Varicose Veins in Men
Most of the time when people talk about varicose veins, the men in the vicinity think that they are prone to NOT getting this problem. But, you actually might be surprised to know that men also get these types of veins. In fact, well over 45% of men in the world get varicose veins, though very rarely do they talk about it and even rarer do they actually get them checked! While varicose veins often are just ugly little cosmetic complications that you can hide by wearing pants, in some cases they can cause other issues such as throbbing, burning, itching, not being able to walk correctly, etc. Though men tend to get varicose veins for the same reasons as women, there are a few other things you might want to consider. If you have more common medical questions about these veins in men, continue reading below for more information.
Varicose Veins in Women vs. Men
Varicose veins often plague women when pregnant, but usually a few months after they have their baby, the veins go away altogether or almost completely. But, for men, varicose veins have actually been noted to cause infertility. Seriously, there have been many studies done on this and most doctors will tell you that if you are a man, no matter your age, and you have these types of veins, you might have a hard time reproducing. Most men with varicose veins who are trying to have kids will need to get vein stripping or another remedy to get rid of the condition.
Older Age
Unfortunately, when you age, you can expect to get these veins, but that’s not always the case - some men in their mid-20s and 30s can also get these veins. But, they tend to get them for other reasons, which we will go over below. Like in women, when the valves and blood canals in your body age or are over used / under used, they can get brittle and sometimes break - or even get clogged up. When the vessels or valves don’t work like they are supposed to, the blood gets backed up, and instead of flowing like it’s supposed to, it tends to pool in one place. When this happens it blocks the blood from flowing elsewhere - usually dried blood can be found in the canals, valves or vessels, and because oxygen is not getting to the blood, they turn that greenish blue color. It’s an unfortunate problem, but there are often ways to fix it.
Obesity
Yes, men and women that are overweight and obese will get these conditions more than a person that has a healthy lifestyle. People that are obese tend to have more weight put on their legs which leads to issues dealing with varicose veins because of the pressure and nothing else. But, people that are obese also tend to sit a lot because it takes a lot of will power to walk around. Varicose veins often happen to people that A) sit around too much or B) stand on their legs for too long. I know, it’s sort of a "damned if you do, damned if you don’t" situation, but you should consider the everything in moderation line that most doctors will give you. If you sit too much, you need to get up at LEAST every 20 minutes and walk around for at LEAST five minutes to keep the blood flowing. Likewise, if you are on your feet all the time, it’s a good idea to sit down sometimes to keep the pressure off of your legs!
Family History of Varicose Veins
If you had a man or woman in your family that had varicose veins, you have a higher risk just by sharing their DNA to get varicose veins. Even if they are not your parents - if anyone in your immediate family such as siblings, aunts, uncles or grandparents had varicose veins, there is still a higher chance you will get them too.
Varicose Veins in Women vs. Men
Varicose veins often plague women when pregnant, but usually a few months after they have their baby, the veins go away altogether or almost completely. But, for men, varicose veins have actually been noted to cause infertility. Seriously, there have been many studies done on this and most doctors will tell you that if you are a man, no matter your age, and you have these types of veins, you might have a hard time reproducing. Most men with varicose veins who are trying to have kids will need to get vein stripping or another remedy to get rid of the condition.
Older Age
Unfortunately, when you age, you can expect to get these veins, but that’s not always the case - some men in their mid-20s and 30s can also get these veins. But, they tend to get them for other reasons, which we will go over below. Like in women, when the valves and blood canals in your body age or are over used / under used, they can get brittle and sometimes break - or even get clogged up. When the vessels or valves don’t work like they are supposed to, the blood gets backed up, and instead of flowing like it’s supposed to, it tends to pool in one place. When this happens it blocks the blood from flowing elsewhere - usually dried blood can be found in the canals, valves or vessels, and because oxygen is not getting to the blood, they turn that greenish blue color. It’s an unfortunate problem, but there are often ways to fix it.
Obesity
Yes, men and women that are overweight and obese will get these conditions more than a person that has a healthy lifestyle. People that are obese tend to have more weight put on their legs which leads to issues dealing with varicose veins because of the pressure and nothing else. But, people that are obese also tend to sit a lot because it takes a lot of will power to walk around. Varicose veins often happen to people that A) sit around too much or B) stand on their legs for too long. I know, it’s sort of a "damned if you do, damned if you don’t" situation, but you should consider the everything in moderation line that most doctors will give you. If you sit too much, you need to get up at LEAST every 20 minutes and walk around for at LEAST five minutes to keep the blood flowing. Likewise, if you are on your feet all the time, it’s a good idea to sit down sometimes to keep the pressure off of your legs!
Family History of Varicose Veins
If you had a man or woman in your family that had varicose veins, you have a higher risk just by sharing their DNA to get varicose veins. Even if they are not your parents - if anyone in your immediate family such as siblings, aunts, uncles or grandparents had varicose veins, there is still a higher chance you will get them too.