth control pills, may also increase the risk of varicose veins.
2.Age:
Aging induces wear and tear on the vein valves that assist control blood flow. As the valves deteriorate, some blood flows back into the veins, where it accumulates. Generally, Varicose veins appear between the ages of 30 and 60, and they deteriorate with age.
3.Genetics:
If other members of your family have varicose veins, you are more likely to have them as well.
4.Pregnancy:
The blood volume in the body rises during pregnancy. This alteration benefits the growing foetus but can also cause vein enlargement in the legs.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
- Veins of dark purple or blue
- Braided and swollen veins that frequently resemble cables on the legs
- Discomfort in the legs
- Muscle cramping and painful legs
- Increased discomfort after prolonged sitting or standing
- Scratching around one or more veins
- Varicose vein-related skin color changes
Effects of weather conditions on varicose veins
Veins’ principal job is to transport blood from the body to the heart. Leg muscle contractions assist in this by pulling blood flow higher against gravity. Simultaneously, valves inside the veins open to enable blood to flow in the proper direction and close to prevent it from returning. When valves become weak or broken, they are unable to block the backward flow of blood, resulting in vein pooling. This causes varicose veins to discolor, bulge, and twist with time.
Summer and Varicose Veins
Did you know that As we struggle to shed heat and keep a consistent body temperature in hot weather, all veins widen, especially on the skin’s surface? It, like sweating, is a typical reaction to heat and does not necessarily indicate that the veins are aberrant. Varicose veins indicate venous insufficiency caused by damaged vein valves, which puts too much strain on the leg veins, causing them to expand and twist. Excess blood collects in the veins, causing oedema. The swelling causes unpleasant and often agonizing sensations.
Summer heat will not cause them, but if you already have them, they will feel much worse in hot temperatures. The summer heat causes bulging varicose veins to expand even more and fill with blood, exacerbating the symptoms. This also causes the veins on the surface of your skin to grow more prominent, making them more noticeable to the human eye.
Varicose Veins and Winter (cold weather)
When it comes to cold weather and Varicose veins, Cold weather isn’t all terrible news if you have venous insufficiency. While warm temperature causes veins to dilate and blood to pool, cooler temperatures have the reverse effect. Colder temperatures can actually have a number of beneficial benefits on veins, shrinking them and making it simpler for valves to function correctly. This might lead to less cramping and oedema. The cold, however, is not good for veins since it might increase some symptoms.
The cooler season conundrum means that, while varicose vein symptoms may ease, the transition from an active to sedentary lifestyle throughout the fall and winter months can be just as difficult.
Patients are less likely to participate in frequent outdoor activities like gardening, walking, or bicycling, decreasing the amount of beneficial exercise they need to maintain adequate blood flow in their legs.
Tips for promoting healthy blood flow during the wintertime
Stay active
While it may seem difficult to maintain your exercise routine when it’s cold outside, it’s critical to do so. Invest in some seasonal gear and shoes to keep you comfortable and warm while participating in outside activities, and find alternative moves if you can’t get outside, for example; use the stairs in your building at lunchtime to get your steps in and promote healthy blood circulation.
Treat your varicose veins
Having your varicose veins treated by a vein expert is the best way to avoid discomfort. Fortunately, there are a variety of extremely successful non-surgical techniques that may be completed in a single visit to our facility.
Eliminate fatty and salty foods
It may be tempting to eat rich ‘comfort’ foods during the winter months when snuggled up on the sofa. Doctors usually advise patients to minimize their intake of salty foods since they might cause excessive fluid retention. Furthermore, saturated fat-rich diets can affect endothelial cell function and, as a result, your whole vascular system. Instead, eat a variety of bright fruits and vegetables, as well as meals strong in fiber and nutritious value.
Varicose Veins Treatment at Flow Vascular Clinic by Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala
Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala of Vascular Interventions is acknowledged as one of the top varicose veins experts and finest vascular surgeons in Hyderabad, serving at numerous varicose veins hospitals in Hyderabad.
Using a Color Doppler Ultrasound Scan, your doctor will first identify all of your weak veins and select the ideal location to implant the catheter. Because the laser is utilized in this operation, you will be required to wear protective glasses. Your doctor will next clean, shave, and numb the affected region using a local anesthetic.
After numbing the region, a tiny incision is made, and a catheter and guidewire is put into your skin. The catheter is then passed through with a laser fiber until it is about 1 to 2 centimeters from the end, at which point it is fixed in place. The laser light closes the defective vein and redirects blood flow to healthy veins. The complete procedure takes roughly one hour.