Moving enough and staying at your ideal weight can go a long way in keeping varicose veins at bay. Many factors can increase your risk for varicose veins. The most important of these are heredity (having a family history of vein disease), age (being over 50), gender (women are more at risk than men), pregnancy, and being overweight or obese. But did you know that one of the things that can greatly increase your risk of developing varicose veins is your JOB?
Clinical studies have found that if you work in one of the following professions, you have a much higher varicose vein risk than those who work in other types of jobs:
- Restaurant workers (hostesses, waiters, cook staff)
- Flight attendants
- Teachers
- Office and computer workers
- Commercial drivers (truckers, cab drivers, etc.)
- Nurses, doctors, and health care workers
- Factory workers
- Cashiers and retail workers
- Hair stylists and barbers
A teacher by profession started experiencing aches and cramps in her legs. Her legs would also turn heavy and sore. After taking one or two classes, her ankles and feet would swell up too. She related these things to her recent menopause and dismissed them at first, believing time would be the healer. But that was not to be. Prominent dark purple vessels came to be visible on her thighs and calves.
Suspecting that it could be varicose veins, she consulted her physician, who confirmed that indeed it was and complimented her for presenting herself early for diagnosis and treatment. She was taught basic self-care and advised follow-ups.
But not everyone can stop at this.
The primary job-related characteristic that increases varicose veins risk is lack of movement. This includes jobs like the first 7 in the above list that requires you to stand all day, but it also includes jobs like the last two that require you to sit all day. Either standing or sitting for a long time increases your risk for varicose veins. This is because staying in one position for a long time forces your veins to work harder to pump blood to your heart.