Varicose veins are a disease that is accompanied by the development of subcutaneous ducts or veins located deep under the skin of the human body.
With this disease, the walls of the veins lose their elasticity, when the jugular veins appear, they expand, forming blood stasis, the most important of which they are visible on the legs of women. They are the most common with this disease. The disease can appear from the age of 20, but is more common in middle -aged women. Men also get sick, but more rarely.
Cause
Sometimes the cause of varicose veins is frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol itself causes vasodilation, but if abused, it will lead to adverse consequences.
Young girls who like to sit cross-legged for hours are also at risk of developing the disease. In this leg position, blood stasis occurs, which causes disruption of the natural blood supply to the rest of the body.
Main factor
What causes varicose veins?
- Descendants. If parents have weak vein walls, then this can recur in children.
- High blood pressure can be the cause of this disease. Sometimes this is due to a violation of the hormonal system.
- For many women, pregnancy is difficult, especially in late pregnancy. At first, the disease does not manifest itself, but after giving birth, all the signs of the disease are on the face. The stress experienced by women during childbirth greatly affects the location of the veins.
- Burdening the body with physical muscle work provides all the conditions for the development of the disease. This is common in athletes who exercise. One must be able to manage the load on the human body properly.
- People with inactive jobs, especially office workers, are prone to the development of varicose veins.
- Staying on one's feet is not better - it can also cause illness.
- Women who frequently use birth control pills with a lot of hormones are at risk.
- Hip joint disease or previous trauma can lead to the development of the disease.
- People who are overweight often experience varicose veins. They have a constant load on the venous system.
- The abuse of tanning, sauna and frequent alcohol consumption cause the same condition.
Varicose veins are much easier to prevent than to cure. You just have to lead a healthy lifestyle, pay attention to good physical fitness, as well as a normal diet. In this case, there is a high probability of avoiding varicose veins.
How do varicose veins appear on the legs? The first sign of the photo
As a rule, in the early stages, various symptoms of varicose veins may appear, at which time the disease is still curable.
As a rule, people rarely think of tired legs in the evening, swollen or varicose veins. If the symptoms appear too sharp, then we are talking about a neglected disease.
Early manifestations of varicose veins
As a rule, it is not so easy to identify the early stages of varicose veins. This is due to the fact that varicose veins have a large number of symptoms, and very few people notice them. People ignore the swelling and fatigue of the legs. Especially this concerns pregnant women: often varicose veins are not given special importance and it is believed that during pregnancy, such complications are common.
Indeed, the cause of varicose veins can be considered excessive weight, but usually kilograms are lost after the appearance of the baby, but it also happens that a woman who suffers from varicose veins during pregnancy can not get rid of the disease after childbirth. This is often due to the fact that being overweight leads to venous disease.
The initial symptoms of varicose veins are easy to observe: the legs begin to quickly get tired from any physical activity, numb if they are in one position for a long time. But, as a rule, rarely one notices this, believing that pain in the legs when overcoming long distances is common. In winter, many associate the pain with the presence of heavy insulated shoes on their feet, while in summer the reason is heat. However, this is just an excuse, and there is no truth in this.
It is necessary to consider the early symptoms of varicose veins that can be seen during the diagnosis when contacting a specialist: leg fatigue after little physical exercise or pain after wearing heavy shoes, often women who wear heels face this, the presence of pain, burning sensation in the legs in the evening, increased fatigue, decreased ability to work. If the disease is ignored, then the first sign of varicose veins is an abscess.
Diagnostics
From the beginning of detecting diseases such as varicose veins, it is necessary to examine the veins to determine the pain, tension, density, the presence of affected parts of the veins, swelling and inflammation in them. The specialist who performs this examination is called a phlebologist. What to do at the first signs of varicose veins on the legs? First of all, it is necessary to diagnose the severity of the disease.
During the procedure, the patient must assume an upright position until the veins are filled with blood as much as possible. It is better if the diagnosis is made in the evening - this will allow the affected area to acquire a clearer contour. With the help of palpation and superficial examination, the specialist is able to obtain the first information about the condition of the patient’s ducts. After the initial examination is carried out, the second stage of diagnosis of varicose veins begins - examination with the help of ultrasound.
Taking a test during the diagnosis of varicose veins is an important source of information that helps diagnose the disease correctly.
What tests to take if you suspect varicose veins?
