Do your legs feel heavy, tired and achy in summer? If they do, you’re not alone.

Heavy legs are common in hot weather, especially in women. But this unpleasant sensation can be linked to other health conditions too.

We explain why legs feel heavy in summer, what it means for your health and how you can relieve your symptoms.

What causes heavy legs in summer?

The heaviness we feel in the summer months - sometimes accompanied by aches and swelling - is caused by blood pooling in the legs.

The average human body contains five litres of blood, making up around 10% of our total body weight - so when blood collects in our legs, we feel as though we’re dragging heavy weights around.

Blood pools in hot weather due to a process called vasodilation. In high temperatures, veins dilate, or expand, to help us cool down. This dilation means your body must fight gravity harder in order to circulate blood back up to the heart. This can result in blood pooling in the lower legs - especially if we sit or stand in one place for too long.

Dehydration can also contribute to heavy legs in summer. When it’s hot, we risk losing more water than we replace - this can result in blood becoming more viscous, or sticky, again making it harder to circulate.

Can varicose veins cause heavy legs?

Heavy legs caused by summer heat can be uncomfortable and stop you from getting out and enjoying life, but they’ll usually improve when you cool down.

Blood pooling in the legs over a long period of time, however, can be the result of a chronic condition that causes heavy, aching legs whatever the weather.

Inside our veins are tiny one-way valves that open to let blood through, then close to prevent it from flowing backwards. With the help of contractions in surrounding muscles, blood is circulated back to the heart and lungs.

Over time, the walls of the veins can stretch and lose their elasticity, causing the valves to weaken and blood to leak backwards and collect in the veins - a condition known as venous insufficiency.

In time, the damaged veins can take on the bumpy, knotted appearance of varicose veins, a condition estimated to affect about 39% of Australians¹.

Varicose veins are more predominant in women, as research suggests that female hormones relax the vein walls, making the valves more prone to leaking².

Varicose veins could partly be caused by your genes, as the risk increases if a close family member has the condition. Other risk factors include ageing, being overweight, or having a job that involves long periods of standing.

Chronic Venous insufficiency (CVI) and varicose veins often don’t require treatment but seek medical advice if they are causing pain or become sore and irritated.

Heavy legs in summer

References

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