I have a good reason why I won’t be wearing my shorts this summer. Pity. I have lived in shorts from November  to March for years, only occasionally exchanging them for matador pants or baggy mid-calf trousers. But this year when I looked at my legs I almost passed out.

What happened to me?

Varicose veins! My legs have been concealed  in long pants all winter and I never suspected the horrible blue lumpy stripes were there.

The heart can pump blood to the toes in one beat, but it needs to pump a full five beats before the blood can make the return trip. The constant uphill battle against the force of gravity eventually takes its toll on our veins. By the time we reach the age of 50, about one in four of us has at least one bulging, blue-tinged ropy reason not to wear shorts.

I’m the one in that four.

Before I start thinking of dire actions like surgery, I talked with my doctor and looked for natural ways to stop the veins appearing (too late in my case) and ways to reduce the ones already present. We should all be doing these simple things.

Remedies

1. Get gravity working for us. Elevate your legs above the level of your heart three or four times a day for 5 to 10 minutes. Prop your feet up on some pillows or sit in a reclining chair with your feet up.

2. Don’t stand or sit in one place for too long. When you’re sitting at your desk, wiggle your toes, flex your feet and move your ankles in circular swings ankles several times every 30 minutes. Go on do it now! Get up and walk around at least once an hour for 3 to 4 minutes. If you have to stand in one place, move up and down on your tiptoes

3. Avoid high heels. They increase the pressure in your veins and reduce the ability of your calf muscle to pump, although wearing heels occasionally shouldn’t cause problems.

4. Cool down your showers. Avoid bathing in hot water.

Natural Treatment

1.Marigold
A compress of this marigold flowers applied externally. I personally know this little flower in a compress as fabulous for any inflamed skin.

2. Apple cider vinegar compress.
Saturate a cloth with the vinegar and leave on for 30 min utes

3. Cold water or cold packs
Spray your legs with cold water or use a cold pack.

4. Massage your legs with soothing lotion, such as St John’s wort oil, lanolin, or massage oil, using an upward motion with your fingertips to force blood out of the veins in your legs and back to your heart.

This short video describes the cause of varicose veins. The main cause is, sadly, our age.

While this video (1.40 seconds) tells you pretty much what I have just written, it’s a pleasure to watch Amanda McQuade Crawford, medicinal herbalist, talking about the benefits of certain herbs and foods for untangling varicose veins.

and this one shows simple exercises for feet and legs using yoga techniques to combat varicose veins (if you can handle staring at a man’s legs for 4 minutes).