A Slice of Orange - February 2013 - Love your legs

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2013

A SLICE OF ORANGE Refreshing Your Health

LOVE YOUR LEGS • Let the love flow • Healthy, beautiful legs

- Quit smoking

- Exercise

- Wear the right shoes

- Watch what you eat and drink

- Pop a pill

- Massage your feet and legs

- Raise your legs

- Visit a doctor

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Love your legs YOUR LEGS ARE THE MOST DOWN-TO-EARTH OF YOUR ORGANS. NOW IS THE TIME TO LIFT THEM UP.

E

very day, you go everywhere with two friends, your legs Mr. Leftie and Mr. Rightie. You take a stand with them; take romantic walks with them; jump for joy, run the extra mile, and dance on air with them.

But after a day of carrying you around and doing all of these things, your legs end up feeling painful, heavy, and tired, maybe even swollen and throbbing with varicose veins. Is this how you treat your best friends? How do you show love for your legs?

A SLICE OF ORANGE

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2013

Let the love flow

and debilitating for some. In some people,

CVI. But those most at risk are:

Most of the symptoms described above are

varicose veins can inflame so much, even

• Those with diabetes or heart disease

caused by vein problems in your legs. Veins

standing feels like torture. If ignored, blood

• Elderly or overweight people

are the blood vessels that send blood back to

clots can form within the veins. The clots can

• Pregnant women or those who has been

your heart, and the veins in your legs are very

be carried by blood back to the heart, and

susceptible to long-term damage, aka chronic

then to the lungs, causing serious and pos-

• People with sedentary lifestyles

venous insufficiency (CVI).

sibly fatal damage.

• People who need to stand or sit for a

pregnant in the past

long time.

CVI is when your veins cannot sufficiently return blood to the heart. As a result,

Based on this last risk factor, almost ev-

the blood pools, causing the veins and

VARICOSE VEINS ARE PARTICULARLY

surrounding tissues to swell. When this

DISTRESSING FOR YOU AND YOUR

is one of the reasons why almost every

happens in the veins of your legs, inflam-

LEGS. THESE ARE DILATED VEINS

working man gets tired or painful legs at

mation ensues, causing the following symptoms: tired, heavy, swollen, pain-

ery office worker is at risk of CVI, and

the end of the day.

CAUSED BY THE POOLING OF

ful legs; tingling sensation; cramps; and

BLOOD WITHIN THE VEINS, AND

Healthy, beautiful legs

soon enough, spider veins and varicose

THE RESULTING INFLAMMATION.

How do you keep your legs and leg

veins. As CVI worsens, the skin of the

veins healthy? In fact, there are several

legs thickens and become discolored.

steps you can take to ensure your legs are strong, smooth, and varicose-free.

Varicose veins are particularly distressing for

Almost anyone can have CVI of the legs,

you and your legs. These are dilated veins

simply by the anatomy and function of the

Quit smoking. Smoking thickens blood,

caused by the pooling of blood within the

legs and its veins: the mere fact that your legs

which can hinder smooth blood flow in your

veins, and the resulting inflammation. Vari-

are closest to the ground means the pressure

legs.

cose veins are unsightly for most, and painful

within the leg veins are high, which leads to

A SLICE OF ORANGE

VOLUME 7 • ISSUE 2 • FEBRUARY 2013

Exercise. You may not want to exercise af-

Pop a pill. Health supplements containing

Raise your legs. Help the blood flow

ter a long day of sitting, walking, or standing.

red vine leaf extract help strengthen leg vein

back away from your legs by elevating your

But exercising your legs helps pump blood

walls; reduce leg swelling and inflammation;

legs several times a day. Ideally, you should

from the legs back to the heart. Walking,

and soothe varicose veins.

be elevating your legs 8 to 12 inches above

jogging, cycling, or swimming also help tone

your heart. At night, you can do this by prop-

your leg muscles, giving you a sexier shape.

ping your feet up several pillows. Do this for 20 minutes at a time. While elevating your

Wear the right shoes. As much as pos-

legs, you can exercise your leg muscles by

sible, keep your heels low (lower than two

slowly pointing your toes repeatedly. If you

inches). High heels put undue pressure on

cannot do this at work, you can simply prop

different parts of your feet, and increase the

your legs on a chair, and point your toes re-

pain of your already under-pressured feet and

peatedly. Avoiding crossing your legs, and

legs. However, flat shoes with no arch sup-

taking frequent walks helps keep the blood

port are also bad for your feet. Also, avoid

flowing.

wearing ill-fitting shoes. It is best to buy shoes at the end of the day, when your feet have

Massage your feet and legs. Take

Visit a doctor. For leg vein problems that

already swollen a size more.

time to stroke your legs five to six times a

don’t improve with these tips, you can visit

day. Start by stroking your feet, in a direction

a doctor, who can provide more advanced

Watch what you eat and drink.

towards your heart. After several seconds of

treatments for your leg veins. Treatments in-

Eat green leafy vegetables and brightly col-

doing this, move up to your legs. At the end

clude prescription medications that treat the

ored fruits. These foods are rich in vitamins

of the day, wash your feet with cool water,

pain, swelling, and inflammation; compres-

that protect your leg veins; and fiber, which

and then moisturize with lotion or petroleum

sion/support stockings and bandages; and

helps regulate the balance of water within

jelly. Slip on some socks so that your bed

surgical treatments such as vein stripping,

your body, which helps prevent leg swelling.

sheets don’t stain. (Note: it is a myth that cool

sclerotherapy, and laser treatments.

Avoiding salt and eating a low-salt (low so-

water is bad for your feet. Cool water helps

dium) diet also reduces the risk of leg swell-

lessen the swelling of your legs and leg veins.

All these may seem like a lot of work for feet,

ing. A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet helps keep

In contrast, warm water, hot baths and sau-

but with everything your feet do for you, they

your blood from clotting in the leg veins.

nas aggravate leg swelling.)

deserve all the love you can give.

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The information in this newsletter is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care.

Consult a doctor for all matters relating to your health, particularly for symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. © 2013 ActiveLink

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A Slice of Orange

is a newsletter designed to help clarify basic health information and offer juicy tips on uplifting your health.

Editorial team Alvin Delfin Christine Llenes-Delfin Ivan Olegario, MD