As the nights draw in and the temperature plummets, most of switch into hibernation mode. The urge to get cozy is strong during the winter months—we like to wrap ourselves in blankets, stay indoors and snuggle up on the sofa while the winds howl and the snows fall. It’s easy to think that attending to your health issues, including your varicose veins, should wait for the enthusiasm and energy of spring.
Wrong
There are several reasons why winter is absolutely the perfect season to get your varicose veins treated; it’s really a logical choice when you think about it.
Varicose Veins Can Worsen During Winter
Physicians agree that varicose vein problems often get worse in the winter. It’s a period of inactivity for many of us, and we tend to play fewer sports and generally move around less while the weather is cold. This lack of exercise contributes to varicose vein development and growth.
Meanwhile, as we’re enjoying our indoor lifestyle, we’re pretty sedentary—and there are those fabulous holiday feasts to consider, too. The average man or woman tends to put on some weight over winter, and that too is a contributing factor for the worsening of varicose veins. Furthermore, the uptick in sodium intake can increase the amount of water your body retains, causing further swelling of your vasculature.
Since recovering elasticity in your veins is not a simple process, it makes sense, then, to think about getting your varicose veins treated before they get any worse.
Compression Stockings: Warming You Up
You’ll need to wear compression stockings for a while before your varicose vein treatment, and while you recover. These stockings offer a boost to your circulation by putting gentle pressure on the blood vessels in your calves and ankles. Although compression stockings have come a long way from the frumpy, uncomfortable stockings of the past, they’re still not exactly a must-have fashion item. Then again, in winter, who cares? Nobody will see them under your winter clothing. Ideal.
If it gets really cold where you live, you might even welcome the compression stockings as an extra layer of warmth around your legs—far better to get that bit over and done with now rather than having to wear them during the hot and sticky summer months.
Your Best Legs for Summer
Most people find that the physical irritations of varicose veins—the itching, and the heavy legs, for example—disappear fairly quickly following treatment. However, cosmetically, things can take a little longer; it can take a few months for your legs to look better, even though they may feel better immediately.
Again, winter clothing is your friend here. You can hide your recovering legs under your winter attire, safe in the knowledge that by the time spring arrives and your legs come out of hibernation, they’ll be looking fabulous.
New Year, New Resolutions
A final reason why winter is the best time to seek varicose vein treatment is provided by the New Year, with all the energy, motivation and enthusiasm that brings us.
You’re much more likely to feel motivated to get fit, exercise more and begin a healthy eating plan during the New Year period, and this will help your varicose vein treatment recovery no end. The inverse is also true, since feeling more comfortable in how your legs look will get you sporting that cute workout attire you’ve always had your eye on. This, in turn, will boost your motivation, further aiding your physical improvement.
So, if your varicose veins are bothering you, don’t wait any longer: look into treatment now. Instead of suffering through another long summer with unsightly legs and tight-fitting support stockings, you’ll be flashing the summer legs you always wanted, and you’ll be free to enjoy the sunshine without a care in the world.
