Can — and Should —You Treat Varicose Veins at Home?

Varicose veins can be unsightly, uncomfortable, and even dangerous to your health. However, today they are also easily treated. The question is where you’d like…

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Varicose veins can be unsightly, uncomfortable, and even dangerous to your health. However, today they are also easily treated. The question is where you’d like to treat this common condition.

If you have varicose veins, you have several treatment options. While surgery was once common, a number of minimally invasive treatments have largely replaced it. There are also several treatments that you can try at home. Treating your own varicose veins at home can be simple and easy if you use the right techniques. These seven methods may help you reduce the appearance of your varicose veins on your own. 

Physical Activity

Since varicose veins are most often caused by weakness in your legs, physical activity can help. Getting regular exercise, especially cardio, helps the muscles in your legs push blood back up to your heart more easily. This may prevent your varicose veins from getting worse or even reduce their appearance over time. 

Physical exercise can also help reduce your weight. Being overweight can put extra pressure on your leg veins, so lowering your weight may make it easier for your veins to return blood to your heart. This could lead to less swollen varicose veins and may help them heal.

Massage

Massaging your legs can help relieve pain and discomfort from varicose veins, offering you a natural varicose vein pain treatment. Gently massaging your legs can help reduce the stress placed on your veins for a while, allowing them to heal. 

Using rubs like olive oil or lotion with vitamin E may also help reduce the appearance of varicose veins. These types of oils help keep your skin healthy and strong so your varicose veins may appear less noticeable. 

Compression Socks

Compression stockings offer more immediate returns than cardio and are often called one of the best treatments for varicose veins. Compression socks put even pressure along your legs, helping reinforce your veins from the outside. When varicose veins are compressed like this, it’s easier for them to pump blood. As a result, they may be less likely to twist or swell. 

Wearing compression socks every day may work very well as a varicose vein home treatment, especially in combination with regular physical exercise. 

High-Fiber Foods

Eating foods rich in fiber is an important part of keeping your circulatory system healthy, including your veins. Foods like green vegetables, fruits, whole wheat, and flaxseed are all rich in dietary fiber. 

Furthermore, getting enough fiber can help prevent constipation and the straining that accompanies it. This reduces the pressure in your circulatory system and may help prevent worsening varicose veins

Rutin

Rutin, also known as “vitamin P” or rutoside, is a relatively newly observed compound found in many foods. It appears that rutin may help strengthen your veins and improve their ability to prevent blood from flowing downward. 

Getting more rutin in your diet could help reduce the appearance and severity of your varicose veins. You can take rutin supplements, which come in capsules, tablets, and powders, or you can eat foods high in rutin like apples, citrus, and buckwheat. Since rutin is so commonly found in many foods, it’s considered safe to take as a varicose vein treatment even if you’re on other medications.

Grape Seed Extract

Grape seed oil or extract is a common dietary supplement. There is significant scientific support for grape seed extract’s ability to help reduce the symptoms of “chronic venous insufficiency,” which is generally the root cause of varicose veins. It’s also a safe and healthy dietary supplement in general since it can help reduce inflammation and help your body heal better from cuts and bruises. 

You can take grape seed extract as a supplement in drops, tablets, and capsule form. However, be careful with grape seed extract if you are on blood thinners or blood pressure medication since it can make these medications work too well.

Gotu Kola Supplements

This plant comes from Asia, and early studies suggest that it may help strengthen your veins and prevent varicose veins from getting worse. It may even help reduce your varicose veins.

You can take gotu kola supplements, or you can use gotu kola oils and creams on your veins themselves. However, you should be cautious taking gotu kola if you take other medications, because it may interact with them. A specialist can help you decide whether gotu kola supplements are a good idea for treating your varicose veins. 

Treating Varicose Veins at Home: Is It Safe?

While varicose veins are often seen as merely cosmetic, they are an actual medical problem. However, if your primary symptoms are occasional complaints of itching or discomfort, then it’s most likely safe and effective to treat your own varicose veins at home. 

However, in some people, varicose veins can be the cause of something more serious. For example, varicose veins are associated with a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis, especially if the veins are large or excessive. Deep vein thrombosiscan be serious or even deadly, and it may not cause any symptoms initially beyond aching or swollen legs. 

Any type of swelling or long-lasting pain in your legs is a good reason to go see a specialist. If you are concerned about your varicose vein pain, or if your veins seem to be getting noticeably worse, a specialist can help you ensure that your symptoms are not a sign of something more serious. You may still be able to treat your varicose veins at home as long as they are not causing other health problems. 

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Never Hesitate to Get Varicose Veins Examined

Whether or not you feel comfortable treating your varicose veins at home, it’s never a bad idea to check in with a specialist. Qualified varicose vein specialists are trained to examine your varicose veins and can let you know how severe they are.

If your varicose veins have caused other health problems, a specialist can let you know and help you get treatment. The My Vein Treatment’s vein specialist locator can help you find a specialist near you so you can get your varicose veins healed sooner rather than later.