Treat Varicose Veins Naturally

(Page 2 of 2)

January/February 2000
By Terri Merriken 
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Studies show the extracts reduced leg edema, improved vascular tone, and lessened subjective symptoms such as a feeling of heaviness in the legs, nighttime calf muscle spasms, itching, and swelling. Most trials used an oral dose of 600 mg of an extract a day, containing 100 mg a day of aescin. Topical products are not absorbed systemically; they do, however, absorb into the tissues on which they’re directly applied. Follow label instructions for topical products.

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Standardized horse chestnut oral and topical products (capsules or tablets) are available in the United States.

Caution: Use only standardized, manufactured products; the crude herb may be toxic.

In rare instances, internal use may cause stomach upset, nausea, and itching. Controlled-release dosage forms reduce the chance of stomach upset. It may also make aspirin and other blood thinners more potent, so avoid mixing with those medications. No other contraindications or interaction with other drugs are known.

Other herbal treatments

If you have ever steeped tea too long or tasted a particularly dry wine, you know the tight, puckering feeling of tannins in your mouth. Tannins tighten and constrict tissues, which is useful for treating varicose veins. Astringent herbs such as witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) are high in tannins. They constrict blood vessels and can reduce inflammation and swelling. Tinctures of witch hazel contain tannins specific to an external application on varicose veins and can be used in poultice or ­lotion form.

Butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) has been used for varicose veins because it reduces inflammation and constricts ­dilated blood vessels. Don’t use this herb if you have high blood pressure. A standard daily dose is 300 mg of a dried extract, containing 7 to 11 mg of total ruscogenin.

Anatomy of a varicose vein

Veins are blood vessels that carry deoxygenated blood to the heart (except for pulmonary veins, which transport oxygenated blood). Varicose veins are the result of a breakdown or faulty design of the valve structure within the veins. Folds in the vein’s inner wall form valves that close temporarily after each heartbeat to prevent the blood from flowing backward until the next pump of the heart moves it on. This assists in returning blood to the heart against the pull of gravity. If these valves become weakened and blood does not flow, blood pools in the area and vein walls can ­become swollen and inflamed—the condition known as ­varicose veins.

Terri Merriken is the executive director of the National College of Phytotherapy and director of the New Mexico Herb Center in Albuquerque. Herbs for Health lead editorial adviser Steven Foster contributed research to this article.

 
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