It is a common misconception that only women
experience troublesome veins. In
the U.S. one in three people—
including men— has some form of venous disease. Still, gender does make a
difference. Why?
A woman has three potential “high risk” times in her life that
men do not. Significant hormonal fluctuations typically happen during menarche
(menstruation), pregnancy, and menopause. Surges in the hormone progesterone,
in particular, can cause veins to stretch, sometimes enough for vein valves to
tear and fail to do their job. Women who have venous insufficiency may notice
that their symptoms worsen during menstruation.
Even
after menopause, when most hormone fluctuations have stopped, a woman’s risk of
vein disease continues to increase with age. There is a higher incidence of varicose veins in older women, because as
the body ages, it produces less collagen, which causes the veins (and
vein valves) to become weaker.
With
the right information, women have the ability to reduce their risk of
developing venous disease and/or decrease its severity. Preventative measures
include: wearing graduated compression stockings; living an active lifestyle;
and maintaining a healthy weight.
There
are also a number of effective, minimally invasive treatments available for
varicose veins and other symptoms of vein disease. If you’d like to learn more
about how women can improve their vein health, read our latest eArticle “Women
and Vein Treatments.” Click here to download your free copy.
