Unsightly, uncomfortable and often associated with women of a certain age, varicose veins actually affect about one in three people.
Dark purple or blue in colour, with a lumpy or rope-like appearance, there are a number of causes and contributing factors including gender, genetics, pregnancy, excess weight and occupation.
Cause and effect
“Varicose veins are veins that are abnormally swollen. The condition occurs when valves in the veins that keep blood flowing towards the heart falter, causing blood to collect in them,” says Dr Francesco Serino from the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
These weakened valves and vein walls, which can become stretched and lose their elasticity, are commonly found in legs and calves because standing and walking puts extra pressure on the veins in our lower body.
Pregnancy also stresses the veins, and increased hormone levels can cause relaxation of the muscle walls, which increases the likelihood of developing varicose veins.
According to Serino, varicose veins are fairly common among men and women, affecting about half of all women between the ages of 40 and 50, and the condition can be intensified by obesity, family history or an inactive lifestyle.
“While living in a hot climate does not in itself cause varicose veins, the heat can make it worse. In warm weather, our body releases heat by widening veins, bringing blood closer to the skin surface in order to cool down,” he says.
Jobs that require extended periods of standing, or sitting for too long, can also increase the risk, with heavy, achy legs, swollen feet and ankles, and muscle cramps affecting those with the condition.
To treat or not to treat
While varicose veins may be uncomfortable to look at, if they don’t affect circulation or have any other negative long-term health effects, treatment isn’t necessary.
According to Serino: “Varicose veins are typically more of a cosmetic concern than a medical one, but if they make walking or standing painful, you should contact your doctor immediately. The major concern with varicose veins is the potential for the veins to become inflamed or to develop blood clots, or for skin ulcers to appear around them due to poor oxygen circulation.”
Treatments include endothermal ablation, which uses heat energy via a laser or radio frequency to seal the affected veins; laser or sclerotherapy, whereby a special saline or chemical solution is injected to close the vein; or ligation and stripping, a surgical procedure that entirely removes the affected veins.
Prevention in the form of lifestyle changes is recommended if you want to reduce the risk of developing varicose veins or ease existing symptoms.
“As with many other heart and vascular conditions, the best way to reduce the risk of developing varicose veins is to maintain a healthy body weight, avoid crossing your legs when you sit down and avoid standing or sitting for a long time,” says Serino.
Getting up from your desk and moving every 30 minutes, or taking regular breaks are simple solutions, along with introducing exercise to your daily routine, which will help improve circulation.
“If your job or daily routine sees you standing for a long time without a break to rest and raise your legs, then your doctor may recommend you wear compression stockings,” says Serino. “These gently squeeze the leg, which helps stop blood from pooling in the veins.”
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The bio
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France
Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines
Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.
Favourite Author: My father for sure
Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Know your Camel lingo
The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home
Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless
Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers
Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival
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MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Company%20profile
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
