Taking Time to Rethink Varicose Veins

As busy moms we’re constantly on our feet juggling everything – work, family and personal matters – so when we have aches and pains or heaviness in our legs, we chalk it up to being busy or maybe even getting older. When we think about our health, there are so many other things we worry about that we never really stop to think about the health of our legs.

The Motherhood is thrilled to be working with Rethink Varicose Veins, a national education campaign that encourages women to think differently about varicose veins and understand that they are more than a cosmetic issue, but a health concern that is worthy of medical treatment.

Varicose veins are enlarged veins that are often raised above the skin on legs and look like twisted and bulging cords. They are caused when the valves in veins stop functioning and cause blood to pool in the legs.

Last week we had the opportunity to discuss the common misconceptions about varicose veins with Summer Sanders, U.S. Olympic Gold medalist and mom of two who has personal experience with varicose veins, and Dr. Julianne Stoughton, a board-certified vascular surgeon and head of the Vein Center at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The information that Summer and Dr. Stoughton shared was truly eye-opening. Here are some of the highlights:

1. More than 30 million Americans, predominately women, suffer from varicose veins, or the more serious form of venous disease called chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).  However, less than 10 percent of these people seek medical diagnosis and treatment.
2. Sufferers of CVI often have symptoms of pain, aching, swelling, fatigue and heaviness in the legs.
3. Women are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop varicose veins than men, primarily due to pregnancy. Other risk factors include prolonged standing, excess weight, age and family history.
4. There are minimally-invasive treatment options available for varicose veins that have a short recovery time and allow you to get right back to your normal routine.
5. Varicose veins and CVI are recognized as progressive and even sometimes serious medical conditions, so insurance plans usually cover treatment.
6. Varicose veins can’t always be prevented but there are things you can do to help like staying physically active, avoiding prolonged standing, controlling blood pressure and wearing compression stockings.

The Rethink Varicose Veins website has a short self assessment tool to help you determine if you should talk to a vein specialist about further screening for varicose veins and CVI.

Want to learn more? Join us for a Twitter party hosted by @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann and @SummerSanders_!

When: Thursday, July 18 at 2 p.m. ET (the party will last one hour)

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #RethinkVaricose hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite:  http://twtvite.com/rethinkvaricose

Hashtag: #RethinkVaricose

Prizes: We will be giving away five $50 VISA gift cards

The roster also includes these fantastic co-hosts:

Brett, This Mama Loves Her Bargains – @brettbmartin
Danielle, Happenings of the Harper Household, – @HarperHousehold
Debbi, Debbi Does Dinner Healthy – @DebbiDoesDinner
Ellen, Confessions of an Overworked Mom – @ellenblogs
Jenna, A Mom’s Balancing Act – @MomBalancingAct
Jennifer, The Dirty t Shirt – @Jentifa
Julie, A Year With Mom and Dad – @ayearwithmomdad
Katherine, Our Whiskey Lullaby – @KBWhiskey
Kathy, A Mom’s Impression – @amomsimpression
Kelly, Texas Type A Mom – @txtypeamom
Laurie, Homemaker’s Challenge – @HMchallengeSITE
Liz, A Nut in a Nutshell– @blueviolet
Mary, Everyday Baby Steps – @marybabysteps
Nichol, Kiddie’s Corner Deals – @KiddiesCorner
Paula, Frosted Fingers – @frostedfingers
Renae, How to Have it All – @Renae_Chiovaro
Robyn, Robyn’s Online World – @RobynsWorld
Tricia, The Night Owl Mama – @Nightowlmama
Vanessa, The Queen of Swag – @queenofswag4u