Is there anything I should not do if I have varicose veins?

Nothing is completely forbidden but here are a few tips on things you should avoid or not do too much. These tips apply to spider veins as well as large varicose veins.

In general, sitting and standing are worse for your veins than lying and walking. If you have to sit for long periods, take time every now and then to put your feet up during the day and in the evening and move around in between times as often as possible. If your legs are particularly swollen, you should elevate your legs at night too. You can get vein cushions especially for this purpose or you can raise the foot of the bed by 3-5 cm. Compression stockings may help to prevent or relieve vein problems if you have to stand for long periods.

Take care with long hot baths or showers, prolonged sunbathing, and long sessions in the sauna. On the one hand, these activities may improve your sense of wellbeing but, on the other, the heat causes the veins to dilate, especially those lying superficially (close to the skin). If you already have dilated veins, they may become worse than before. It is therefore important to do things in moderation. At the end of any heat stress, rinse your legs with cold water. A cold shower or cold plunge automatically follows a sauna. The cold stimulates the veins to constrict again.

For the sake of your veins, too, you should avoid becoming overweight and eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fibre. Smoking, the Pill, and hormone replacement therapy may also encourage varicose disease.

Do not always wear high heels – keep them for special occasions. At work and during the day comfortable flat shoes are better for venous function.