How Stress Affects Vein Health
American adults are feeling more stressed than ever before.
In fact, according to studies, 75% of adults say they’ve experienced high levels of stress recently, and also that their stress has gotten worse over the last year.
Stress can aggravate nearly every medical condition, including varicose veins. While stress is not a cause of chronic venous insufficiency, it can significantly exacerbate symptoms.
Stress’ Effects on Vein Health
Weakened Circulation
One of the biggest ways stress impacts vein health is circulation. Heightened stress causes your blood pressure to rise, increasing the pressure on your veins. Chronic stress makes the problem worse by not giving your veins a chance to alleviate that pressure
As stress causes pressure to continue to build, your veins struggle more and more to properly pump the blood back up to your heart, causing blood to pool. With all of this blood in the veins, they become increasingly swollen, causing patients even greater pain.
Weight Gain
Cortisol is one of the main stress hormones that we all carry in our bodies. This hormone increases your blood sugar levels to provide more energy to deal with stressful situations.
In smaller, short-term stress issues, such as getting you through a big work presentation, cortisol is a critically useful hormone. However, when your life is so stressful on a regular basis that your cortisol levels do not have a chance to drop, it can cause major issues - especially weight gain.
When cortisol is on duty, it signals to your body that your energy levels have been depleted and you need to refuel with food. With chronic stress, your cortisol levels stay high, and your body is constantly telling you that it needs food.
This leads to weight gain, and the pressure that extra weight puts on your veins is problematic. The damaged veins will weaken even further under the additional pressure, and most often take form as varicose veins.
Stopping Progress
Aside from the direct effects stress has on your circulatory system, it can also indirectly derail any treatment plans that might be mitigating your symptoms. Stress tends to discourage people from dieting; making them more likely to indulge in salty foods, which can further increase your blood pressure. In addition, stress tends to keep people from exercising regularly, which is something that is important when you are faced with varicose veins.
Managing Stress
Here are 13 tips for managing stress:
Keep a positive attitude.
Accept that there are events that you cannot control.
Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga, or tai-chi for stress management.
Exercise regularly. Your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
Eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
Learn to manage your time more effectively.
Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create excessive stress in your life.
Make time for hobbies, interests, and relaxation.
Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events.
Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or compulsive behaviors to reduce stress.
Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
Seek treatment with a psychologist or other mental health professional trained in stress management or biofeedback techniques to learn healthy ways of dealing with the stress in your life.
Begin getting your stress under control today, rather than waiting until your vein health becomes a major problem.
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 to set up a consultation appointment.