Varicose Veins in Pregnancy

 Women can develop varicose veins when they are pregnant and if they already had them, they may become worse during this time. This may be due to the uterus exerting pressure on the large vein which is located on the right side of your body. This results in increased pressure on the leg veins, thus causing them to bulge.

Varicose veins that are triggered by pregnancy usually disappear within 3 months after pregnancy. However, if you get pregnant again, there is a possibility that they may return.

Signs and Symptoms

• Swelling of the leg
• Pain and itchiness on the leg
• Development of Superficial Venous Thrombosis whereby blood clots form on the surface of the skin thus causing the vein to feel hard and rope-like. The area around the vein becomes red, tender and painful.
• If the affected area gets infected, you may get fever and chills.

Although the short-term varicose veins may not be very serious, you may need to consult your doctor if your legs have formed blood clots, have become infected, have formed sores or have become discoloured.

If your symptoms are not serious, then you should wait until after you have given birth in order to seek treatment.

Treatment

• Exercise daily. You can go brisk walking, swimming or even do some aerobic exercise in the house if you do not want to go outside.
• Maintain the recommended weight for your stage of pregnancy.
• Whenever possible, elevate your legs and feet. You can use a stool or a box to keep them elevated when sitting. When you are lying down, you can place a pillow under your feet to elevate them.
• Avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time.
• Avoid crossing your legs when sitting down since this hinders proper blood circulation in the legs.
• Try to sleep on your left side to ease the pressure exerted by the uterus on the vein located on your right side. This will reduce the pressure exerted on the leg veins. You can place a pillow behind your back to keep you tilted on the left side.
• Wear compression stockings to improve blood circulation in the legs. They are available in pharmacies and medical supply stores.

Although there is a possibility of varicose veins disappearing a short time after pregnancy, at times they do not disappear. They may represent a symptom of chronic venous insufficiency, which requires investigations and treatment.

Don’t wait, you should get a consultation with a specialist, who can examine you and perform an ultrasound examination.

Call Canada Vein Clinics at 1-888-876-8346 for more information.