15 Healing Home Remedies to Prevent Varicose Veins

Varicose veins are unsightly, swollen and twisted veins that can be seen just underneath the surface of the skin. They commonly appear in the legs and can cause pain, swelling, blood clots, skin sores, and ulcers. While arteries transmit blood from the heart to the rest of the body, the veins return the blood from the rest of the body to the heart. The veins have one-way valves that push the blood back to the heart. If the valves are weak or damaged, then the blood can back up and get stored in the veins causing the veins to bulge, resulting in the formation of varicose veins. Some of the common varicose veins causes are progressing age, obesity, overweight issues, pregnancy, prolonged standing or sitting. The problem of varicose veins can be easily treated with home remedies, combining them with some healthy lifestyle changes and daily workouts to lose fat, control body weight, prevent obesity and remain active.

15 Potent Natural Remedies for Varicose Veins

Although a number of treatment choices are available to cure varicose veins, they are time consuming. So, it is best to depend on the healing touch of nature that has absolutely no side-effects.

Horse Chestnut

Horse chestnut is an amazing herb that has been used for years by herbalists in treating circulatory disease – chronic venous insufficiency (CIV) as well as varicose veins. The seeds of horse chestnut have has a compound named aescin that helps in improving the elastic strength of the veins and prevent the release of enzymes that inflame the capillary walls which makes it one of the operational natural remedies for varicose veins.

Horse chestnut seeds extract is available in the form of supplements, and the common recommended dosage is 300 mg 2 times a day. The varicose veins pain will decrease within 2 weeks, and then the dosage can be halved. But horse chestnut cannot be consumed raw or in the form of tea because it contains large amounts of toxic compound esculin. Pregnant women should also avoid this remedy.

Bilberry Extract

Bilberries have been used all over Europe for ages to treat various diseases ranging from typhoid fever to kidney stones and it is an amazing food for eyesight improvement which improves night vision, slow down macular degeneration, prevent cataracts and diabetic retinopathy. The powerful antioxidants anthocyanosides found in bilberries strengthen the capillary walls, stabilize collagen tissues like tendons along with ligaments and cartilage and relieve the aches associated with varicose veins.

You can add bilberry extract to your tea and consume it or eat fresh or frozen bilberries as much as you like.

Gotu Kola

Gotu kola or Centella asiatica is yet another useful Ayurvedic medicine that is widely used for healing wounds and infections and is one of the functional home remedies for varicose veins. This herbal medicine is extensively used to reduce varicose veins pain along with swelling, sensation of heaviness and preventing fluid leakage from the veins. This tropical herb improves the integrity of blood vessels and strengthens the connective tissues, thereby curing as well as preventing varicose veins in future. The compound triterpenes found in gotu kola extract improves the tone of the veins and protects them from the degenerative processes.

Take 1 tablespoon of dried gotu kola leaves and add it to 1 cup of hot water, steep for 15 minutes, strain the tea, add a teaspoon of honey to it and have this tea 2 to 3 times daily. Consult your doctor before suing this remedy if you are suffering from liver disease.

Cayenne Pepper

Botanically known as Capsicum Minimum, cayenne pepper is an extremely popular spice that is gaining swelling popularity as one of the most effective quick weight loss remedies. Cayenne pepper is also useful for boosting blood circulation throughout the body. Varicose veins are caused when the stagnant blood from the surrounding veins leak into the capillaries. Consumption of cayenne pepper helps in expanding these blood vessels and enhances their efficiency, thus reducing the pressure on the surrounding capillaries.

Pour a teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder to a cup of hot water and consume this solution 3 times every day for 1 to 2 months. You can also apply cayenne pepper to the varicose veins topically by mixing crushed cayenne pepper pods with aloe vera juice and rubbing the mixture on the spider veins.

Butcher’s Broom

Butcher’s Boom or Ruscus aculeatus is yet another varicose veins home treatment that is useful for providing quick relief from the pain and discomfort of varicose veins. This yellow flowering shrub is well known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-elastase properties that help in constricting the veins and tones them. The compound uscogenins present in butcher’s broom helps in reducing inflammation of the veins.

Recommended daily dosage of the supplement is 100 mg 3 times a day. The supplements are made from the seed and roots of the plants and contain vitamins and minerals like vitamins B, C, calcium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, zinc and selenium. People suffering from high blood pressure or prostate hyperplasia should not use this remedy without consulting a doctor.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel, botanically known as Hamamelis virginiana is a wonderful herb used in various remedies for the skin. Being an amazing astringent, it helps in removing excess oil from skin and brightening it at the same time. It is one of the potential home remedies for dark circles and bags under eyes. The anti-inflammatory compounds and tannins found in this herb cures skin inflammation, varicose veins and hemorrhoids and the gallic acid and essential oils present in the herb helps to reduce swelling and pain associated with varicose veins.

