Could your job be putting you at risk for vein disease?
We spend a great deal of our waking life working. According to ABC News, Americans work more than anyone else in the industrialized world. U.S. Citizens work more than the English, the French and more than the Japanese. Americans also take less vacation days, work longer hours and retire later.
Whether you love going to work or you are doing it to simply pay the bills, your occupation could be contributing to vein disease. It’s important to know the factors in your life that are putting you at risk, especially if you have a genetic predisposition to varicose veins.
One of the main risk factors is prolonged standing and sitting. If you work in an office, you are highly susceptible to vein disease. Office workers sit at their desks all day with hardly an interruption. When sitting at length like this, the muscles in the legs aren’t used nearly as much; the muscles that regularly assist with pumping blood up the veins of the leg. This results in backwards blood flow and causes blood to pool in the legs, which leads to varicose veins. If you work in an office, try taking short walking breaks once or twice every hour to assist with circulation. Even a quick walk down the hall and back can get the blood in your legs pumping.
Nurses, cashiers and factory workers frequently spend their time on their feet. Nurses stand when they take vital signs, they stand while talking to patients, they rarely get a chance to put their feet up. Factory workers often stand at an assembly line and hair stylists stand behind their clients for many of the hours in their day. The problem with standing, is similar to the problem with sitting. Circulation slows and there is little muscular activity. Veins need muscle movement to properly pump blood. If you work in a job such as these, try flexing your calf muscles, or doing heel ups while standing in place. Muscle activity in the legs of any kind can help blood flow properly.
The Answer
Not everyone works in an active job where there is allowed constant movement, and not everyone wants to! The reality is, 1 in 10 American adults have varicose veins. What we can do is stay informed on the contributing factors of vein disease. We can take small steps daily to avoid the harsher symptoms of vein disease like leg fatigue, heaviness, cramping and leg ulcers. We recommend an active routine that allows movement in your leg muscles. If you are experiencing symptoms of vein disease, a physician’s opinion is wise to seek out. Dr. Sassan Kaveh of Alpha Vein Clinic can do a thorough evaluation, which includes a physical examination and an ultrasound screening of the legs, to tell you the stage of your vein disease and recommend treatment. Our clinic offers the latest in minimally invasive vein procedures to get you back to your regular activites faster than you may think. Call Alpha Vein Clinic today with any questions or concerns about your leg veins health!
Alpha Vein Clinic
Vein Clinic Las Vegas
3150 N. Tenaya Way Ste. 400
Las Vegas, NV, 89128
(702) 430 7661
Dr. Sassan Kaveh