Crossing Legs

A venous thrombus is a clump of blood cells, platelets, and fibrin (clot) which attaches to the inside walls of veins, can grow in size, and break off to travel downstream from the clot. If the clot stays localized, it can cause swelling and vein irritation. If part of it breaks off, then it can cause blockage downstream, may travel to the lungs (pulmonary embolus) and result in serious illness or even death. In some circumstances, deep vein thrombosis may also contribute to other serious medical problems such as heart attack and stroke.

Crossing your legs slows you down. Crossing your legs protects fools.

You are reminded not to spring across the room to silence some blithering idiot by sinking your teeth into into the offending jugular vein.

"Crossing the legs is like second nature for most women and some men, too," Navarro said. "It's a bad habit and one of the first things you should learn to undo if you suffer from varicose veins."

Why? Crossing the legs slows the upward flow of blood and increases pressure inside the veins, Navarro explained.

Some tips on how to keep leg veins strong and healthy:

Exercise. Walk, walk, walk.

Don't sit for long periods of time. Take small, walking breaks.

Rotate the ankles and flex the toes while sitting.

Eat a high-fiber diet to avoid constipation.

Elevate legs six to 12 inches above the heart while sleeping.

Try to maintain an ideal weight.

Wear mild compression stockings if your job (as a cashier, for example) requires you to stand in one place with little movement all day.

Source: Dr. Luis Navarro, head of the Vein Treatment Center at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.