Vein Care: Risks of A Sedentary Life
Author: StrideCare Internal Team
Do You Have Any of These Symptoms?
These symptoms may come and go, or become more constant as they worsen:
- Swollen feet and ankles
- Throbbing, heavy, and achy legs
- Restless legs, especially at night
- Cramping
- Chronic pelvic pain
- Painful or unsightly varicose veins and spider veins
- Blood clots
An average of one in every three adults over the age of 45 develops some form of vein disease. If you are leading a sedentary life, experiencing symptoms like the ones above, and want to improve your vein care, it is critical that you visit an expert medical professional soon.
How Much Time Do You Spend Sitting Each Day?
This is a difficult question for many people to answer, mostly because we don’t think about it. But if you took a moment to track your sitting time, you might be surprised at the number. Though data fluctuates depending on who you ask, most research suggests that Americans sit almost 10 hours each day on average. This isn’t because we are lazy. Rather, we hold jobs that lead to physical inactivity. This includes writers like John, receptionists, dispatchers, bookkeepers, CPAs, customer service reps, finance jobs, and more. Many of us also have longer commutes to our jobs with increased transportation time.
That means we are spending almost half the day sitting. This is a big deal, particularly when it comes to vein care. Our veins play a vital role in blood circulation and providing pathways for blood to travel through our bodies and reach essential organs such as our heart. As we age, sometimes our veins don’t work as well as they should. Sitting around too much each day only makes it harder for our veins to function properly.
- Varicose Veins and Spider Veins — Varicose veins and spider veins are a cosmetic condition for many patients, but sometimes these twisted, bulging veins can lead to intense pain and discomfort.
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) — This condition is characterized by aching, throbbing, tightness, itching, and pulling. Many patients even describe the sensation like bugs are crawling under their skin, and it’s worse when inactive. Approximately 1 in 10 adults suffer from RLS, and it is found more often in women than men.
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency — This occurs when a patient has broken vein valves that don’t hold a seal. As a result, blood pressure builds up in the lower legs and causes a pooling of blood that leads to swelling and skin changes.
- Chronic Pelvic Pain — This is a disabling, chronic, persistent pain within the pelvis of women. There could be a variety of reasons for this condition, but one is pelvic varicose veins.
- Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) — DVT is a blood clot inside one of the veins deep within your body, often in the thighs or legs. Swollen legs and feet, foot or leg pain, and burning sensations in the feet are all symptoms.
How To Prevent Vein Issues if You Have a Sedentary Life
Even if your job forces you to be more sedentary than you’d prefer, there are ways to break the cycle and incorporate moderate to heavier activity into your daily routine. Simply changing a few bad habits can improve vein health.
Exercise at your desk
- Exercise — For adults, the American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and to increase the amount and intensity of those exercises gradually over time.
- Stretch often — Lightly stretching your muscles, especially those in your legs, feet, and calves, after any exercise activity or during times where you are sitting for extended periods improves circulation and increases flexibility.
- Get up and walk around every 30 minutes — Limit sitting at your office desk to 30-minute intervals. This can be as simple as taking a break to go to the bathroom, grab a glass of water, or stand up and stretch for a few minutes.
- Elevate your feet — When possible, elevate your feet so that they are above your heart. Also, wiggle your toes and avoid crossing your legs for an extended period.
- Change your workstation — Standing will lower the risks of developing a variety of diseases, as well as lower the risk of early death. There are a variety of mobile and standing desk solutions that allow you to stay productive without having to be sedentary or sit for too long.
- Stay more active at home — Coming straight from work to lounging on the couch only adds to a sedentary life and the possibility of vein issues. Staying on top of chores, getting up to move around during commercial breaks, spend time standing while cooking, and doing some gardening are all easy ways to keep blood circulating.
- Take the stairs — Skip the elevator and take the stairs, whether at work or while out shopping.
- Wear compression stockings — If lengthy bouts of inactivity are simply unavoidable, compression stockings are a great way to encourage healthy blood flow until you can get up and move around more.
StrideCare Helps with Vein Issues Caused by a Sedentary Life
Are you concerned about your vein care? Are you leading a sedentary lifestyle and now find yourself suffering from a variety of new health conditions? StrideCare can help. Our expert doctors and caring staff utilize the latest technologies and minimally invasive procedures to help our patients with a variety of vein diseases.
The vascular physicians at StrideCare are board-certified diagnostic radiologists with additional fellowship training in vascular and interventional radiology. They utilize the latest technologies and minimally invasive procedures to help our patients with a variety of vein and artery diseases.
Prior to starting any new treatment or questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
StrideCare serves the South Texas area including Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Round Rock, Bastrop, Brushy Creek, Cedar Park, Converse, Georgetown, Hutto, Kyle, Leander, Marble Falls, New Braunfels, Pasadena, Pearland, Pflugerville, San Marcos, Schertz, Houston, Sugar Land, Katy, Webster, Bay City, Clear Lake, Lake Jackson, The Woodlands, Universal City, Spring, Kingwood, Stafford, Conroe, Texas City, Cypress, League City, Bellaire, and more.
