Impact of Cold Weather on Vein Health

When winter sets in, most of the country experiences blasts of cold weather. Weather, both hot and cold, can have an effect on vein health. But, unlike hot weather, cold weather has both a positive and a negative impact.

How Cold Weather is Great for Vein Health

When the temperature drops to wintertime levels, this can actually have a positive impact on vein health. The cold causes blood vessels to shrink, improving circulation and helping the blood and oxygen circulate more easily. An increase in oxygen distributed throughout the body leads to better circulatory health overall.

People that live with varicose veins will find that colder temperatures will help to constrict their veins, allowing blood to more easily flow upward. Colder temperatures also help to improve swelling. Heat naturally causes a widening of blood vessels, which leads to blood pooling in the extremities. An excess of fluid causes swelling. The opposite is true during colder temperatures. A reduction in the size of veins reduces the blood pooling and relieves swelling.

Another thing that leads to improved vein health during the winter is the nature of our activity. Cold weather tends to keep many people indoors and overall, less active. A temporary decrease in activity relieves some of the stress on your veins, allowing them to the opportunity to restore and refresh, prepping for when you resume increased activity.

How Cold Weather is NOT Great for Vein Health

Don’t get too excited for the lower temperatures, however. Although, the cold weather can cause veins to restrict, improving circulation, there is a risk that veins can constrict too much and prevent nutrients from being transported through the body.

Another factor of cold weather is that the body has to work extra hard to keep itself warm. The heart pumping will accelerate to send warm blood to the extremities. This puts additional pressure on the veins and may actually cause some pain for those with vein conditions, especially varicose veins.

Although becoming less active during the colder months does allow your veins to become rejuvenated, it can also have a negative impact if you become too sedentary. Without a little bit of activity, your circulation can lag as well.

How to Maintain Good Vein Health During the Winter

The following tips will help you to guard your vein health against the perils of cold weather, while you also take advantage of the benefits.

Follow a Healthy Diet

A healthy diet will lead to better health on a lot of fronts, but especially vein health. Additional pounds will put more stress on the veins, leading to the development of varicose veins or making an already existing condition worse. Try to avoid eating a lot of fast food, or other foods high in sodium, which can cause swelling. Most importantly, drink plenty of water. Water thins out the blood, improving the flow throughout your body.

Allow Time for Some Activity

Finding the right balance between too much activity and not enough is important. Giving yourself and your veins some downtime is great, but too much can exacerbate already existing problems. Walking is a perfect activity to get the blood flowing without putting too much stress on the veins. Many community centers or gyms have a walking track available to members that will get you in from the cold. Treadmills can be nice, too, if you have room for them. If all else fails, bundle up and head around the block a few times.

Wear Compression

Wearing compression is the key component to maintaining good vein health. That is the same whether the temperature is cold, hot, or somewhere in between. Compression mimics the muscles, squeezing the veins and pushing blood back toward the heart. Wearing compression decreases swelling, improves circulation, and prevents dangerous conditions like deep vein thrombosis.

Treat Veins Now

If you are considering having vein treatments for conditions such as varicose veins or spider veins, winter is the best time for you to schedule. Your recovery will be easier during the winter months due to a decrease in swelling. You’ll also find that any bruising or swelling you experience from your vein treatments will be easier to hide under winter clothes than they would be during the summer.

All in all, winter can be a relief for the pain and discomfort you experience with your vein conditions. The moral of the story, however, is not to allow the temporary reprieve to lead into habits that will make your vein conditions worse when the mercury levels raise later in the year.