Are Varicose Veins Dangerous During Pregnancy?
During pregnancy, varicose veins can be uncomfortable and even a little painful. Are they dangerous? Discover how harmful they are and how you can prevent them from happening.
What Are Varicose Veins?
Veins that are normal and healthy run unnoticed beneath the skin all over your body. However, when veins are exposed to high pressure or become blocked, they might begin to expand and swell. The swelling pushes the veins against the skin’s surface, resulting in unattractive purplish lumps. When this occurs, the veins are no longer healthy and are classified as varicose veins.
Are Varicose Veins Dangerous During Pregnancy?
Varicose veins can be unattractive and annoying, but they are rarely dangerous. If you get them while pregnant, you may feel some pain, discomfort, and itching, but most of the time, no serious problems occur. While varicose veins are rarely harmful during pregnancy, there is a very small possibility that other, more serious complications will arise. Varicose veins can cause blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Can I Prevent Varicose Veins During Pregnancy?
There is no fail-proof strategy to prevent varicose veins during pregnancy. However, by adopting modest lifestyle adjustments, you can significantly minimize your likelihood of suffering with them. You can lower your risk of varicose veins during pregnancy by doing the following:
1. Maintain a healthy diet – satisfy your appetite with fruits and vegetables and avoid foods high in sodium.
2. Elevate your feet and legs to your feet.
3. Long periods of standing or sitting should be avoided. Instead, take a walking break every hour, or use foot flexing extensions to strengthen your calf muscles.
4. Exercise daily – walking is the simplest and best form.
5. Wear support stockings, especially during the 3rd trimester when most of the swelling and weight gain happens – this may be the most important recommendation.
6. Sleep on your left side to relieve the pressure of the gravid uterus on the inferior vena cava, the primary vein that returns blood from the lower body to the heart.
When Will Varicose Veins Go Away?
Varicose veins that appear during pregnancy may disappear many months after giving birth. However, this is not always the case. Varicose veins do not go away after pregnancy for some women. When this occurs, in-office treatments will relieve the pain and swelling caused by the veins. Dr. Ragu Murthy will go over the best treatment options for reducing the pain and discomfort caused by varicose veins with you. Vein treatments can be done as early as 6 weeks after giving birth.
When Should You See A Doctor For Varicose Veins During Pregnancy?
Even though most varicose vein problems that occur during pregnancy are harmless, there is still a small chance that complications will arise. To avoid difficulties in the future, make an appointment with Dr. Ragu Murthy as soon as you observe varicose veins developing. During your pregnancy, Dr. Murthy will monitor the health of your veins. Then, if other, more serious problems arise, such as deep vein thrombosis, you will have a doctor who can treat you right away.
If you are currently experiencing vein disease symptoms or have any questions, make an appointment with Dr. Ragu Murthy for expert vein care. Dr. Murthy at Well & You Vein and Vascular offers the most up-to-date and advanced vein therapies to help you maintain or improve your vein health. Dr. Murthy will take the time at your initial appointment to help you understand the underlying cause of your discomfort, discuss your treatment choices, and then walk you through every stage of your procedure and recovery.
Call our office today at (904) 895-5400. It would be our privilege to serve you.