Varicose veins are a disease from which, first of all, the veins in the legs are very sore. What to do when symptoms appear, how to treat varicose veins, and what are the basic factors for the development of the disease? Awareness of these issues will help avoid the negative consequences of the disease.
General information on varicose veins
Carriers of varicose veins are almost every fifth of the total percentage of the world’s population. The main threat of this disease is that its symptoms can not be seen immediately, which is why timely treatment is delayed, and the disease leads to complications.
The full medical name for such a disease is varicose veins. From its name it can be understood that with the presence of disease, the peripheral veins located on the limbs of the human body increase in size, thus acquiring a swollen and unhealthy appearance.
With varicose veins, knots, cobwebs, clusters and other non-standard vein braids can appear on the skin. Their color becomes deeper, edema and pain appear. Due to the occurrence of nodes, blood cannot flow stably through the veins, blood clots occur, which causes the veins to be prone to high pressure.
Reaching a certain pressure indicator leads to the fact that during thrombosis, the blood in the veins is pushed outwards, stretching the vessel walls. The first characteristic symptoms of varicose veins appear, such as marked vein entanglement, expansion of their volume and dark blue color.
Often, varicose veins cover the surface of the feet, so people who suffer from such diseases complain of pain in the veins in their feet. Treatment of varicose veins should be immediate, and carried out under the supervision of an experienced physician. When the first symptoms appear, call a therapist.
cause
The main cause of varicose veins is a disturbance of stable blood flow. It is the stagnation of blood in the veins that leads to the pressure applied to them. Therefore, the main factors influencing the development of varicose veins include:
- Genetic predisposition. If both parents suffer from varicose veins, then the probability of developing the disease in their child can reach 70%. The first symptoms of the disease appear at an early age, and the progression of the disease can be prevented with health care.
- Increased physical activity. Standing regularly and prolonged on your feet can tighten your blood vessels. Therefore, varicose veins are often found in professional athletes and in people subjected to hard physical production work.
- Lack of physical activity. With the complete absence of movement in the blood vessels, blood stasis occurs. Older people, as well as office workers who lead sedentary or inactive lifestyles, may experience varicose veins.
- Hormonal imbalances. Disruption of the functioning of the hormonal or endocrine systems of the human body can lead to various consequences. For example, a female representative is faced with a blood stasis in a vessel. Hormonal disorders can occur during puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, as well as due to personal stressful situations and nervous disorders. During such a period, it is not estrogen that occurs in a woman’s body, but the hormone of the corpus luteum, which acts on the muscles in a relaxed way.
- Mechanical effects on veins. Contraction of peripheral veins located on the surface of the legs can also affect the appearance of blood congestion. For example, tight clothing has such an effect.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol contains toxic and toxic substances to the body, and also increases blood pressure. Toxins and stress cause the walls of blood vessels to lose firmness and tone.
- Obesity. Excessive food intake leads to rapid weight gain, as a result of which the limbs may not tolerate the load imposed on it.
When the veins hurt right on the legs, then the cause of the painful sensation, as a rule, is varicose veins. You should pay attention to the factors that can influence the progression of the disease, and review your lifestyle.
symptoms
Before starting treatment for varicose veins, you need to make sure that the veins are very sore precisely because of the appearance of such a disease. The disease is not asymptomatic, the main thing is to pay attention to any deviations from the norm in the work of the body. The following manifestations speak of varicose veins:
- Pain in the legs. The blood pressure applied to the walls of the ducts leads to a painful and uncomfortable sensation in the lower part of the leg. Then the veins hurt, you can face an unpleasant and heavy burning sensation in the legs.
- Swollen. Swelling on the surface of the foot may appear towards the end of the day, when the limbs experience peak tension. The swelling affects not only the main part of the foot, but also the foot, ankle and bent knee area.
- Convulsions. Seizure muscle contractions with varicose veins, as a rule, occur at night. They can be accompanied by nerve tics and seizure wrinkles.
- Vein development. As mentioned earlier, veins with varicose veins acquire a completely different appearance. They are swollen, winding and dark blue. The large saphenous vein indicates the presence of thrombosis.
- Skin discoloration. Due to the fact that during the disease of blood stasis appears in the vessels, the skin under the peripheral veins can change its shade to darker and duller.
- Trophic ulcers. Due to the violation of blood supply to the skin, defects appear that do not heal for a long time.
The main symptoms of varicose veins are fever and general weakness of the body.
