Varicose Vein Myths

Myth: Varicose Veins Occurs Only in Women

Although women are far more likely to develop varicose veins than men, this does not mean that a man is immune from this condition. Indeed, approximately 10% of those with varicose veins are men. Women, however, are more likely to seek treatment because of cosmetics reasons and also because varicose vein in women tends to become with painful symptoms.

Myth: Varicose Veins are Caused by Overeating or by Being Overweight

Varicose veins are as likely to develop in a slender person as in an overweight one. Indeed, fat layer may actually cosmetically obscure deeper varicose veins. Nevertheless, obesity may aggravate the symptoms of varicose veins, especially if the person has to stand for long periods of time.

Myth: Varicose Veins Are Caused by Poor Diet or Lack of Exercise

While a diet low in fiber and a sedentary lifestyle are thought to contribute to varicose vein, the condition is far more likely to develop if a person has an underlying predisposition to varicose vein due to heredity. This is because diet and lack of exercise are thought to be minor factors that are not likely to cause varicose veins on their own.

Similarly, pregnancy, frequent straining to pass stool, heavy liftings, are also thought to be minor causative factors for varicose veins.

A combination of minor factors, however, or a minor factor combined with a major factor like heredity, can be responsible for varicose veins.

Myth: Smoking Cause Varicose Veins

Although smoking has adverse effects on the heart and the arteries, there is currently no evidence that it affects the vein in a negative way.

Myth: Varicose Veins are a Normal Sign of Old Age

Actually, varicose veins often start to develop during the teenage years or during pregnancy. Left untreated, these veins continue to worsen and may become symptomatic at an older age.

Varicose veins are often confused with veins that become more visible with old age. As a person ages, his or her skin, fat layer, and soft tissues begin to thin and reveal veins that otherwise would have been hidden from view. These veins are not varicose veins and are not a health problem.

Myth: Varicose Veins Can Lead to Heart Problems

There is no evidence that varicose veins lead to heart problems, such as heart attacks or arterial diseases. Factors that are related to varicose veins, such as weak or damaged vein walls and valves, as well as pregnancy, are not known to cause heart attacks. Weak vein valves do not increase the likelihood of heart valves to fail.

Similarly, factors related to heart attacks, such as genetics predisposition to heart problems, elevated cholesterol level, smoking, stress, and high fat diet, are not related to factors that lead to varicose veins.

Myth: Varicose Vein Can Lead to Poor Circulation and Even Amputation.

Generally, poor circulation means reduced flow of blood carrying oxygen to the tissues in the legs caused by the narrowing of arteries. Veins carry blood depleted of oxygen back to the heart and lung (to be re-oxygenated).

Although severe lack of arterial blood can cause tissue death (which may lead to amputation), the presence of varicose vein does not pose this risk.

Myth: Feet Coldness or Tingling are Caused by Varicose Veins

The feeling of coldness in the feet is often attributed to circulation problem, and often blamed on varicose veins. This condition, however, is actually caused by tiny arteries and capillaries that constrict abnormally. These tiny arteries and capillaries normally enlarge in warm air and constrict in cold temperature. In some people, however, they are overly sensitive to small variations in temperature, and may constrict at slight coldness that would not affect normal people.

An extreme form of this condition is called Reynaud's Phenomenon, where tiny arteries constrict almost completely in the cold and open once the temperature rises, causing blood rush and pain.

Tingling of the feet is usually associated with diabetes or compressed nerve, not varicose vein. Nevertheless, in a few cases, some people reported that the feeling of coldness or tingling in their feet went away after their varicose veins were treated.

Myth: Varicose Veins Can Cause Blood Clots to Develop

It is a widely held belief that blood clots can develop in varicose veins and travel to the lungs, where they can be fatal. Fortunately, this is a very unlikely condition since most clots that do develop in varicose veins occur in veins near the skin surface. Instead, these clots appear as a red, lumpy or firm, and tender area. Although this may be alarming to patients, this type of clot is not life-threatening, and can be treated by anti-inflammatory medicines, as well as local pressure and heat.

In very rare cases in people with hereditary susceptibility of forming blood clots, on birth control while smoking, or those with cancer, these clots can travel to deep veins, where they need to be medically treated.

Myth: Ruptured Varicose Vein Can Cause You to Bleed to Death

It is very unlikely for veins, even stretched out ones in cases of varicose veins, to rupture. Although trauma may cause veins to bleed and cause bruising under the skin, this bleeding is usually minor and will heal by itself. This is the opposite of arterial bleeding (aneurysm), which can be fatal.

In older men and women, however, veins are more prone to spontaneous bleeding during hot showers or putting on socks, especially in the ankle and sheen.

Despite it being a common fear, vein rupture during sleep is very unlikely. This is because when a person is lying down, there is much less pressure on the veins.

Myth: Varicose Veins Can Only be Treated with Sclerotheraphy (Injection Theraphy) and Painful Surgeries

Two of the most common forms of treatment for varicose veins are sclerotherapy and vein stripping surgeries. Sclerotheraphy is an out-patient procedure where chemical irritants are injected into the varicose veins to promote the formation of blood clots. These clots prevent blood from entering the veins, thus reducing the pressure on the veins. Vein stripping surgery, as its name implies, is a surgical procedure where an instrument is used to "strip" or remove the varicose vein from the leg.

While these two procedures have been used effectively to treat varicose veins, they do have drawbacks. For example, both sclerotherapy and vein surgery are painful and expensive. The discomfort and pain may even last for days or weeks after the procedure is performed. Furthermore, because they do not treat the underlying or root cause of varicose veins, namely weak vein walls and valves, the condition often comes back.

Studies have shown that the extracts of various herbal plants can help naturally treat varicose veins and other vein conditions. For example, Japanese pagoda tree (Sophora japonica), horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), and Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) extracts been shown to increase vein wall strength and flexibility, fix vein permeability, and improve microcirculation.

Japanese pagoda tree is probably one of the best natural treatments for various vein conditions, including varicose veins. A wealth of clinical data, including double-blind and placebo-controlled studies involving more than 2,000 patients have shown that this natural herb is effective in relieving the aching, burning, pain and discomfort of varicose veins, without any significant side effects.

You can use Venarin Varicose Vein Treatment, a combination of herbal supplements and creams, to naturally treat varicose veins. Venarin Supplement contains generous amount of high quality Japanese pagoda tree, Horse chestnut, Butcher's broom, Grape seed extracts, to relieve the symptoms of varicose veins and help you get healthy vein and beautiful legs naturally.

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