Personal behaviors that help to avoid varicose veins

Don’t cross your legs.
This cuts off circulation.  Instead when you sit down, use a footstool to keep your fee level higher.

Don’t smoke.
This unhealthy habit narrows your blood vessels so blood has trouble moving through your body.

Don’t stand still for a long time.
You need to keep moving to keep your blood flowing better.

Improve your diet.
Load up on fiber and cut down on saturated fat, salt, and processed foods.  Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.  This will help head off constipation, which contributes to varicose veins.  Also, fiber, in fruits and vegetables provides vitamin C and E which help strengthen your circulatory system.

Exercise
Regular consistent movement helps to strengthen your blood vessels and their valves so that blood will move better.  Be careful not to overdo it if you have this condition.  Since many who have the condition are not exercisers, they must build up gradually.

Lose weight
Carrying extra weight is an extra risk for varicose veins.

Modify your bed
Raising the foot of your bed by about six inches helps keep the pressure off your veins at night.

Soak in hot and cold water.
Alternating between cold and hot constricts and dilates your blood vessels.  This gives them a workout.

Wear loose comfortable clothing
Tight clothes, especially garments that fit too snugly around your waist can obstruct circulation.

Wear support hose
Elastic pressure stockings offer relief from your calves to your thighs.  Put on early in the morning before blood gets a chance to pool in your lower legs.

Herbal aids

Apple cider vinegar wrap
Soak a cheesecloth bandage in apple cider vinegar and place it on your legs for about 30 minutes twice a day.  For best results, do this while lying down with your feet propped up.

Garlic
This “fragrant” bulk is a blood thinner.  It helps keep your blood from clumping or becoming too sticky.  One clove a day – about 4 grams of fresh garlic – should do the trick.  Since some people will complain about your fragrance if you eat fresh garlic, capsules may work.

Gingko biloba
This multipurpose herb also is said to help with blood flow, especially in the tiny capillaries that connect arteries to veins.  Take 120 to 160 mg two or three times a day.

Gotu kola
This ancient Ayurvedic herb, used for a range or problems, is said to improve blood flow while strengthening veins and capillaries.  Look for an extract that provides a daily dosage of 30 to60 mg triterpenic acids.

Grape seed extract
Like garlic, this extract improves blood flow and stop blood from clumping and clotting.  Some experts recommend 50 mg a day.

Horse chestnut seed extract
This is said to be the most effective herbal remedy for varicose veins.  Its secret is a substance called escin.  According to German experts, you should aim for 100 mg of escin a day.

According to Prevention Magazine the most common dosage of horse chestnut is 300 mg twice a day.  And be sure the herb is standardized to contain 50 mg escin per dose.

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