Pregnant women are a large population of those who experience varicose veins, and 70% of pregnant women will suffer from venous insufficiency. The hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy can affect your veins, so do not be alarmed if it also happens to you.
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that are typically found on the legs. It takes a lot of effort for veins to fight gravity and circulate blood from the legs to the heart, and sometimes, vein valves get weak and start malfunctioning. When this happens, blood can pull in the lower extremities, thus causing veins to bulge out of the skin.
Potential causes for varicose veins during pregnancy:
- Progesterone increase – Progesterone is vital for healthy, successful pregnancies, and this hormone is increased in the body once you become pregnant. This increase can cause veins to relax, thus making it more difficult for blood to circulate as it should. Blood buildup increases pressure in the veins, thus causing venous insufficiency.
- More blood– When you become pregnant, the amount of blood in your body increases. This increased amount of blood puts more strain on veins and their valves, therefore causing vein issues.
- Pressure from the uterus– As your baby grows, pressure is put on the uterus, and therefore on the other surrounding organs as well. The blood vessels in the body can become pressured as well, and blood may begin having a hard time moving up from the lower extremities to the heart.
These reasons explain why blood sometimes gets trapped in the legs. It is particularly common in pregnant women because of the struggles faced and efforts made by their legs during a time of immense changes in the body. These changes usually go back to normal after pregnancy, and so do veins.
Contact our office at 615.716.VEIN to schedule an appointment today.
