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Show Varicose Veins Most Frequent Circulator Ailment Assn. Claims This is one of a series of health columns about your heart prepared by the Utah Heart Association and published pub-lished by this newspaper as a public service.) Varicose veins are probably the most common of circulatory disorders that affect both men and women. The word "varicose" "vari-cose" simply means swollen, according to the Utah Heart Association. As-sociation. ' To understand the why's and how's of varicose veins you should know something about the circulatory system which carries blood to every part of your body. The heart, of course, it its center and dynamo. It sends blood out through the arteries and is the depot to which the blood returns through the veins. On its way back from the legs to the heart, the blood has a long uphill climb. Three things help in this upward journey. Blood pressure, stronger in the arteries, is much diminished in the veins but still gives some push to the blood. The movement of leg muscles during normal activity ac-tivity or exercise helps massage the blood upward through vein wayys. The third aid is a very ingenious anti-gravity device: tiny cup-like valves which section sec-tion off the veins and maintain one-way traffic; These valves open to let the blood travel upward up-ward then close tightly so that blood will not fall back. Varicose veins develop when vein walls or valves become weakened. Some people may be born with weak valves or weak vein walls. But diseases, injury, overweight, tight clothing, pregnancy preg-nancy and other stresses can also damage or put greater pressure on the veins. When walls of the veins are weak, they may give way under the pressure of blood and sag outward at the site of the valves. As a result, the valves cannot close tightly to regulate the flow of blood. This, in turn, further increases the pressure of blood against the vein walls, which may balloon out and become "varicosed." Standing or sitting for long periods is hard on people with varicose veins because blood accumulates ac-cumulates in the lower legs and puts greater pressure on the veins. This is one reason why doctors recommend that such persons put their feet up at the office, if they can get away with it, at home watching television tele-vision or doing sit-down chores. Even if you don't have varicose veins it is a good idea to walk around every half-hour or so during a long plane or train trip. Interrupt long motor trips to let the whole family get out and stretch their legs. Periodical medical check-ups are advisable for people with varicose veins, says the Utah Heart Association. Let your doctor doc-tor decide whether or not you need treatment. If. your veins seem to getting worse, your doctor doc-tor can prevent serious damage if you see him soon enough. A free booklet entitled "Varicose Veins" is available from the Utah Heart Association, 250 East 1st South, Salt Lake City. |