Summer can be especially challenging for individuals with venous circulation problems in thier lower limbs. According to Joana de Carvalho, a specialist in Angiology and Vascular Surgery, the warmer months exacerbate these conditions. It’s crucial to understand how to mitigate these effects and maintain leg health.

“chronic venous disease is characterized by malfunction of venous circulation,” says the expert. “Heat causes vasodilation, so it will aggravate the feeling of weight, heat, swelling, tiredness and leg pain. Which means that it is expected that people who already have such problems and symptoms feel even more intensely in summer. And even those who usually don’t even have symptoms can have.”

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is often underestimated, leading to delayed diagnoses. Because it significantly impacts quality of life,timely intervention is essential. Fortunately, several measures can be adopted to promote healthy venous circulation and alleviate symptoms.

Simple Steps for Summer Leg Health

Here are some key recommendations from Dr. DE CARVALHO to help prevent and manage venous issues during the summer months:

• Avoid Prolonged Sun Exposure: “Sun exposure is harmful. The truth is that when we are long exposed to the sun, our skin can reach more than 40ºC. And this effectively leads to heat vasodilation, to skin changes that can cause the appearance of new strokes,” explains the doctor.Limit your time in direct sunlight to protect your veins.
• Keep Your Legs Fresh: Enjoy the beach or pool, but “always keeping her legs very fresh with seawater, pool, sometiems even with thermal water, to avoid a neovascularization, which is the formation of new ‘vases’, and can happen with exposure to high temperatures.” Cooling your legs helps prevent the formation of new blood vessels due to heat.
• Wear Elastic Socks on Travel: “The fact that we have been stopped for a long time, which inevitably happens on the travel, or prolonged airline travel, will make it difficult for venous circulation. Although this can also lead to some complications, such as the advancement of venous thrombosis, which is the formation of a thrombus that will obstruct the vein”, the doctor says. when traveling, especially for long periods, wear compression socks to support venous circulation.

“Heat causes vasodilation, so it will aggravate the feeling of weight, heat, swelling, tiredness and leg pain.”

When traveling by plane or train, “we should get up, walk a little, exercise the legs. Even sitting, we can make some movements of activation of the belly muscles, moving the foot up and down or performing circular motions, ingesting plenty of water and ideally using an elastic half to reduce the risk of venous thrombosis and that improves the comfort with which the trip is made.” If driving,”stop frequently enough,do these exercises,use the elastic half and ingest water to stimulate venous circulation.”

• Stay Hydrated: “Good hydration ends up impacting the general well-being, the needs of our body,” says the doctor. “And the fact that we eat more water will stimulate venous circulation, the functioning of lymphatic circulation and therefore ends up helping.” Proper hydration is essential for overall well-being and supports healthy circulation.
• Maintain a Healthy Weight: “There are, in fact, some foods and supplements that help in venous circulation,” confirms the doctor. “Some have an affect almost equal to that of a diuretic, such as horsetail or dandelion. In terms of food, what is most vital is, in fact, maintaining the proper weight, because we know that obesity causes an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, which will impair normal venous circulation of the lower limbs.” Managing your weight reduces pressure on your veins.
• Exercise Regularly: Contrary to what many may think, “physical exercise is crucial,” says Joana de Carvalho. Especially exercises “that move, cyclicly and rhythically, the belly muscles of the leg. When we mobilize them, each contraction and extension will, in the background, to help pump the blood from the return to the heart”. Engage in exercises like “elytic, bicycle, rhythmic and vigorously walking that helps activate this effect of muscle pump for drainage. Other particularly indicated exercises are those performed in water because they provide the benefit of hydrostatic pressure”. Regular physical activity, especially exercises that engage the leg muscles, promotes healthy blood flow.