Probably everyone has seen people with prominent veins on their arms. Some consider this to be a person's norm or individual characteristic. In fact, the veins should be hidden under the skin and any changes are a reason to think about your health. In addition to swelling of the veins, discomfort or discoloration of the skin can be a warning sign.
Are there varicose veins in the upper part of the leg?
Varicose veins are a vascular disease. It can affect any vessel and occur anywhere in the body. Since overload is a provoking factor, varicose veins most often affect the limbs. The disease occurs mainly in the legs, but varicose veins in the hands also occur. According to the international classification (MKB-10), it complies with I86 code.
Varicose veins in the upper part are easily recognizable - the veins in the hands and forearms are swollen and look like blue snakes. The disease most often affects women after 50 years, as do male athletes and bodybuilders.
Swelling and swelling of the veins: is the risk of varicose veins great?
Under the action of excessive load, the venous wall stretches, and the venous valve is unable to function fully. If your veins look normal but are now swollen, you must see a doctor for a detailed examination. The sooner a problem is detected, the easier it will be to solve it.
If changes occur in the veins, the danger of varicose veins is enormous.
In addition to non-aesthetic external manifestations, varicose veins affect the well-being of the patient, causing pain and provoking several complexes.
Characteristics of varicose veins in the upper limbs
The first change in varicose veins in the hand appears as blue nodules. After a while, they may disappear and then reappear.
This indicates that the vein cannot cope with the increase in load, but recovers quickly when the provoking factor is eliminated.
If there is no timely treatment, the nodules in the vein of the arm will be observed continuously, and then its expansion will affect the longer part of the vessel. In this case, the vessel swells significantly, which often attracts the patient's attention and forces him to see a doctor.
Other reasons
Not only is excessive load adversely affecting the ship. Another reason for the expansion is:
- Pressure.
- Take birth control pills or hormonal imbalances in a woman.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Intensive training.
- An unbalanced diet. Read about the proper diet for varicose veins here.
- Descendants.
Hormonal background greatly affects the condition of blood vessels. As you know, it is less stable in women than in men.
Symptoms of violation - watch out!
Even if a person is unaware of a problem such as varicose veins, he or she should be aware of the following changes:
- Pride.
- Burning and discomfort.
- Fatigue and weakness quickly.
- Numbness or pain.
- The contrast between the veins and skin color is clearly visible.
- Raising the upper arm reduces the size of the vein.
In thin people with thin skin, the veins may appear swollen. However, this is not a pathology, but a feature of the body.
If these symptoms are observed from birth and are not accompanied by other symptoms, do not worry.
Looking at photos of healthy varicose veins of the arms and limbs, you will immediately see the difference and know what to look for.
Methods of treatment
Tactics for treating varicose veins in the hands depend on the stage of disease progression. In the early stages, conservative treatment methods are used, in later stages, surgical methods.
People at risk are advised to engage in varicose vein prevention to avoid dangerous complications.
Conservative treatment includes the use of special compression socks, special medication prescriptions, diet and physiotherapy. All this aims to increase the tone of the veins, strengthen the blood vessels and reduce its permeability.
Medical jerseys are represented by special gloves or sleeves made of special materials. Underwear must be worn at all times to provide mechanical support to the vessel and prevent its expansion. The degree of compression is chosen by the physician, taking into account the pathological neglect.
Final treatment of varicose veins on the hands
When the internal veins are affected, limb function may be disrupted. The person feels heavy, sick, uncomfortable, unable to do normal work.
Surgical intervention is used at a later stage. Some of the most effective and safest methods are laser correction and sclerotherapy. Their advantages are as follows:
- It does not hurt.
- No scars or scars.
- Rapid tissue repair.
- Good cosmetic results.
With sclerotherapy, good effects may appear a few weeks after the procedure. It only takes a few minutes. The patient is injected into a bulging vein to inject a sclerosing agent.
The process is not painful at all. Vein gluing occurs under the action of drugs and does not require the surgeon to cut the tissue. To prevent relapse, patients must wear compression clothing.
The advantage of modern methods is that it does not negatively affect the surrounding tissues, removes incisions on the skin and almost never causes complications.
Hirudotherapy
For many vascular diseases, hirudotherapy is very popular. While this is an unconventional method of treatment, it does require adherence to a number of rules. It is not recommended to place leeches on their own. For this procedure, only healthy worms are suitable, which are used only once.
Medical secrets released by leeches help strengthen blood vessels and thin the blood. It helps reduce edema, eliminates blood stasis, normalizes microcirculation and restores vein structure.
Home Treatment
Many patients try to cure varicose veins on their hands with folk remedies. As monotherapy, they are only suitable in the first stage of the disease.
If varicose veins are severe enough, folk recipes can only be used in addition to the basic scheme prescribed by the doctor.
Chestnut-based medications help well against varicose veins. The healing properties of this plant are well known in the medicine industry, as chestnuts are part of the venotonic ointment.
You can make your own cream at home. For this, chestnuts are crushed and mixed with melted lard. This agent is applied externally, with the help of light rubbing on the affected area.
Compresses made from cabbage leaves or wormwood have a positive effect in the treatment of varicose veins. They are crushed in a blender with the addition of a little oil or kefir until the beneficial ingredients penetrate deeper into the skin. The mixture is impregnated with gauze and applied to the widened vein area.
One of the popular methods to get rid of the disease is bathing.
Prevention of varicose veins on the hands
To prevent varicose veins in the arm, doctors recommend:
- Limit physical activity to the upper limbs. Girls should not lift weights, and male athletes should wear compression clothing during training.
- Change activity type. People who have offices that do not work on keyboards need to rest to raise their hands and stretch their joints.
- Eat right. Antioxidants and vitamins are useful for strengthening blood vessels, especially C and PP. In the daily diet, you should include more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as at least 1. 5 liters of clean water.
- During a contrast bath, do not forget your hands. Cold water trains blood vessels, prevents the formation of nodules and allows you to achieve the desired vein tone.
- Control your weight. Excess weight produces a constant load on the vessel, and over time, its strength decreases.
- Reduce negative factors. Alcohol, smoking, stress - all of these have a detrimental effect on the elasticity of blood vessels and their tone.
Possible complications
Hand veins are not only a cosmetic defect, but also a dangerous medical condition.
Blood stasis forms in the enlargement area, resulting in insufficient nutrition of nearby tissues.
Areas with poor microcirculation eventually become the focus of inflammatory and even infectious processes.
In the future, this may cause thrombophlebitis or blockage of the vascular lumen by the thrombus.
The formation of blood clots is facilitated by slowing of blood circulation in the area of expansion, increased clotting and disrupted vascular wall structure. More often thrombosis occurs in the lower extremities, however, prolonged squeezing of the hand or an uncomfortable position can lead to the formation of venous and thrombus arms.
Thrombophlebitis can be suspected if the patient complains of pain and swelling of the hands, while cyanosis increases by clenching the fists. Severe blood flow disorders in certain areas cause necrosis of adjacent tissues and cause the need for limb amputation.
Male varicose veins are less common due to the fact that emotionally stronger sex is more stable. However, in addition to stress, other provoking factors can cause venous dilation even in young men.
Heaviness in the hands, night fatigue and the appearance of nodules are the first symptoms of varicose veins in the upper limbs. Maintaining health and regular medical examinations will help you maintain good health and appearance.