Dip a clean cloth is witch hazel and spread it over the affected area. Repeat it 3 times a day for 1 month. You can also make a soak by adding 20 drops of distilled witch hazel to a tub of lukewarm water. Immerse your legs with spider veins in this solution for 20 minutes and then wash your legs with water. Follow this cure 1 time daily for 1 month.

Cabbage Poultice

All of us are aware of the benefits of fruits and vegetables to lose weight, but some vegetables are equally effective in treating other health issues. Cabbage is one such vegetable that is used as a varicose veins home treatment. Cabbage is a storehouse of nutritious components like vitamins A, B1, B2, C, E and K along with iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sulfur and copper that is extremely beneficial for maintaining overall health and it works as a useful varicose veins treatment thanks to its sulfur, potassium, Vitamin K and vitamin U content. The high sulfur content of this cruciferous vegetable destroys the ferments in the blood that results in ulcers and infection.

Wash some cabbage leaves and chop them finely, add some water and turn it into a paste. Smear this paste on the affected areas and cover it with a clean cloth. Wait for 2 hours and wash off with water. This will help slacken the pain and swelling associated with varicose veins.

Marigold

This bright orange flower is well known for its useful medicinal and therapeutic properties. The effective antibiotic, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties of this flower make it an essential ingredient for a plethora of herbal and home remedies. An infusion of marigold flowers in water is the simplest solution to the question of how to treat oily skin naturally.

The marigold flower is a rich source of vitamin C and flavonoids that improve the production of collagen and generate cell repair and regeneration. It also helps in improving blood circulation through the veins thus, alleviating the pain, swelling, and discomfort. It also improves the tone of the veins, thereby making them less susceptible to degeneration. Prolonged use of marigold can actually cure varicose veins completely. Take a handful of fresh marigold petals and crush them thoroughly to form a paste. Apply it to the varicose veins and leave overnight. Repeat this cure every day till the spider veins disappear.

Parsley

Parsley is an extremely popular cooking herb that is used to add flavor to various dishes. But it is also an effective herbal ingredient rich in vitamin C that boosts the creation of collagen and aids in cell repair and regeneration. It is also an amazing food that helps in boosting immune power. The compound rutin found in parsley helps in increasing the strength of the capillaries and reduces the varicose veins symptoms such as pain, swelling and discomfort.

Chop a handful of fresh parsley leaves and add it to a cup of boiling water and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from flame, cover it and let it cool to lukewarm. Strain the solution, add 2 drops each of rose and marigold essential oils and keep it in the refrigerator for few hours. Now, apply the solution to the varicose veins using a cotton ball. Follow the cure daily for 2 months to get desirable result. Also include raw parsley to your daily diet.

Garlic

Garlic is an age old herbal and Ayurvedic remedy that has been used for ages to treat a wide range of health issues. Both raw garlic and garlic oil are equally effective in reducing inflammation, and it is one of the unsurpassed solutions to the question of how to treat ringworm on skin naturally. Garlic helps in neutralizing the inflammation of the veins caused by poor blood circulation. It disintegrates the toxins in the body and stimulates their release and promotes healthy circulation throughout the body.

You can apply fresh garlic paste directly on the spider veins, wait for 15 minutes and wash off with water. Repeat it daily for a few months. You can also upsurge the consumption of fresh garlic in your diet in order to get desired results.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This multipurpose ingredient is affordable and readily available remedy for the treatment of varicose veins. Apple cider vinegar is extensively used in home remedies for skin and hair, and it is an important ingredient for DIY natural hair conditioner for smooth and lustrous hair. Apple cider vinegar is popularly used to treat all kinds of pains, swelling and heartburn.

Apple cider vinegar promotes blood flow and circulation which in turn reduces the heaviness, pain and swelling of varicose veins. Wet a clean cloth or light towel in apple cider vinegar and place it over the affected area, wait for 10 minutes and then remove the cloth. You can also massage undiluted apple cider vinegar on the legs starting from the bottom and moving upwards. Don’t apply too much pressure while massaging the affected areas.

Grape Seed Extract

Grapes are not only used for making delicious wine, but the seeds that are thrown away as the by-product of wine making can be used to obtain grape seeds oil, a natural oil rich in vitamin E, antioxidants, flavonoids and linoleic acid. Grape seed oil is often included in homemade treatment for acne and pimples, and it is also beneficial for treating varicose veins. Antioxidant oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs) found in grape seeds strengthen the connective tissue structure of blood vessels and reduces inflammation. It also improves elasticity and tone of the capillary walls and protects the capillaries and veins from free radical damage. The best way to utilize the benefits of grape seeds is to consume grape seed supplements that are obtainable in the form of capsules, tablets or liquid extracts.

