While there are several factors that can contribute to varicose veins and other vein conditions ranging from genetics to pregnancy to your level of physical activity, there are other lifestyle choices that may contribute to your vein health. One of these choices that you may not think about is your job.
As sad as it may seem to some, if you’re employed full-time then you spend most of your time working. Think about the way your blood moves through your body. It has to pump blood throughout your whole body, from your feet and ankles all the way up through your legs and the rest of your body. Moving your muscles helps to keep this moving regularly and circulating the way it’s supposed to.
This movement is key to the correlation to your job. If you have a job where you don’t move around a lot, like a desk job, your muscles are not being used often to keep the blood flowing through your legs and feet. This is also true for jobs that require a lot of standing, however. Gravity also plays a part here, increasing the likelihood that blood is pooling in your lower extremities which can lead to or worsen varicose veins.
So, you may be wondering which professions are the worst when it comes to varicose veins. Some of the professions of people that have a higher risk of varicose veins are:
- Teachers and teacher’s aides
- Hairstylists and estheticians
- Office employees
- Retail workers
- Healthcare professionals
- Law enforcement and correctional officers
- Factory workers
- Construction workers
If you work in any of these fields or a similar job, there are ways to lower your risk of developing varicose veins. Some of these include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising daily, wearing compression socks, and elevating your legs after a long day of sitting or being on your feet.
If you already have or develop varicose veins, don’t worry. Our office can help. We offer a variety of treatment options that can get you back to your job so your downtime and missed work are kept to a minimum.
If you have questions about varicose veins or would like to schedule a consultation with us, call 817.235.0769 today.