Dr. Cristina Puigdellivol. Vascular Surgery Physician
I am Dr. Cristina Puigdellívol, a specialist in vascular and endovascular surgery and angiology.
You can find me at Clínica Sagrada Familia (Consultorio 8, Telf. 935661265) and on Instagram @vascularbarcelona.
“Doctor, my legs feel very tired and heavy I also think that I have more and more varicose veins in my legs and they swell a lot, I'm even afraid that I don't have some kind of thrombus in my legs.
This is one of the most common examples of questions that I come across in my practice every day. The purpose of this blog is to tell you what this "Tired Legs” , why it occurs and above all how we can solve it. So if you have 5 minutes, continue reading and I am sure that I will clarify many doubts!
Technically, tired legs are one of the most common symptoms of Chronic Venous Insufficiency. This vascular disease is caused by the difficulty that the blood has in some people in its return circuit.
When blood leaves the heart it circulates through the arteries at sufficient pressure to reach all parts of our body and also reaches the feet helped by the force of gravity. The return to the heart is through the veins and the process is not so easy. The blood circulates through the veins against gravity and must also overcome the weight of our body.
In some people, this return occurs slowly and with difficulty and this makes the veins dilate because they accumulate too much blood causing a feeling of heaviness, swelling, tired legs and later the appearance of spider veins and varicose veins.
¿And what predisposes us to have tired legs??
There are many factors that influence the appearance of this pathology. The most common ones that can affect the majority of the population at some point in their life are:
- Genetics: It is one of the pathologies with the highest heritability index. If your relatives have varicose veins, you are very likely to inherit them.
- Sex: It is more frequent in women because hormonal factors and estrogen peaks that occur in pregnancy, menopause, hormonal treatments such as contraceptives, etc. influence.
- sedentary lifestyle: If we don't move, the venous circulation has even more difficulty in transporting blood to the heart. It is convenient to walk and play sports on a regular basis.
- Varicose veins and varicose veins: They are the result of poor venous return. If the blood does not circulate, the veins dilate and this increases the symptoms of heaviness and tiredness.
- Balance diet : Doctors always recommend a balanced diet, both to maintain good skin and to maintain a correct state of your circulation. Being overweight directly affects us by hindering venous return. Also alcohol and tobacco are always harmful to health, and more so if you suffer from tired legs.
- Personal and work habits: Hormonal changes (pregnancy, weight changes...), type of work (many hours sitting in an office or standing in a restaurant), stress, etc. will also affect your legs being swollen and heavy..
5 tips to improve the health of your tired legs and your varicose veins.
If you have already come this far, it is because the topic interests you and I appreciate you dedicating part of your time to learning one of the topics that I am passionate about. And now perhaps the most important thing; and it is what surely interests you the most; can be treated?
The answer is YES, we can treat it and help you improve your quality of life. Obviously, each case must be evaluated individually and a good study of the venous circulation with Doppler ultrasound should be carried out, but the following tips can help you in your day-to-day life in a comfortable and easy way.
- Avoid sitting for more than 2 hours (especially in hot seasons). If you work in an office and spend a lot of time sitting down, take a break every 2 hours, even if it's just to get a glass of water and exercise your legs and circulation for 5 minutes.
- Avoid standing for more than 2 hours. Take a break and move around or rest for a while sitting.
- I also recommend the use of compression stockings especially in jobs that involve many hours standing or sitting. They will help you prevent your veins from becoming overloaded and will greatly improve your symptoms. You can find them in pharmacies and orthopedics.
- Get regular exercise
- Perform a daily leg massage with a suitable gel to treat this pathology. I recommend the cold gelLEGMASfrom Masderm, being a cold gel, will give you a feeling of rest and your legs will reduce inflammation. It is very pleasant to the skin with a fresh and cleansing scent, and most importantly; with proven efficacy and immediate relief. You should always perform a massage from the bottom up, favoring the venous return to the heart and then spend a few minutes with your legs up.
One last tip......
And as a last piece of advice, and no less important for that, I remind you that drinking a minimum of 1 liter of water per day, Exercising 30 minutes a day, eating a balanced diet and living a healthy lifestyle will undoubtedly help you improve your tired legs and the feeling of swelling.
