If you are planning a trip to a hot sunny holiday destination, here are my tips for keeping your legs healthy.
- Firstly, I suggest you consider ways of reducing the risks of leg swelling and deep vein thrombosis on the journey, particularly if you are going on a long haul flight. Do the inflight exercises, keep hydrated, keep moving and consider medical compression socks.
- When you get to your vacation destination, the heat will inevitably increase your tendency to leg swelling. If you have a tendency to oedema anyway, this will be worse in hot weather. Now oedema increases your risk of cellulitis. This can be serious, because oedema fluid is rich in nutrients that encourage bacterial growth and any trivial scratch or insect bite can lead to a serious leg infection. So try to reduce the oedema swelling by elevating your legs when ever you can, walk as much as possible to disperse the oedema and consider medical socks to control the swelling. Now of course, no one likes the idea of wearing medical socks on holiday but if your oedema is severe, it may be advisable in order reduce your risks of complications on holiday. Here is a link to a good place to get high quality holiday compression socks and if you use the discount code MELB1 at the check out you can get a 10% discount. Medical compression socks nowadays can be light, sheer and needn’t be a misery to wear even in hot weather.
- To avoid getting infections of your legs, use a good insect repellent particularly in the evening, and you may wish to consider washing with a bactericidal soap tp reduce the bacterial count on your legs and before you go, think about treating any fungal infections between your toes. Avoid walking barefoot and cover your legs if you are in the bush or likely to be scratched or pricked by vegetation or plants. Any scratch, insect bite or graze can act as a portal of entry through the skin for infection and cracks in the skin from athletes’ foot will allow infections to take hold.
- Lastly keep a bottle of water with you on vacation and keep drinking to maintain hydration. Walk as much as much as possible to main the leg vein circulation. Don’t let your blood become thick and sticky and keep the blood in the deep veins moving. Oh and don’t forget to protect your skin with a sunscreen lotion of at least 20 SPF.
Now, if you’re worried about your veins and your leg health and would like a confidential chat please do get in touch. Our advisors are very happy to offer simple advice by telephone or email for free and without obligation. You can call and book an appointment direct without a referral from your GP on 01935 873951.