Varicose veins are large, bulging blue or purple veins visible on the surface of your skin and pregnancy is often one of its leading causes. For those who already have one before, they also worsen in appearance once you get pregnant. So we understand why many new moms are finding ways to minimize or completely remove them.
But, before we list a few tips on how you should treat your varicose veins, it bears repeating that these are often harmless and most pregnant women have them. Varicose veins are normal side effects of pregnancy, and it is generally not a health risk.
Regardless, we understand that many women are still embarrassed by how it looks. So here are a few tips and treatments that you can opt for.
Light Exercise
Remember that a clean diet and exercise are not magic bullets or cure-alls for your varicose veins. These are just some of the many steps that you can do in order to minimize its appearance.
Given that you just recently gave birth; it is highly advisable to stay away from intense workouts for now. Besides, even if you were not pregnant, many vein experts are still strongly against intense workouts. They are believed to be the reason why varicose veins worsen and become more prominent among gym-goers.
That said, light exercise is your best option when it comes to working out after pregnancy with a varicose vein. Many studies suggest that being inactive for too long can worsen the appearance of varicose veins. So light and easy exercise are enough to keep you active without stressing or overworking yourself too much.
Compression Stocking
Wearing compression stocking is another non-pharmacological treatment that you should try along with light exercise. It is a convenient and cost-effective way to relieve the swelling on your legs, which can prevent varicose veins from further developing.
Again, it bears repeating that compression stocking would not permanently remove varicose veins altogether. These are just preventive measures and relief treatments to prevent varicose veins. Surgery is still the most effective way to permanently remove varicose veins.
Non-pregnant women who suffer from varicose veins often wear compression stockings after they undergo varicose vein surgery. That said, compression stockings are most effective along with surgery.
What we have cited above are just ways to minimize its appearance and make it less prone to swelling. Ultimately, if you want to remove your varicose vein permanently, you need to visit a vein specialist and have them removed through surgery.
Once your body has fully recovered from childbirth, then you can check out some of the surgical treatments that you can opt for.
Surgical Treatments
If you live in any city in the United States, no matter how small or big, you can easily find a vein specialist or vein doctor. There are New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and even Chandler vein clinic near you. So having your varicose vein removed is now easier and a lot more accessible.
Having said that, the only problem that you have to face is finding the right treatment most suitable for your case. The two most popular treatments for varicose veins are ablation and sclerotherapy.
Many people often opt for these treatments because they are not that expensive and the downtime is minimal. The recovery time from these procedures would not interrupt your work hours or your bonding time with your family. Here is a quick overview of these two treatments:
Ablation
The main goal behind ablation is to close your saphenous vein. It is a minimally invasive procedure that can be done under ultrasound guidance. Through ablation, your vein is treated with a laser or radiofrequency that ultimately damages your vein wall, causing your vein to shrink or close.
Sclerotherapy
If you have a spider vein and start to notice these only when you get pregnant, then chances are your varicose vein is still less prominent and easily fixable than others. That said, you can simply opt for the sclerotherapy treatment that many vein clinics around the US offer. Sclerotherapy takes less than 30 minutes to perform because the procedure is simply administering injectable foam to your veins.
Aside from these minimally invasive treatments, other specialists also recommend vein stripping to permanently remove varicose veins. However, since you have just recently undergone childbirth, it is best to push this back and wait until your body fully recovers. This way, you can avoid complications and the treatment would be far more effective.
Leave a Reply