Recent Study Finds Association of Varicose Veins and Jobs Requiring Standing

On Your Feet All Day

If your job requires you to be on your feet all day, you’re far from alone. In fact, one study found that nearly half of all workers worldwide spend at least three-quarters of the workday on their feet. [1] As the nurses, bank tellers, retail workers, and other professionals who aren’t desk-bound can tell you, all that standing can take a toll. And alongside physical problems like aching feet and sore backs, varicose veins are also more likely to arise.

This was the finding recently published in the academic journal, Safety and Health at Work. Looking at a cohort of nurses at a South Korean hospital, the researchers concluded that varicose vein cases “are associated with occupations requiring prolonged hours of working in a standing position.” [2]

A closer look at this study will provide us with a sense of what’s at play here. Take a seat (if you can) and read on!

Finding The Data

Nurses are, of course, on their feet for hours every day. It’s just part of that important job. No doubt this was part of the reasoning why Dr. Myeong-Ja Yun and colleagues at Pusan National University, South Korea, elected to focus on these professionals. They relied on both ultrasound imaging data and surveys of taken from 414 nurses at the university’s hospital. [2] This would allow them a chance to determine just how prevalent and severe varicose veins are in this population, giving us a glimpse of how it is for all working on their feet.

Robust Results

From this data, Dr. Yun and the team was able to ascertain a distinct effect. All told, 16.8% of the nurses had varicose veins, which is significantly less than overall prevalence. [2] However, that largely had to do with the fact that the nurses were younger; it’s important to note that varicose vein rates climb with age. Significantly, the team also found that the nurses working on rotations that involved more walking and standing had higher rates of this condition.

Dr. Yun and colleagues noted that other studies had found similar associations, but theirs was the first that relied on ultrasound to diagnose varicose veins. [2] There is more work to do, of course, but the implications are that jobs that require standing are certainly a risk-factor for this condition. This bears consideration in both the treatment and isolation of varicose veins, and the way that workplace health should be managed.

Stepping Forward

The more we know about the causes of varicose veins, the better we’ll be able to take this condition on. The good news is that this knowledge-base is always growing; researchers will continue to investigate this condition, and treatments—already more effective than they’ve ever been—will continue to improve. Whether you’re on your feet all day or work at a desk, there’s no reason you can’t effectively take control of your varicose vein condition.

If you’re suffering with varicose veins, the team at Hamilton Vein Center can help. The experts here have helped countless people get a handle on and resolve their condition. Find out more about these Texas-based outpatient clinics by calling the Houston office at (281) 565-0033, Austin at (512) 551-1403, or the San Antonio location at (210) 504-4304 today!

References

1. “Standing All Day At Work? It May Take Toll On Health”. Webmd. Accessed September 17 2018. https://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20150728/standing-all-day-at-work-it-may-take-toll-on-health#1.
2. Yun, Myeong-Ja, Young-Ki Kim, Dong-Mug Kang, Jong-Eun Kim, Won-Choon Ha, Kap-yeol Jung, and Hyun-Woo Choi. 2018. “A Study On Prevalence And Risk Factors For Varicose Veins In Nurses At A University Hospital”. Safety And Health At Work 9 (1): 79-83. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.shaw.2017.08.005.