Varicose veins during pregnancy are common. Pregnant women usually develop varicose veins. They are enlarged veins that swell near the surface of the skin. Usually they are either colored blue or purple and show up in the veins as squiggly veins. The condition worsens as the female further goes on with her pregnancy. This is because as the uterus increases in size, more pressure is exerted on the large vein located at the right side of her body or at the inferior vena cava or IVC. This in turn increases pressure in the leg veins and results in varicose veins. The possibility of having varicose veins gets higher if this condition runs in the family.
When a woman is pregnant, the volume of blood flowing in her body increases which adds burden to her veins. She also has the possibility of having her progesterone levels increase which in turn causes the walls of the blood vessels to relax. The incidence of varicose veins worsens for each successive pregnancy and when she continues to age. Other reasons for pregnant women to be susceptible to varicose veins during pregnancy is the problem on being overweight, when carrying twins or more and when standing for a long period of time often.
However, varicose veins during pregnancy tend to improve after the female gives birth. This most likely happens in women who do not have traces of varicose veins before being pregnant. The chances of losing varicose veins after birth are significant but just in case varicose veins still appear after giving birth, a lot of treatment options are available. Natural remedies include exercising daily such as brisk walking, maintaining an ideal weight, raising your feet and legs whenever you can, avoiding crossing of legs or ankles when sitting as well as standing for long periods of time without shifting positions or moving.
Another favorable treatment for women who are pregnant or those who have just gone through pregnancy is the wearing of tights and stockings which prevent the pooling of blood in your legs. This kind of clothing should be worn before getting out of bed or in the morning for blood to have less chances of gathering in her legs. However, use of stockings may not be the remedy you may be expecting for your varicose veins but, at least, can reduce discomfort brought about by the varicose veins.