According to The National Women’s Health Information Center,
as many as 60% of all American adults have some form of
varicose veins. Women, however, are more affected by 50%. By
the mid 50’s, 41% of women suffer from spider or varicose
veins.
Varicose veins appear when blood collects in a vein instead
of being pumped back to the heart. Any vein may become
varicose, but the veins most commonly affected are those in
the legs and feet. That’s because standing and walking
increase the pressure in the veins in your lower body.
Varicose veins develop in people who stand or sit for long
periods of time. Lack of exercise, pregnancy, being
overweight, prolonged constipation, and sitting with legs
crossed can compound the problem.
If varicose veins are not treated properly complications
such as swelling, restlessness, leg sores, itching, leg
cramps, feeling of heaviness in the legs and fatigue can
occur.
Surgical treatment is available but it’s always healthier
and less expensive to prevent, rather than treat most health
problems.
Prevention for varicose veins initially begins with the
wearing of support hosiery. But a healthy diet and
lifestyle can do wonders to avoid the occurrence of varicose
veins.
Eat a balanced diet low in fat and carbohydrates and include
lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Take vitamin C. Vitamin C helps strengthen blood vessel
walls.
Keep the diet high in fiber to prevent constipation.
Avoid sugar, fried foods, junk foods, tobacco, salt,
alcohol, processed and refined foods.
Exercise daily to maintain a healthy weight. Walking,
swimming and bicycling all promote good circulation.
Do not wear tight clothes which restrict blood flow.
At least once a day sit with the legs above the heart level
for 20 minutes to relieve symptoms.
Avoid standing or sitting for long periods of time.
Avoid crossing the legs when sitting.
Avoid heavy lifting and putting any unecessary pressure on
the legs.
Herbs, such as red clover and horse chestnut, are especially
helpful in maintaining healthy strong veins.
For more information visit:
http://www.apluswriting.net/health/varicose.htm
Copyright: 2005 Marilyn Pokorney
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By: Marilyn Pokorney
Posts Tagged ‘Health Information Center’
How to Prevent Varicose Veins
November 10th, 2009Women Caregivers Need Online Resources to Promote Personal Health and Wellness
November 5th, 2009
The National Women’s Health Information Center tells us that most Americans will be unpaid caregivers at some point in their lives. Over 20% of the U.S. population today offers caregiving support to a loved one. About 65% of these unpaid caregivers are women.
Women are the backbone of family caregiving in the United States. Many struggle under the burden of caregiving responsibilities. As informal caregivers, often with full-time jobs, they are impacted emotionally, physically, and financially. The strain is compounded by not knowing where to turn for personal support and assistance.
Check with the neighbors on your block. You will probably find at least one unpaid caregiver providing long-term support for a loved one. More than likely, the caregiver will be female. She may be caring for a child, spouse, relative, friend, or neighbor. Many will be caring for a parent focused on aging in place (staying in the home versus an assisted living facility).
Women caregivers provide key resources for maintaining quality of life for loved ones in their care. For many aging parents, staying in their home is considered priceless. When a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, wife, or friend is the caregiver, aging in place remains a viable option. The cost of assisted care is greatly reduced or nonexistent when family resources are utilized.
The impact of caregiving is both from a health and financial perspective. Statistics show that unpaid caregivers have higher stress levels and more chronic health conditions. Personal health can be impacted especially when caregiving responsibilities are not shared among family or supplemented with professional (paid) caregiving.
Women typically experience caregiving stress more often than their male counterparts. Almost three fourths reported feeling emotionally and physically impacted by caregiving responsibilities. They express guilt, isolation, and exhaustion from juggling career, family, and caring for a loved one.
As unpaid caregivers, women often pay a financial price. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance website, about one-third of working women decrease their work hours to accommodate caregiving demands. Others take a leave of absence, work part-time work, resign, or retire early. The long-term financial impact may be severe. These women may have fewer retirement funds and smaller social security payouts as a result.
It is important that resources are made available to women caregivers to share the workload. Technologies are emerging that can offer new ways of connecting to family and friends for distance caregiving and support. These include websites that track personal health, Internet forums that connect caregivers to each other, online tools for finding local resources, downloadable tip sheets, and much more. Here are some examples:
The National Women’s Health Information Center at womenshealth.gov offers information and resources for female caregivers. It is a federal clearinghouse providing a wealth of information and resources related to women’s health.
The Family Caregiver Alliance offers on its site a public forum for caregivers. It posts a variety of resources for caregivers. The organization plays an advocacy role that is key to gaining local, state, and federal support.
The National Family Caregivers Association website posts that it, “Educates, supports, empowers and speaks up for the more than 50 million Americans who care for loved ones with a chronic illness or disability or the frailties of old age.” The site connects family caregivers with others through its Pen Pal program. It also has an online story bank with stories from caregivers across the nation.
No woman should feel alone or overwhelmed in shouldering the burden of caregiving responsibilities. Individuals and organizations are joining forces to address this issue.
By: S. A. Becker