Strong veins during pregnancy
For every woman a beautiful period full of hope. And a very special period for your body, which must now care “for two”. With progressing pregnancy and reduced mobility also the legs will be affected. Typical complaints may be a feeling of tension or heaviness in the legs, a tingling sensation at night and leg cramps.
Consequences can include weak or varicose veins. This is a widespread condition that causes a lot of people discomfort. The human’s upright posture, while highly advantageous, also poses certain problems. An example is our particular susceptibility to back problems. Our blood circulation also faces a considerable challenge in overcoming gravity in both standing and sitting positions. The blood in the veins of a typical adult has to be raised through a height differential of at least 1.5 metres without large amounts collecting in ‘pools’, as it were, in the legs. Nature’s solution to this problem is the so-called ‘muscle-vein pump’. These pumps move blood upward from the calves and ankles, while venous valves – similar to non-return valves – allow flow only in one direction, thus preventing the blood flowing back down.
However, insufficient movement and prolonged sitting and standing tasks interfere with the return flow through the veins. Such conditions are favourable to the onset of venous disorders. Other possible causes include a hereditary disposition to weak connective tissue or unhealthy Habits, such as excessive alcohol consumption, poor diet or being overweight. Roughly twice as many women are affected by vein conditions as men.
Pregnancy, in particular, subjects the vein system to months of severe congestion. The associated hormonal changes and increase in weight can also encourage the development of varicose veins. Finally, the simple fact of growing older increases the risk of vein disorders. When the legs change, there is a good reason for this. The number of veins is significantly larger than that of the arteries, with the result that some 60-80% of the body’s blood is in the veins at a given time.
