We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Conditions

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Does Crossing Your Legs Cause Varicose Veins?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 9,190
Share

Ladies were often told that polite sitting involves crossing the legs, or more often the ankles. Whether or not this truly constitutes polite sitting, there’s no need to worry about varicose veins if you plan on crossing your legs. This is an urban legend, an old wives tale that has been routinely circulated and repeated on the Internet, one which medical professionals dismiss as hogwash. Crossing your legs will not and does not lead to varicose veins or to spider veins.

The theory that crossing your legs leads to these prominent and damaged veins stems from the idea that crossing the legs can cause compression to the legs, which can create back-up blood flow to the heart. Veins carry blood returning to the heart, and if you were to create enough pressure to slow down this blood flow, veins could pool with blood, enlarging and becoming damaged. Yet any compression caused by crossing your legs is not enough to apply the type of pressure needed to truly stop the regular flow of venous blood; you’re not applying a tourniquet to your legs when you cross them.

Similarly, people may be told that wearing compression stockings will cause varicose veins, but this is in fact standard treatment to reduce pain and swelling associated with swollen and damaged veins. If your knee-highs are a bit too tight, for comfort’s sake you might want a slightly looser pair. Yet, you don’t need to worry about varicose veins resulting from tight socks, any more than you need worry about how crossing your legs will affect your veins.

This begs the question then, of what causes varicose veins and what steps you can take to try to prevent them. First, it isn’t always possible to prevent varicose veins, but again, crossing your legs will neither cause nor avoid them. The most common factors for developing varicose veins include heredity — you may just be genetically predisposed toward developing these.

Other factors that may increase risk for varicose veins include gender. Varicose veins occur more often in women. Being overweight, having poor circulation to the legs, which can be present in people with diabetes or with heart conditions, and actually having to do a lot of standing may create more varicose veins. Pregnancy can often cause varicose veins to develop and hormone treatments as when women are trying to get pregnant or are using hormone replacement therapy may put people at more risk. Typically birth control pills are not associated with greater risk for developing these painful and swollen veins.

Good news exists, too, in the fact that varicose veins can now be treated through a variety of methods. Ask your doctor about which method might be right for you. Some methods fall under the classification of optional procedures and may not be covered by health insurance. When varicose veins are extremely painful and inhibit activity, people may be able to successfully argue that a procedure to remove the veins is warranted and should be covered by insurance.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a The Health Board contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
By anon32495 — On May 22, 2009

Thanks for clearing that up for me. My band teacher told the girls in the class that if we crossed our legs we'd get varicose veins. But I had a feeling she was lying, so I did a little digging. Thank you so much, now I can tell my friends not to worry!!!

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a The Health Board contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/does-crossing-your-legs-cause-varicose-veins.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.