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Beware, vain commuters: prolonged standing may increase the likelihood of developing ugly leg veins.
Almost every New Yorker’s commute consisted of lengthy train commutes until the epidemic struck and employees began working from their home offices.
Despite the advantages of remote work, many are now battling with varicose and spider veins as they move from a sedentary lifestyle to their regular routines.
Dr. Danielle Bajakian, a vascular surgeon and the head of the Columbia Vein Program, has observed an increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for chronic venous insufficiency, the condition that frequently produces varicose veins.
Dr. Bajakian said in a statement, “It’s not because they had COVID.” “This is due to the significant lifestyle changes that Americans have undergone.”
Numerous health risks are associated with prolonged sitting, including varicose and spider veins, which are swollen veins produced by standing or sitting for extended periods of time and poor heredity.
Gravity “pulls the blood down” when a person is seated or standing, according to Dr. Mason Mandy, a board-certified surgeon and the chief medical officer at Metro Vein Centers in Manhattan.
Dr. Mandy told The Post that vein problems can occur if a person is immobile for extended periods of time, and that standing, especially during a long commute, can be a contributing factor.
It’s a double-edged sword: Working from home won’t do your veins any favors, he explained, but neither will your hour-long train journey.
Long commutes where individuals are seated or standing in one spot can contribute to the development of varicose veins.
While Dr. Mandy has observed a rise in the number of patients after pandemic-era restrictions have been removed, he admits it’s difficult to pinpoint the cause or attribute it to return-to-work rules.
He stated, “That could very well be related to commuting.” “Many of our patients report that they stand for an hour each way on the subway every day or sit or stand for an hour and a half each way on a bus.”
Despite not being life-threatening, varicose veins can cause agony and shame due to their purple-blue hue. Spider veins, the smaller relative of varicose veins, are mostly only a cosmetic concern.
Lisa Conigliaro, who believed herself to be an active, healthy 58-year-old, was significantly impacted by her sudden, incapacitating agony.
Conigliaro, who resides in the West Village, told The Post, “When I attempted to fall asleep at night, I was unable to do so.” I would need to get up three, four, or even five or six times throughout the night.
She was a typical New Yorker, working as a fashion stylist and in retail while carrying hundreds of pounds of clothing and standing for long hours. Due to her “embarrassment” about her visible veins, she has spent more than a decade concealing her legs behind pants, even during the summer.
Patients seek Dr. Mandy’s expertise because he can eliminate bulging veins with straightforward treatments.
“I’m a vain person, literally,” she laughed, adding that the veins, which made her legs seem like they were attached to “cinderblocks,” made her feel self-conscious.
“I lacked confidence,” she conceded.
Although the appearance and development of varicose and spider veins are mostly determined by genetics, getting the blood circulating is essential for preventing them for as long as feasible.
Dr. Mandy suggests the holy trinity of compression stockings, leg elevation, and regular exercise to prevent bulging, purple veins. Those who already have them are often treated with noninvasive injections or laser therapy, depending on the individual.
Dr. Mandy’s treatment on Conigliaro was quick and painless, she claimed, and she now has “beautiful” legs that she’s not ashamed to show off. When she finally donned a skirt after avoiding skirts for more than a decade, she was so ecstatic that she began to “cry.”
Last summer was the first time in almost a decade that she bared her legs. “You have no idea how thrilled I was.”
“I simply wanted to display my legs,” she explained. It was really beautiful.
»Experts believe that long subway rides may induce spider veins«