Can Crossing Your Legs Cause Varicose Veins?
There’s lots of misinformation out there about varicose veins and what causes them. A common myth is that crossing your legs is a leading cause of those bulging veins. This myth became so widespread that in 1999, a company that made dietary supplements started a campaign -- the "Great American Cross-Out" -- to stop women from crossing their legs.
Like many other varicose vein misconceptions, this myth is mostly false. There are various factors that can increase your chances of developing varicose veins - but crossing your legs is not one of them.
What Does Cause Varicose Veins?
Varicose veins develop for a variety of reasons. The two most important contributors to varicose veins are heredity and hormones. Varicose veins run in families. Veins are affected by the female hormone estrogen, which explains why most patients with varicose veins are women. Standing for long periods of time is also a factor.
A vein becomes varicose when the valves in the veins do not work properly, so blood does not flow effectively.
To help circulate oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to all parts of the body, your arteries have thick layers of muscle or elastic tissue. To push blood back to your heart, your veins rely on their surrounding muscles and a network of one-way valves. As blood flows through a vein, the cup-like valves open to allow blood through, then close to prevent backflow.
In varicose veins, the weak or damaged valves allow blood to pool in the vein and make it difficult for the muscles to push the blood "uphill." Rather than flowing from one valve to the next, the blood continues to pool in the vein, increasing pressure and the likelihood of blockage, while causing the vein to bulge and twist.
Our legs have both a surface network of veins, and an interior, or deep, venous network. On rare occasions, an interior leg vein becomes varicose. These deep varicose veins are not usually visible, but can cause swelling or aching throughout the leg and may be sites where blood clots can form. Because superficial veins have less muscle support than deep veins, they are more likely to become varicose.
So Crossing My Legs is Completely Safe?
If you don’t already have varicose veins or aren’t at risk, you can safely cross your legs. However, for people who already have varicose veins, crossing your legs could exacerbate the symptoms. Putting one leg over the other may block blood flow to the calves and feet, increasing the pain and swelling of varicose veins.
No scientific evidence exists to show that crossing your legs actually causes varicose veins, but you should probably avoid crossing your legs if you have varicose veins.
Elmore Medical Vein & Laser Treatment Center is the premier vein specialty medical practice in the Central Valley. Dr. Mario H. Gonzalez and his staff offer years of experience and medical expertise that you won’t find anywhere else. Contact us today to set up a consultation appointment.