What can I do to prevent varicose veins and spider veins?

Although they can't always be prevented, you can reduce your chances of getting varicose and spider veins and ease the discomfort from the ones you already have:

A thorough medical evaluation will help determine the causes of your symptoms and a proper treatment plan.

• Exercise

Leg strength, circulation, and vein strength will improve. You can discuss with your doctor the other benefits of exercise, but it certainly leads to improved circulation.

• Controlling your weight can avoid placing too much pressure on your legs.

Overeating and obesity is associated with several health concerns, not the least of which is circulation. Weight loss can help with the symptoms of varicose veins.

• Don't cross your legs when sitting.

Crossing your legs may be a habit, and convey modesty. But this position can impede blood flow. So while short periods of leg crossing is fine, prolonged leg crossing may lead to problems.

• Elevate your legs if they ache from sitting or standing.

Because the leg veins rely on one-way valves, simply elevating your legs will reduce the back pressure that has occurred during the day. If your legs ache, and time as well as situation allow prop your legs up for a few minutes.

• Avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time.

It is not the actual activity of sitting or standing that leads to vein distress, it is the lack of walking. Your legs fill up with blood, from your heart. The action of weight bearing and calf muscle activity account for about 75% of leg vein emptying. So pumping your calves by walking decreases the vein blood pressure in your legs, and help with leg circulation.

• Wear support stockings and avoid tight clothing around the waist and groin.

Support stockings apply the greatest pressure at the foot, then the calf, less at the knee, less at the thigh, and so on. This helps with one-way blood flow back to the heart. Constrictive waist, abdomen or chest clothing can make that work in reverse, and increase the difficulty of returning blood to the heart.

• Select sensible shoes.

Not a huge factor, but if you find that your legs ache in heels, it is best to limit their use. High heels shoes may prevent the pumping action of the calf and be a contributing factor.