What not to do with varicose veins?

If the veins are dilated, there are contraindications for varicose veins in the legs. You should change your lifestyle and give up bad habits, saunas, strenuous physical activity and hormonal contraceptives. It is recommended to choose suitable shoes and follow dietary habits. Certain types of massage, waxing and tattooing are also prohibited.

What are the contraindications?

drinking and smoking

Complications of varicose veins in the legs due to bad habits pose a threat to life.

For varicose veins, alcohol is strictly prohibited. Once in the body, alcohol first produces vasodilation, increasing blood flow to the legs. Vasospasm then occurs, causing blood to stagnate. Additionally, with varicose veins, the blood vessel walls become weaker and thinner, so there is a risk of vein rupture and bleeding. Nicotine also helps blood vessels constrict and form blood clots.

taking hormonal contraceptives

The use of hormonal contraceptives can cause progesterone levels to increase in women, causing veins to dilate. As a result, the function of the venous valves is destroyed, blood outflow worsens, and the tension of the blood vessel walls decreases. Hormonal contraceptives also increase plasma viscosity, leading to thrombosis.

sports activities

If you have varicose veins, you should not participate in strength sports because lifting weights causes a lot of blood to flow to the lower limbs. Track and field, gymnastics, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and football are also banned. These sports are also extremely traumatic. Injury is always accompanied by swelling and poor circulation, which can negatively affect the dilated veins. Hiking and swimming are recommended. This helps strengthen blood vessels and muscles and normalizes lymph flow.

Visit to bathhouses and saunas

Exposure of varicose veins in the lower limbs to high temperatures can be harmful. Hot water and steam help dilate the blood vessels as the amount of blood entering them increases. Redistribution of load occurs when healthy veins take over the functions of the affected vessels. This leads to the formation of varicose veins in the deep veins. Visit a bathhouse only after consulting a doctor in the early stages of the disease. A trip to the sauna should be replaced by a visit to the infrared cabin.

diet

For varicose veins, dietary modifications are recommended. To thin your blood, you should drink 1. 5-2 liters of clean water every day. The foods you can and cannot eat are as shown in the table below:

allow	prohibit
Lean meat and fish Fresh vegetables, fruits, berries (especially cherries, blueberries, cherries) oatmeal Low-fat dairy or cultured dairy products dried fruit Eggs: steamed omelet or hard-boiled eggs watercress beet ginger	Fatty meat and fish Potatoes (limited quantity) spaghetti hot spices bake store bought candy Pickled and fried foods canned food sweet sparkling water

lifestyle

In order to live a normal life with varicose veins in the legs, you should give up a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of physical activity worsens circulation and leads to obesity. Recommended daily, feasible exercises to improve blood flow and strengthen muscles:

• rotational movement of the foot;
• Roll from heel to toe;
• Lift your legs and extend your toes;
• Roll a ball or stick placed under your feet.

If you have varicose veins, it is strictly forbidden to sit cross-legged. It is recommended that people with varicose veins sleep on their backs with a bolster or hard pillow under their feet to slightly elevate their lower limbs. This will improve blood flow during sleep. It is forbidden to wear jewelry on the legs that compresses blood vessels.

Choose shoes

If you have venous inflammation, you should avoid wearing tight, uncomfortable high heels. Wearing such shoes can impair the blood supply to the lower extremities, causing undue load on the legs and causing cramps. You need to choose shoes for varicose veins correctly, follow these recommendations:

• The naturalness of the material. This ensures good ventilation so feet don't sweat and swelling doesn't occur.
• appearance. The sole must be stable, stiff and anatomically correct. The heel is wider and not more than 4 cm high.
• Adjustable buckle. It’s best to choose shoes with laces or Velcro straps that won’t pinch your feet.

Massage treatment

If you have varicose veins, you cannot have roller massage, vacuum massage or anti-cellulite massage.This type of surgery involves pressure, tapping, and pinching, which can cause injury to the veins and the formation of blood clots.Swelling is best removed by gentle stroking movements from the feet upwards. You can use a special vibrating massager or have a hydromassage. These surgeries improve circulation, strengthen blood vessel walls, and fill tissues with oxygen.

plastic surgery

Taking care of varicose veins in the legs is very important. However, you should avoid the following procedures:

• tattoo;
• Use wax to remove hair;
• add sugar;
• Use beauty equipment to remove hair.

This type of surgery is performed using a heating device, which can damage blood vessels and cause blood to flow to the lower limbs. Tattooing does not solve aesthetic problems and may cause the appearance of new areas of affected veins. You can mask varicose vein nodes with the help of sclerotherapy performed by a phlebologist. When caring for the skin on your legs, it’s best to use a laser hair removal service or a regular razor.