Causes of Heavy Legs

Posted by veintreatmentclinic on October 3rd, 2019

It is normal to feel heavy legs after a workout. However, if you have leg heaviness for not reason, then it may be a sign of a vein condition. The sooner you know of the cause for the heavy legs, the easier it will be to treat it. Before going to the doctor, you can try some home remedies to get relief. There are several causes of leg heaviness. The doctor will conduct a diagnosis just to be sure of the exact cause before determining the treatment for leg heaviness. Here are the common causes for heavy legs.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins and spider veins on legs can cause heavy legs. They look larger and knotty than the surrounding veins. You can check spider vein treatment cost to get started with treatment. Blood begins to pool in the legs due to veins losing elasticity and gravity. There are many reasons why varicose veins appear. Some of them include aging, obesity, lack of physical activity, standing or sitting for long hours and hormonal imbalances. The varicose veins can lead to blood clots that cause pain.

Overtraining

Training for long hours can give you heavy legs. If push yourself past your normal limit, you will overstrain your muscles. When the muscle has been overstrained, it will not have enough time to repair itself. The result is weak, sluggish, and heavy muscles. Most athletes who complain of the heavy muscles are runners and cyclists.

Restless leg syndrome

Having restless leg syndrome can lead to heavy legs. The syndrome causes the legs to become numb, jittery and shaky. Moving your legs is one of the remedies to restless leg syndrome. The legs will have a heavy feeling until you are able to move them. You can shake your legs or tap your feet to relieve the symptom.

Peripheral arterial disease

Peripheral arterial disease affects the arteries and veins. You may notice the symptoms when fat build up on the walls of the arteries. The fat build up makes it hard for blood to pass through. The vein disease in legs can cut off blood circulation to the legs. The result is heavy legs that ache and have cramps.

Obesity

Being overweight can trigger many illnesses that lead to heavy legs. The heavy legs can also be as a result of the excess weight. Being overweight puts more pressure on your muscles, joints and leg tendons. It is especially the case when you stand for longer periods.

Pregnancy

The other reason you may have heavy legs is due to pregnancy. The extra weight is that your legs have to carry when being pregnant can lead to heavy legs. During pregnancy, you may also experience increased water retention and reduced elasticity in the veins.

Chronic venous insufficiency

You may also have heavy legs due to chronic venous insufficiency. Your heart will have to work harder when taking blood back to the heart from your legs. The legs have one way valves that prevents blood from going back down. Some causes of chronic venous insufficiency make your veins to become weak and may lead to heavy legs.