Vein health and pregnancy
Varicose veins appear on the surface of your skin, often on the legs and feet. When a vein valve fails to function, the blood can begin to pool in your legs causing a variety of health problems including: swollen ankles, blood clots, infections, leg pain, spider veins, varicose veins, and even ulcers. When your veins cannot bring enough blood back to the heart, the blood stays in your legs, causing various problems due to venous blood stasis. Varicose veins take on a bumpy, blue, or purple appearance and tend to develop, or worsen, while you’re pregnant. There are many reasons why pregnancy can induce venous insufficiency, some of them include: progesterone, pressure on the large vein from an expanding uterus (inferior vena cava), and excess weight from carrying a baby.
After you give birth, most varicose veins often dissipate and become less visible with time; however, some women continue to struggle with uncomfortable symptoms even after their pregnancy ends.
During pregnancy, the placenta produces significantly higher progesterone levels, which remain elevated throughout the entire pregnancy. The progesterone hormone also encourages milk-producing glands in the breasts, so that the body is ready for the baby after birth. The production of progesterone tends to dilate blood vessels, which can cause them to be more visible towards the skin’s surface. Another reason is that the expanding uterus causes immense pressure on the vein that carries blood from the legs and feet to the heart.
Varicose veins can produce uncomfortable symptoms like: burning, itching, restless legs, heaviness, dull aching, numbness, and fatigue. Because you cannot receive treatment during pregnancy, there might be a significant amount of time before you can relieve your painful symptoms. In order to keep your legs healthy during the nine months, here are a few ways you can reduce vein pain during pregnancy.
Depending on your stage of pregnancy, your doctor will usually recommend around 30 minutes of light exercises per day, which can help improve blood circulation. Walking, lunges, squats, and yoga are all excellent low-impact exercises that can get your blood pumping without stressing your legs and veins.
Elevating your feet above your heart makes it easier for your legs to pump blood upwards; this also relieves your legs of the pressure and weight from baby.
Staying within your recommended weight range for your stage of pregnancy helps alleviate symptoms by eliminating excess weight off your legs.
By avoiding tight-fitting clothing, including underwear, you can help improve circulation by allowing blood to flow freely. Wear comfortable clothing that allows your veins to breathe, both by your legs, and by your waist as well.
Compression stockings can reduce an elevated heart rate for both mom and baby by increasing pressure that causes blood to return to the heart rather than pooling in the lower extremities. Stockings can also alleviate swelling of the ankles and legs. You should consult your doctor if you are planning on wearing compression stockings of any kind.
After pregnancy, varicose veins can be treated in a variety of ways. Minimally invasive, outpatient treatments like endovenous laser therapy (EVLT) or sclerotherapy, can allow you to skip the hassle of an expensive hospital stay and long recovery period. It’s important to speak with a vein specialist in order to evaluate when you’ll be able to begin treatment. Some women, depending on their circumstances, may need to wait until they are finished breastfeeding, so that their body is healed and ready for a medical procedure.
EVLT involves a precise insertion of a very thin laser fiber into the diseased veins under ultrasound guidance, followed by an application of laser energy to heat and close the malfunctioning veins. Other healthy veins take over normal blood flow in the leg immediately. Over time, the treated veins are absorbed by the body. Depending on the number of diseased veins more than one procedure may be required. The EVLT procedure usually takes less than 15 minutes from the start of the procedure until it is completed. To prevent discomfort during the procedure we use a local anesthesia similarly to the one used in a dental office. Because of its minimally-invasive nature, you will be able to resume your normal activities immediately after EVLT treatment and even go back to work.
A tiny needle, with ultrasound guidance, is used to administer a series of injections that contain small amounts of a sterile solution (usually a salt solution) into the vein. The injected solution irritates the inner lining of the vein and causes the vein to swell and seal shut. Over time, the vein will gradually turn into scar tissue and disappear as it is reabsorbed into the surrounding local tissue. The other healthy veins in your leg will then take over the normal blood flow toward the heart. Although the same vein may require multiple injections over time, this injection procedure for each session can be performed in our clinic in less than 30 minutes.
To schedule an appointment, please contact USA Vein Clinics at (847) 897-5024 or visit www.usaveinclinics.com.
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