Tired legs syndrome appears due to insufficient venous return. While many cases require medical intervention, it can generally improve with lifestyle changes.
The demands of day to day can have a lot of influence on health. That fatigue appears after hours of standing is normal. However, if the sensation is continuous, we could be facing tired leg's syndrome, something unknown to many, but suffered by many people.
Fortunately, tired legs syndrome is not a serious disease, although it can limit the activities of daily life and must be monitored and controlled.
Furthermore, this syndrome affects 20-30% of the adult population. It affects 50% of people over 50 years and is five times more frequent in women. It also occurs more in people who are obese, sedentary or who spend a lot of time on their feet.
Unfortunately, in many cases this health problem is directly related to the profession performed. Spending many hours standing or sitting can negatively affect leg and leg health.
What is tired leg's syndrome?
Due to the natural process of cellular aging, the cell walls increase in size faster. This makes the blood vessels, made up of many cells, more fragile and less effective.
The function of veins is to collect blood from the entire organism and return it to the heart. With respect to the venous system of the legs, so that the blood rises (in the opposite direction to gravity), it has small valves that prevent the blood from receding, in addition to a muscular layer that helps in pumping.
When the venous return is insufficient, either because the pumping fails or because the blood is stagnant, the first symptoms appear: heaviness, tiredness and swelling of the legs. This happens when fluid leaks from the veins into the tissues.
If this lengthens over time, due to the excessive pressure suffered by the venous wall, it loses the ability to contain the blood inside it. This is when varicose veins and the common vascular disease known as chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) appear.
Symptoms of tired legs syndrome
In general, the usual signs and symptoms of tired legs syndrome are the following:
Heaviness and edema in the leg's.
Pain.
Itching (itching).
Fatigue.
Muscle cramps.
Nocturnal paresthesias (feeling of numbness in the legs).
Tingling and stiffness.
Varicose veins or spider veins (dilated veins, as they do not have the capacity to return all the blood to the heart. Spider veins are smaller and reddish in color, while varicose veins are larger and have a more bluish color).
Swelling, which is worse when standing or not moving for a long time.
As clinical data, the symptoms that occur most in most cases are itching, heaviness and pain.
What factors influence its appearance?
There are factors that predispose to tired legs syndrome and that can be avoided, such as those discussed below.
Age. Various studies show that the frequency of venous diseases reaches 60% in people over 65
Personal history (previous circulatory disease).
Genetic predisposition (family history)
Hormonal status (particularly during pregnancy, menopause, taking oral contraceptives, and hormone replacement treatments).
Foot morphology. The flat foot (decreases the muscular contraction that we carry out naturally when walking).
In addition, there are also avoidable factors that aggravate the syndrome, such as the following:
Sedentary lifestyle.
Standing or sitting many hours a day.
Prolonged exposure to the sun or heat.
The professions at risk: health personnel, hostesses, hospitality personnel, hairdressers, housekeepers, office workers, drivers, teachers, telemarketers, etc.
Overweight or obesity, especially in the case of women. The increase in fatty tissue in the legs complicates the effectiveness of the muscle pump that helps the venous return
Constipation, because it causes an increase in abdominal pressure and can make it difficult for blood to flow back to the heart.
Clothing tight on legs and hips, as it interferes with venous return.
The high temperatures. Heat causes dilation of the veins and makes it difficult for blood to flow back to the heart
In this way, all these influences can be modified before the onset of the syndrome or, on the contrary, we can help alleviate your discomfort and long-term complications.
Tips for the prevention and relief of tired legs syndrome
The main solution to avoid the syndrome of the tired legs is to change the habits of life. Regarding the measures that we can use to prevent the syndrome or alleviate its possible effects when it appears, there are the following:
Keep your legs up: take breaks with your legs elevated for at least 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a day. You should sit and raise your legs above hip level, supported on an armchair without crossing them
Perform daily physical exercise: at least 30-60 minutes a day. Avoid leg weight exercises. Aerobic activities such as swimming, cycling, pilates or yoga are recommended.
Avoid being overweight: follow a low calorie diet.
Avoid sources of heat and excessive exposure to the sun: cold water baths in the legs can be beneficial.
Sleep with your legs raised about 10 or 20 cm.
Do not wear tight clothing or footwear: it is preferable to wear natural fabric garments to improve skin perspiration. A little heel can be beneficial in footwear, although high heels should be avoided.
Avoid constipation: try to establish a daily stool pattern, establishing new habits.
Control blood pressure.
Massage from the feet up: to aid circulation and decrease fluid buildup in the ankles.
Possible treatments
Tired legs syndrome is not a serious problem, but it is an increasingly common issue in healthcare. Currently, the following options are used as treatment:
Compression therapy: consists of applying pressure to the legs through the use of elastic compression bandages or stockings. You must choose the appropriate compression, size and model, which will be different for each person, so it is essential that they are always recommended by a professional.
Hydrotherapy: showers combined with massages with cold water or alternating cold water with lukewarm. This serves to stimulate venous circulation.
Phytotherapy: there are medicinal plants that help improve blood circulation. Always recommended by a professional and supervised by pharmacists. Examples of them are: ginkgo biloba, rusco, witch hazel virginiana, among others.
Drugs: consists of the administration of venotonics, always under medical prescription, which improve venous return.
Vascular surgery: in extreme cases.
Tired legs syndrome can affect quality of life if you are not given timely care. Therefore, before the first symptoms, it is advisable to consult the doctor.