Varicose veins present poor blood circulation in the body, but evidence suggests that women experience this condition more frequently than men throughout their life. When a woman goes through pregnancy, the sex hormones support the reproductive health of the woman and can impact the health of the veins. Another stage in their life where hormonal levels play a significant role in the health of the venous system is menopause.
Understanding how the veins are impacted from these different stages of life is crucial to understanding why women are more likely to have varicose veins than men. The following are the two sex hormones that women have and their impact on the body’s venous system:
This sex hormone is created when a woman goes through ovulation. Its purpose is to prepare and allow the body to become pregnant, and it also is meant to sustain a fetus. This preparation enables the fetus to develop in a pregnant woman’s body.
Because progesterone is highly present in a woman’s body when pregnant, this can lead to complications in the bloodstream. One study suggests that the presence of this hormone can cause formation of varicose veins. As stated in the article, progesterone levels “directly influence [venous] disease development through intracellular receptors.”
In other words, during pregnancy, the likelihood of developing varicose veins increases because of this rise in progesterone. If you or a loved one are pregnant, it is essential to speak with your doctor about the chances of developing varicose veins in your body.
As stated by Hormone Health Network, estrogen is a hormone in women that “is responsible for female physical features and reproduction.” The three types of estrogen are estrone, estradiol, and estriol. Depending on whether a woman experiences menopause or pregnancy, estrogen levels can fluctuate in the body.
During pregnancy, the levels of estrogen, like progesterone, increase. Their function is to sustain the fetus in the womb. Estrogen is crucial not only to the reproductive health of a woman but also to the venous system. Like progesterone, estrogen can pose a risk of varicose veins developing.
One study states that “high serum levels of estradiol are associated with clinical evidence of varicose veins.” It also suggests estrogen could also be a risk factor to impact the blood vessels during menopause negatively.
Research implies that both menopause and pregnancy are events where the chances for women obtaining varicose veins increases. The best way to know if you or your loved one could have this disease during menopause, it may be best to schedule an appointment with your physician for treating varicose veins.
There are many treatments for varicose veins. To name a few examples, sclerotherapy, an injection-based method, and laser treatment, a procedure in which light targets the vein, are used to treat this disease. Other options for treating varicose veins, depending on the severity of your veins, include endoscopic vein surgery, high litigation for vein stripping, and much more.
One of the best ways to ensure that varicose veins do not develop in the body is to exercise regularly. Another effective preventative measure is to avoid wearing tight-fitting clothes. Patients can keep their feet up and wear pantyhose to care for their legs as well. Also, avoid sitting or standing for very long periods of time. The most important thing is to make sure that circulation is maintained in the legs.
To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors at BASS Vein Center, you can call (925) 281-5912, and a member of our staff will kindly assist you! We look forward to hearing from you
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