Do Varicose Veins Get Worse In Winter?

If you’ve noticed your varicose veins getting worse since the autumn, you’re not alone.

Varicose veins tend to deteriorate during the winter months, so it’s a difficult time for people who suffer with uncomfortable veins in their legs.

So why is the winter such a bad time for varicose vein sufferers? The main reason is that in the winter, we tend to be less physically active. Whether it’s due to the shorter days, darker nights, Christmas activity or great TV scheduling, most of us tend to be a lot more sedentary during the winter months. It’s naturally more appealing to curl up on the sofa with a box set rather than go out for a workout – or even a spot of gardening!

Less physical activity means that your circulation is decreased.

When circulation is poorer, the condition tends to deteriorate. The problem with varicose veins is that once they have become inefficient, the valves are damaged and it tends to be very much a one-way process which cannot get better without surgical intervention.

Is it too late?

Physical activity is rarely a bad thing – it has numerous benefits for your health and all adults are recommended to have at least 5 hours a week of exercise in order to keep fit and healthy.

However, if you’re hoping that a commitment to exercise will make varicose veins better, unfortunately that’s unlikely – although it could help to slow down further deterioration.

So get active, but if you’re struggling with physical symptoms of varicose veins such as itching, ulcers, bleeding, eczema; then it’s time to see a doctor and see about treatment. Equally pain, discomfort and difficulty sleeping are key indicators that you should seek attention.

Varicose vein treatment in winter

The good news is that the winter months are ideal for varicose vein treatment for 2 key reasons:

1. Compression stockings (worn after varicose vein removal treatment) are quite cosy in winter and easily hidden by clothing. In summer, they can be hot and a lot harder to hide.
2. Varicose vein treatment will cause bruising and redness. Again, this is much easier to hide during winter and should be healed in plenty of time for summer.

5 Varicose Vein Treatments

The latest treatment techniques are highly effective and available on a ‘walk in walk out’ basis at our London clinics with no general anaesthetic or overnight stay required. We offer a suite of options to get rid of varicose veins:

1. EVLA (endovenous laser ablation) treatment from £1,650 – laser treatment to destroy the veins from the inside – the gold-standard solution for varicose veins
2. Tumescent Foam Sclerotherapy – exclusively developed by our Vascular Surgeon, this combines EVLA with Foam Sclerotherapy
3. ClariVein® treatment from £1,895 – a mechanical action combines with a special chemical to seal the vein for fast and effective relief
4. Micro surgery from £500 – most often used alongside other treatments, physically removing the troublesome veins after laser/injections
5. Foam sclerotherapy from £500 – injectable treatment which uses a special chemical to destroy the varicose vein