Varicose Veins & Cold Weather: What You Should Know
As the crisp desert air envelops El Paso this fall and winter, our bodies will change to adapt. We often think about a runny nose or shivering as physical signs of the cold, but many more changes take place beneath the surface. Some of these changes affect the function of the veins in particular.
If you have varicose veins or spider veins, you may be unaware of how your veins change in the winter season. In this blog, we’ll discuss how the winter months may affect your vein health!
As always, choose Professional Radiology as your go-to vein clinic. Call us today to schedule an appointment: (915) 225-2480. With us, you’ll only need to schedule one appointment for diagnosis and vein mapping. Other centers make clients go twice for each one of these, but Professional Radiology is here to make everything run as smoothly as possible. Additionally, we are taking all the necessary COVID-19 safety precautions to make your visit as stress-free as possible.
Varicose & Spider Veins: A Quick Crash Course
Varicose veins are swollen, large, and raised blood vessels that can be seen through the skin. They appear in a twisting and turning motion that are visible.
Spider veins are smaller blue, red, and purple vessels that are otherwise very similar to varicose veins. They appear on both the legs and face, while varicose veins typically appear on the legs.
These conditions can be caused by any number of influences. Obesity, heredity, and occupation are three common reasons for varicose or spider veins to appear. A vein specialist could help you learn more about your veins and healthy habits to maintain.
Effects Of Cold Weather
Less Movement
During the holiday season, we tend to move around the least. Who can blame us—it’s chilly, and our bodies prefer a nice, warm climate on average. While staying cozy during the winter may be appealing, it isn’t great for our veins. When we aren’t moving for long periods, it can affect the way that our veins look and feel.
Air Temp Changes
On top of our behavior changing during the holidays, the actual air itself affects our bodies. When the air temperature drops, our vein will change in function. However, it can actually be a positive change for some. Normally, varicose veins cause blood flow to the heart to diminish, but the cold weather can actually tighten our veins and improve blood flow.
On the other hand, while cold weather may improve the look of your veins, it may diminish their performance. Cold air does somewhat help varicose and spider veins, you probably shouldn’t stop your current vein treatment. So, cold weather is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of vein health.
Weight Gain
The air temperature dropping could potentially be good for your veins. Great! But there’s another big problem: people tend to gain weight during this time of year too. Why? The holiday festivities, fattening food, and aforementioned cold weather making people stay indoors all combine to make nationwide weight gain.
As you probably already know, excess weight exacerbates spider and varicose veins. The fall and winter seasons are primed for people to develop the conditions for varicose and spider veins.
How to Protect Your Veins In The Fall
So the cold does affect our veins in a few ways. But should you adjust the way that you deal with your veins during this time? Well, it’s complicated.
Keep Moving
One easy way to make life easier on your veins is to simply keep moving. Improving circulation in your veins is a great way to reduce their appearance. You don’t have to over-complicate this step either. Simply walking around, light stretching, and yoga could all help your vascular health.
Watch Your Holiday Diet
We know how tempting it is to indulge in your favorite holiday sweets. But those Christmas cookies won’t be helping your veins much. Refined carbohydrates and sugar will cause an insulin response and worsen your vein health. If you are more sedentary during the holidays, the damage could compound.
In addition to watching your food intake, you’ll want to ensure that you drink plenty of water too. Water intake tends to drop in the winter with less perspiration, but too little water can harm blood production and circulation.
By all means, enjoy the holiday food. Don’t let our blog stop you from enjoying your favorite festive snacks. Simply try to keep an eye on your intake and moderate it when needed.
Visit A Vein Specialist
While we can give general recommendations in a blog, the truth is that everyone is different. A plethora of variables influence how one person’s body will react to the cold, so it’s important that you speak with a specialist who knows your physiology.
Choose Professional Radiology For Your Vein Treatment!
As the temperature continues to drop, Professional Radiology is committed to serving our vein clients in El Paso. For specialized imaging and treatment expertise, call our clinic or visit our website for more information!