If you suffer from varicose veins, you come under 20% of the American population with the condition. Therefore, it is common and usually not something to worry about. It is treatable via various home remedies and medical interventions. While varicose veins can occur in any part of your body, they are more common in your legs. 

There are various risk factors for varicose veins, and many people wonder whether smoking is one. Smoking has many adverse effects on the human body and also plays a role in developing varicose veins. While you may not notice the changes immediately, they do become visible after some time. Consult with varicose veins Weston expert to explore your treatment options. 

Do varicose veins have any relation to smoking?

Smoking is thought to worsen the condition if you already have varicose veins. Cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful chemicals that can damage the veins and the walls, which is the very cause of bulging veins in the legs. Smoking also reduces blood flow and prevents blood from flowing smoothly from your legs to the heart. This causes blood to pool in the veins and cause varicose veins. 

Older women are at a greater risk. 

Women over the age of 45 with a family history of varicose veins have a higher risk of developing the problem if they smoke over 19 cigarettes a day. While smoking is bad at any age and for all genders, older women reported experiencing more symptoms than men and women of other ages. The symptoms may include pain, numbness, discoloration, heaviness, and ulceration. 

How to protect your veins from the effects of smoking?

The simple answer to this question is by quitting smoking. The only way to protect your health and veins from the adverse effects of smoking is by quitting completely or at least cutting down on the number of cigarettes daily. 

Many people think they are too late to reverse the effects because they have been smoking all their lives. But when you stop, your coronary disease and cancer risk drop dramatically. 

Besides that, exercise and a healthy diet can improve your vascular health. If smoking has already done some damage to your veins, it may be treatable through treatments like sclerotherapy, laser treatment, catheter-based procedures, etc. 

It is understandable that quitting smoking can be a challenge for someone who has been doing it non-stop for years, but there are various resources available to help individuals quit. You can try nicotine replacement therapy, medications, and counseling services. It may seem like a lot of work, but the effort is worth the results.