If you start treatment of the disease, then it can progress to the next stage. With the rapid development of varicose veins in the lower legs, you may experience the following symptoms:
- skin hardening;
- dark spots;
- loss of moisture in the skin, violation of its nutrition;
- bleeding caused by rupture of the node.
If any of these symptoms occur, you should see a doctor and start treatment immediately.
Methods of treatment
If the veins on the legs are painful precisely because of varicose veins, then the specialist will prescribe various measures to eliminate the disease. The most common treatments for varicose veins include:
- medical preparations;
- folk remedies;
- gymnastics;
- massage;
- compressing and wrapping the affected area;
- special diet.
Treatment will be most effective if the patient agrees to a comprehensive rather than selective approach.
Medications
Medications for the treatment of varicose veins can be divided into 4 groups:
- external use;
- for oral administration;
- to eliminate symptoms;
- to treat the underlying cause;
- method of operation.
In the fight against this disease, doctors prescribe blood-thinning drugs, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, vitamin complexes, etc. Oral medications can be given orally or by injection.
Any medication should be used only under the supervision of the attending physician, observing the instructions for use and duration of treatment.
Restoration of the people
Folk remedies for treating varicose veins should complement a set of measures to eliminate the disease. You can use it at home.
Among the methods of ordinary people are:
- medicine baths;
- compress;
- herbal decoction.
Bathing for effective treatment of varicose veins is recommended 3-4 times a week. Water should be diluted with special sea salt for bathing or special herbs prepared in advance. For example, you could use the following recipe:
- Fill the bathtub with warm water.
- Dissolve the dried leaves of medicinal herbs in water.
- Bathe for 20-25 minutes.
Chamomile, St. John's wort. John, oak bark and banana leaves, which can be purchased at any pharmacy in the city at a small cost, are suitable as raw materials for baths. It is possible to take such a bath for prophylactic purposes, as it helps clean the ducts from toxic substances, as well as stabilizes blood flow.
Compresses and lotions can be made using pharmaceutical vegetables and essential oils, aloe juice or honey. To do this, you need to apply one of the listed components to the area affected by varicose veins, and then wrap the application area with an elastic bandage. You need to change such compresses twice a day every 2-3 hours.
You can prevent the development of the disease in a folk way by consuming a decoction of medicinal herbs in it. For soup preparation, the following herbal raw materials are suitable:
- hawthorn;
- chamomile;
- kon hop;
- king banana;
- St. WortJohn;
- liquorice;
- angelica.
You should first consult with your doctor about alternative methods. It is possible that some components should not be used due to the presence of allergic reactions.
Gymnastics
One of the reasons for the development of varicose veins is inactivity, which causes blood stasis in the ducts. Therefore, people who are forced to lead a computer lifestyle should regularly do gymnastic exercises at home. For example:
20-25 times:
- Sit on the chair
- Press your feet together
- Tighten your muscles
- Lower your feet to your toes and then to your heels
20-25 times:
- Lean against the wall with both hands
- Climb on tiptoe
- Get down on your heels
15-20 times:
- Sit down
- Stand on tiptoe while sitting
- Get down on your heels
15 times on each leg:
- Sit down
- Lift your right leg parallel to the floor for 7 seconds
- Lower
- Do the same with the left foot.
massage
Massage for varicose veins can be done independently at home. You need a special nourishing cream or oil. Sea buckthorn is perfect. It should be applied to the problem area of the foot in a circular motion for five minutes every day. This procedure will also increase the elasticity of the skin and nourish it with moisture.
Diet
The diet for varicose veins implies restrictions in the consumption or complete rejection of the following foods:
- sup;
- marinade;
- salty, smoked, sweet, oil -fried foods;
- coffee and beverage derivatives;
- alcohol and tobacco products.
Need to diversify the diet with foods that have a positive effect on strengthening the walls of blood vessels:
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- nuts;
- fish products, seafood;
- green;
- fermented dairy products.
Method of Operation
There are treatments for varicose veins and with surgical intervention. However, it is used in very advanced cases. Surgery consists of tying the veins of the esophagus and stomach by imposing an anastomosis or placing a stent in the duct between the hepatic vein and the portal.
To prevent varicose veins, it is worth resting your legs and doing preventive home procedures. Effective treatment of varicose veins that have arisen consists of timely and complex treatment under the guidance of a specialist.
Which doctor to contact
The treatment is carried out by a phlebologist, a vascular surgeon.