Choose a supplement that has OPC content of 95%. The daily dosage should be 150 mg per day in order to relieve pain, swelling, burning and tingling of varicose veins. It is best not to give grape seeds extract to pregnant and breastfeeding women or those using blood thinners.

Pine Bark

Pine bark or Proanthocyanidin is the bark of the evergreen pine. Pine bark is a rich source of antioxidant chemicals and bioflavonoids known as oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes (OPCs) that helps in improving collagen and reducing the leakage of capillaries, thus, assisting in controlling inflammation.

Pine bark extract binds to the collagen present in the walls of the blood vessels and makes the capillaries stronger along with increased elasticity. It also helps in reducing blood pressure. It also helps in increasing the effectiveness of vitamin C and E in the body. It is best to consume pine bark extract in the form of supplements. You can take 45 to 360 mg on a daily basis (50 to 100 mg 3 times a day). But, you should consult your physician about the exact quantity of pine bark extract suitable for your condition of varicose veins.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is nature’s gift to man that helps in resolving all types of hair and skin problems. The numerous uses of olive oil for body and overall health are well- known. Olive oil is also a useful home remedy for varicose veins that helps in reducing the pain and inflammation by increasing circulation through the veins.

Mix equal parts of organic extra virgin olive oil with vitamin E oil and heat the mixture slightly. Use this concoction to massage the veins for several minutes 2 times every day. Massage from the bottom of the leg, working your way upwards, but don’t apply too much pressure on the veins.

Essential Oils Compress

Fragrant essential oils are not only used in relaxing aromatherapy treatments, but also in treating various other health issues thanks to their healing properties. The combination of the right essential oils can strengthen the veins and improve blood flow through the veins and relieve the symptoms associated with varicose veins. Some of the most useful essential oils to treat varicose veins are lavender oil, chamomile oil, and carrot oil.

Add 3 drops each of chamomile oil, lavender oil and carrot oil in 1 cup of water, add 1 teaspoon of St. John’s wort tincture to it. Soak a clean cloth in this mixture, squeeze out excess solution and place this compress on the areas affected by varicose veins. Follow this cure on a daily basis to cure the broken capillaries.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent the Development of Varicose Veins

Spider veins and varicose veins are painful and intimidating. Certain positive changes in the daily habits and lifestyle can cure varicose veins and also prevent their appearance in future.

Check your Family History – Varicose veins is a hereditary disease, and it can run in families. It is believed that weakness or fault in the gene governs the development of this vascular problem. If you have a family history of varicose veins, then start following the preventing measures right away.

Be Physically Active – Although exercises may not prevent varicose veins, regular physical activity can promote circulation and prevent blood from pooling in the veins. The working muscles of the legs will contract and push the blood through the veins back to the heart.

Have a Balanced Diet – The importance of following a well-balanced diet needs no new emphasis, and it is important for maintaining proper body weight. In addition, a balanced diet also supplies enough vitamin C and protein to the body. These two are important components of collagen – an important part of the tissues that make up the valves and veins.

Don’t Sit or Stand for Too Long – Extended periods of sitting slows down the return of blood to the heart and so it is important to stand up, stretch the legs and take a walk every half an hour if you have desk work at the office. Prolonged standing also leads to the formation of varicose veins. In a standing position, the blood from the legs has to make a long upward journey against the force of gravity, and so the blood tends to pool in the lower legs. So, if your work requires standing for hours, then take frequent breaks and sit with your feet up for few minutes. And while standing, shift your body weight from one leg to another and occasionally get up on tiptoes in order to engage the leg muscles in the function of pushing the blood upwards.

Lose Weight – The question of how to overcome obesity has plagued the modern world where both adults and children are suffering from this health issue. Excessive body weight not only puts pressure on each and every system of the body but also makes people less active. As a result, the legs of overweight people cannot pump back the blood to the heart efficiently.

Prop Up your Legs – Putting our feet up by keeping them above the level of your heart is a good way to enhance blood flow through the veins back to the heart. Elevation also relieves leg pain and swelling. You can also attempt sleeping with your feet elevated.

Flex Your Leg Muscles – Contracting your leg muscles by flexing your feet up and down also helps to push the blood upward and out from the veins. Flex your feet up and down for 5 minutes while you remain seated. Rotate your feet clockwise and anticlockwise for 5 minutes. Do these easy foot exercises every day to prevent varicose veins.

Try out these soothing home remedies and bring about these positive changes in your lifestyle to get permanent relief from varicose veins.

15 Healing Home Remedies to Prevent Varicose Veins – PDF