Introduction to Vein Health
Every day, 60,000 miles of tiny blood vessels called veins pump 1,900 gallons of blood from the outer parts of your body to your heart. The valves in your veins control blood flow and pressure by opening and closing as blood is pumped through your body.
In healthy leg veins, blood flows up your leg toward your heart. One-way valves prevent blood from flowing backwards in the veins and pooling in your legs. Venous disease occurs when the valves in the veins become weak or damaged. When your valves “leak” and blood pools in your leg veins, pressure starts building and results in symptoms of vein disease.
Symptoms
Symptoms of venous disease include —
- varicose veins
- spider veins
- leg pain
- achy legs
- throbbing
- burning
- numbness
- cramping
- swelling
Causes
Contributing factors to valve and vein dysfunction include—
- Clots that block blood flow. Clots often cause permanent valve damage in veins even after the clot has dissolved.
- Poor circulation. When you stand or sit for prolonged periods of time, blood does not get effectively moved out of your legs. This leads to increased pressure in your veins and pooling of blood.
- Leg injury or trauma.
- Pregnancy. During pregnancy, pressure in your veins increase due to an increase in blood circulation volume for the fetus. Additionally, hormonal changes affect the elasticity of your vein walls, causing veins to stretch.
- Obesity. Increased adipose tissue impedes your muscles’ ability to compress vein walls, thereby increasing pressure.
- Heredity. Some people are predisposed to weakened vein walls.
Prevention
Prevention plays an important role in reducing your risk for developing venous disease. Like any disease, venous disorders are most treatable in its earliest stages. Some basic leg health strategies include—
- Avoid long periods of standing or sitting. If you are taking a long trip or are required to sit for a long period of time, flex and extend your legs frequently to increase blood flow. If you are standing for long periods of time, take frequent breaks to sit down and elevate your legs and feet.
- Exercise regularly. Walking, swimming, and other aerobic activity can improve your circulation by stimulating your vein walls. In addition, losing weight through healthy exercise helps decrease pressure on your vein walls.
- Wear Salvere compression socks and stockings for medically-proven graduated compression therapy.
About Salvere Graduated Compression Therapy
Salvere graduated compression socks and stockings are medically designed with tightest pressure at the ankles. The pressure gradually becomes less constrictive toward the knees and thighs. This graduated pressure squeezes the muscles and tissues around vein walls; the squeezing motion increases circulation in the legs, thereby reducing swelling and relieving tired, achy legs. Salvere graduated compression hosiery prevents and treats venous disorders such as varicose veins, venous ulcers, and deep vein thrombosis.
Compression hosiery should not be worn if you have any of the following conditions—
- Advanced arterial leg disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Untreated septic phlebitis of leg
Compression hosiery should be worn with caution for the following conditions—
- Skin infections
- Immobility
- Weeping dermatosis
- Insensitivity of the limb
- Peripheral artery disease