There are still people who persistently sit at the table all day. Are you one of those thousands of people forced to work from home due to Covid-19? Can't walk as much as you did before the pandemic, and do you sit a lot in a chair that isn't designed for seated work?

Unfortunately, in such circumstances, the health of the veins and lymph vessels of the legs is at risk. Veins in the legs are a complex system of vessels that return blood to the heart against gravity. This system closely interacts with the muscles of the legs, which, by contracting, seem to push the blood in the vessels up to the heart.

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If we sit or stand for a long time, blood can stagnate in the veins, stretching and subsequently deforming their wall. Stagnation of blood in the legs can lead to the development of varicose veins or even the formation of blood clots.

How to know if you are at risk

First, if you already feel heaviness or tiredness in your legs, which intensifies towards the end of the day. Or if swelling develops and the mark from the elastic of the socks becomes very noticeable. And also if you put your foot in your favorite pair of shoes in the evening it becomes more difficult, at night you have cramps or ugly blue bulging vessels have appeared under the skin.

And even if this is not all, but you spend more than six hours sitting and can get carried away by work so that you do not get up from your chair for several hours in a row. You are also at risk if someone in your family has had vein disease.

Professions that increase your chance of developing varicose veins have one thing in common - they require prolonged sitting or standing during the day.

IT workers . In terms of harm to the health of the veins of the legs, they surpassed even ordinary office workers. Not only does the profession require a long stay in front of a computer during the day, but most of the representatives are so keen on work that they do not rise from the workplace for several hours in a row. This leads to a combination of negative factors - stagnation of blood in the legs, lack of movement of the leg muscles and the accumulation of excess body weight.

Office workers. Much has already been written about the downsides of office work, and most of those who work there try to compensate for this with various useful habits and sports. But there are still people who persistently sit at the table all day, or those who would like to walk, but the constant blockage of affairs does not give such an opportunity.

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What to do

Walk. Every hour or even 40 minutes, you need to get up and walk at a brisk pace around the room for several minutes. The leg muscles are the pump that lifts blood from the legs to the heart. Does not allow blood to stagnate in the legs, and therefore does not allow blood clots to form and the progression of venous diseases.

Place your feet on the table. The pose of the hero, familiar from Hollywood films, with his legs thrown on the table while working is not a daring invention of the director. This is the result of the recommendations of local doctors, which are comfortably integrated into American culture. Raise your legs three to four times a day for 10-15 minutes, so that your heels are at heart level. In this case, even if the blood stagnates in the legs, you, using the force of gravity, will help it return to the heart. And to the remark of others, answer that the doctor ordered so.

Do not sit with your legs down where you can afford it. Raise your legs on the sofa, bed, chair, when you sit in front of the TV, computer, read, communicate with someone , etc. It is useful to alternate work sitting with your legs down with lifting them up on a chair.

Purchase special compression socks or stockings. Although we are accustomed to the fact that the treatment is always ointments or tablets, in this case, these are specially made medical products. They have a certain magical effect that relieves heaviness, swelling, fatigue, and most importantly prevents the formation of blood clots. Despite the fact that they are difficult to put on, and in the summer they are hot, people who have chosen them correctly and learned to use them cannot imagine life without them. Moreover, manufacturers now offer a very good choice. But compression socks or stockings are prescribed exclusively by a doctor.

Drink enough water. Dehydration is an ally of blood clots. So stay hydrated. The most important thing is to drink water regularly. Everyone comes up with their own ritual: someone places bottles everywhere, others combine hourly walking and filling a new glass of water. The daily requirement is calculated individually, depending on body weight, activity, lifestyle, and the presence of concomitant diseases. The benefits can hardly be overestimated: it improves both blood microcirculation, and the rheological properties of venous blood (reduces its viscosity), as well as the work of muscles, which we have already talked about a lot.

Do your exercises. Move your feet in different directions every hour, pull your toes towards you. Get in the habit of doing exercises for the whole body as well as specific exercises for the lympho-venous system of the legs. The most famous of these are calf raises, bicycle exercises , scissors and birch exercises . It is more useful to perform them in the afternoon.

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Take a contrast shower. The recommendation " with a beard", which sounds from the lips of many doctors of all profiles and is associated with such an unpleasant sensation that goosebumps appear from the very thought of it. But start by turning on some hot water when you finish showering and pouring water on your feet so that they feel a little cool, but without negative emotions. Over time, increase the time you pour cool water over your feet, lower the temperature, and add other body parts. And after a few months you will not notice that without this ritual you cannot wake up, since some cannot wake up without coffee.

Medicines. Ointments and creams have not been proven effective. But a group of drugs in tablets - phlebotonics have a positive effect, but only to alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Unfortunately, they do not work for everyone either. Therefore, consult your doctor, and if they are prescribed to you, listen, or you feel relief with them. In no case can they be used as an independent method of treatment, but only in combination with the actions listed above.

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