Warm weather brings shorter skirts, swimsuits and shorts. If you dread the season because of often unsightly and painful varicose veins, several treatments can help.
 
Varicose veins are caused by poor circulation. Most people who have them complain of swelling, itching and pain, as well as leg restlessness and cramps. Most people report also having problems sleeping because of the symptoms associated with varicose veins.
 
The antioxidant Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) have been found to help people experiencing problems with varicose veins. Patients treated with OPC for four weeks, and 75 percent of the 92 patients tested found that their symptoms were reduced.
 
OPCs can help relieve the problems associated with varicose veins by strengthening the blood vessel walls that are weakened by age and disease. OPC makes the frail blood vessels more intact and supple. These tougher, thicker blood vessels are less likely to stretch, leak or burst.
 
Two proteins that make up the blood vessel wall, collagen and elastin, can determine whether the wall is solid, strong, and flexible, or fragile and leaky. OPC attaches to these two proteins, preventing their breakdown by destructive enzymes. OPC reinforces the connective tissue that makes blood vessels strong and resistant.
 
OPCs help the body to neutralize invasion of free-radicals, which cause aging and illness. When free-radicals are controlled, the body can heal itself. So start letting your legs heal themselves now so you can look great in those shorts this summer!