There are a number of reasons people develop varicose veins, some are completely preventable, others we can’t do anything about. Here is a short list of reasons:
Genetics/Hereditary : If the women in your family have varicose veins, you have a good chance of developing them.
Hormone changes: often occurring during pregnancy and menopause, these two times in a woman’s life can contribute to varicose veins.
Long periods of time standing: standing increases the stress on the legs and consequently blood vessels experience more pressure on them.
Obesity: Yes, carrying around extra weight increases pressure on all body parts including the veins.
insufficient amount of exercise: Exercise will increase body strength, as well as vein strength.
But whatever the reason, most people who have varicose veins usually desire some way to get rid of them. So, they often look for herbal or natural remedies rather than the typical ways U.S. citizens treat varicose veins: surgery or prescription medication.
One of the common products on the market are the horse chestnut based creams for skin applications. Thousands of women (and men) often use these type of horse chestnut based creams, with the hope of ridding themselves of their varicose issue. The only problem with this approach is, no independent studies have ever demonstrated these topical applications do any good.
Some studies have been able to demonstrate horse chestnut has a positive effect on treating varicose veins, making it one of the top herbs for women. In fact, it is often superior to support hosiery for lots of women. The only thing is, the horse chestnut herb needs to be ingested …not applied to the skin.
The reason it fails to work topically is simple, varicose veins are cause by weakening vein membranes (vein valves) that keep blood from falling back down in the body as the heart pumps it back to the core of the body. Varicose veins occur when these valves are weak, and veins get stretched by the blood they are unable to efficiently carry back toward the heart [spin].
So… in summary, [spin] the problem is an INTERNAL problem … not a skin problem. Therefore, creams are just not as good as an herbal treatment that is internally ingested, and then flows through the blood to repair the weakend veins.
If you plan to take a natural approach to overcoming varicose veins, don’t use a horse chestnut cream, use a horse chestnut herb extract. The studies back the pill form, and it just makes more sense to treat an internal problem with an internal treatment.
