If the veins are varicose, there are contraindications for varicose veins on the legs. You need to change your lifestyle, give up bad habits, the sauna, heavy physical activity and hormonal contraceptives. It is recommended to choose the right shoes and follow a diet. Certain types of massages, waxing and tattooing are also prohibited.
What are the contraindications?
Alcohol and smoking
Complications with varicose veins of the legs due to bad habits are life-threatening.
With varicose veins, alcoholic beverages are strictly contraindicated. Once in the body, alcohol first has a vasodilating effect, increasing blood flow to the legs. Then vasospasm occurs, which provokes blood stagnation. In addition, with varicose veins, the vessel walls are weakened and thinned, so there is a risk of the veins rupturing and bleeding. Nicotine also contributes to vasoconstriction and blood clot formation.
Taking hormonal contraceptives
The use of hormonal contraceptives provokes high levels of progesterone in women, which contributes to the expansion of veins. As a result, the functioning of the venous valves is disturbed, the outflow of blood worsens and the tone of the vascular walls decreases. Hormonal contraceptives also increase the viscosity of blood plasma, which leads to the formation of blood clots.
Sports activities
If you have varicose veins, it is contraindicated to engage in strength sports, since there is a large blood flow to the lower extremities when lifting weights. Athletics, gymnastics, freestyle skiing, snowboarding and football are also prohibited. These sports are also highly traumatic. Injuries are always accompanied by swelling and poor blood circulation, which negatively affects varicose veins. Hiking and swimming are recommended. This helps to strengthen blood vessels and muscles and normalize lymphatic drainage.
Bath and sauna visit
Exposure to high temperatures in varicose veins of the lower extremities can be harmful. Hot water and steam help dilate the blood vessels as the volume of blood entering them increases. Redistribution of the load occurs when healthy veins take over the function of the affected vessels. This leads to the formation of varicose veins in the deep veins. You can visit the bath only in the initial stage of the disease after consulting a doctor. A trip to the sauna should be replaced by a visit to an infrared cabin.
Diet
With varicose veins, it is recommended to adjust your diet. To dilute the blood, you should drink 1. 5-2 liters of clean water per day. What you can and cannot eat is shown in the table:
| Allowed | Forbidden |
|---|---|
|
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Lifestyle
To live normally with varicose veins on the legs, you need to give up a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of physical activity worsens blood circulation and contributes to obesity. It is recommended that you do doable exercises daily that improve blood flow and strengthen muscles:
- rotational leg movements;
- heel-to-toe roll;
- raising the leg with an extended toe;
- rolling a ball or stick placed under the feet.
If you have varicose veins, it is strictly forbidden to sit with your legs crossed. It is recommended to sleep with varicose veins on your back, placing a pad or firm pillow under your feet so that the lower limbs are slightly elevated. This will improve blood flow during sleep. It is forbidden to wear accessories on the legs that press the blood vessels.
Choice of shoes
If you have varicose veins, you should avoid tight, uncomfortable high-heeled shoes. Wearing such shoes disrupts the blood supply to the lower limbs, contributes to incorrect loading of the legs and provokes cramps. You need to choose the right shoes for varicose veins, adhering to the following recommendations:
- Naturalness of the materials. This provides good ventilation so that the feet do not sweat and swelling does not occur.
- Appearance. The sole must be stable, firm and anatomically correct. The current is wide, no more than 4 cm.
- Adjustable clasp. It is better to choose shoes with laces or velcro that do not squeeze your feet.
Massage sessions
If you have varicose veins, you cannot do roller, vacuum or anti-cellulite massage.Such procedures are accompanied by pressing, tapping and pinching, which can lead to injury to the veins and the formation of blood clots.It is better to remove the swelling with light stroking movements from the leg up. You can use a special vibrating massager or undergo hydromassage sessions. Such procedures improve blood circulation, strengthen the walls of blood vessels and saturate tissues with oxygen.
Cosmetic treatments
Taking care of your legs with varicose veins is very important. However, you should avoid procedures such as:
- tattoo;
- waxing;
- sugaring;
- hair removal using cosmetic tools.
Such procedures are performed with heated devices that injure blood vessels and cause a rush of blood to the lower extremities. Tattooing does not solve aesthetic problems and can provoke the appearance of new affected areas of veins. You can cover up enlarged nodes with the help of sclerotherapy performed by a phlebologist. When taking care of the skin of your legs, it is better to use laser hair removal services or a regular razor.