The first test is a blood test for hormones, biochemistry and hemoglobin. General blood tests were also taken, its group and rhesus, infectious group were determined.
After that, the patient must urinate for analysis to determine also hemoglobin, sugar, ketone body, and this analysis will also determine acetone and ammonia in the patient's urine.
Ultrasound procedure
With the help of ultrasound or ultrasound examination of the veins, you can examine the venous system from the inside and find the focus of the disease. The procedure takes no more than half an hour, while the patient is in a horizontal position.
Treatment
The disease is very dangerous and spreads all over the world, depending on the stage of the disease, different treatment methods are used.
To treat the first signs of varicose veins in the legs, you need to see a phlebologist, after examination, he will make a correct diagnosis, you can not treat the disease yourself. If treatment is not taken in a timely manner, the patient may die.
Methods to treat the first signs of varicose veins on the legs:
- sclerotherapy;
- medical treatment;
- medicinal herbs;
- compression underwear;
- surgical intervention.
Traditional methods
They are used only in complex treatment in combination with drugs, you need to take the color of nettle, acacia. This tincture is drunk three times a day before meals, it is useful to make a cold foot bath from a decoction of burdock leaves, nettle and birch leaves.
All recommended herbal preparations are taken only with the permission of a doctor; not recommended to drink decoctions and tinctures themselves.
Treatment with medication
Used drugs that have a tonic effect on the veins and are sold in pharmacies in the form of ointments and gels.
In order for the use of the ointment to be effective, it is also recommended to wear compression pants.
Compression underwear
These types include tights, stockings, at different levels of varicose veins, different linen wear is prescribed. You can buy medical tights at specialty stores.
These underwear help normalize venous blood flow, the necessary compressive strength restores the normal function of the veins.
Taking medication does not completely cure varicose veins, but eliminates some of the symptoms and facilitates the course of the disease. Also, thanks to the use of various drugs, the risk of manifestations of diseases such as thrombophlebitis is reduced. The disease occurs due to lack of treatment for varicose veins, it is only treated in a hospital, and surgery is often required.
Also, for treatment, I often use lymphatic drainage massage, because its use in general therapy, the patient's lymph outflow in the legs improves, edema will be reduced, fatigue and heaviness in the legs disappear. The only negative is the massage effect. It will last only two months, but then the massage course can be extended.
Sclerotherapy
This type of treatment is used if surgery is needed, but this procedure is different from surgery. A special drug is injected into the vein where the thrombus is found.
The drug works in such a way that the top layer of the affected vein is destroyed, then sticks together. Then, after 1. 5 years, these veins dissolve in the human body, other veins begin to perform their functions.
The drug is prescribed by a phlebologist, individual treatment is applied to each patient. The course of sclerotherapy includes 3-6 procedures, after some time from 2 to 8 weeks, the doctor will be able to determine how this treatment works.
This procedure can only be performed by an experienced specialist, because if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the vein will restore its blood flow through the sclerosed ducts, and there will be no therapeutic effect.
In addition to medication administration, when using this procedure, microfoam is injected into a vein. For the accuracy of this procedure, an ultrasound scanner is needed, with which the doctor will see the movement of the needle on the screen and the process of drug distribution along it.
In more difficult cases, when massage, compression underwear, medications can not help and the disease develops to a more acute level, such patients undergo surgery.
Consequences of varicose veins
The consequences of this disease do not bode well, this is a cosmetic problem and is related to other health problems that arise as a result of varicose veins. The women most affected are those who want their legs to look beautiful and slim. With the onset of the disease, this is impossible, but cosmetic problems are not the main one. Varicose veins lead to more real health problems.
Often, there is pain in the legs, which is accompanied by unpleasant itching. Pain relief is caused by a lack of oxygen and other trace elements that cannot enter the affected area. The cause of pain is damage to the large veins. But small ships also give an unpleasant sensation.
Of course, for women, cosmetic problems are also important, but a more unpleasant consequence is a swollen ankle. The pain disappears in the upper and lower legs. Even with good rest, the person will feel constant pain.
Dermatitis - due to varicose veins
The worst consequence is dermatitis. The disease develops in place of varicose veins. With such a disease, a person experiences constant itching, wound formation, and the occurrence of various rashes. The onset of dermatitis can cause thrombophlebitis. When blood clots appear, you should immediately seek expert help. If this is not done, then the consequences for a person can be very serious. Therefore, it should not be delayed.