Today we will talk about varicose veins of the legs, varicose veins of the lower extremities - very common vascular pathology, causes, symptoms, disease prevention, therapeutic exercises with a set of exercises.
Varicose veins (varicose veins) - what is this disease, photo
Fleberism(see the photo of the manifestations of varicose veins on the legs) is the scourge of our time; if earlier this progressive disease of impaired blood flow and weakening of the valves affected many elderly people, now the first signs of this disease of the peripheral vessels appear in twenty-year-olds.
Spider webs (telangiectasias) appear first. Then the superficial veins become less elastic, twist, become noticeable, protruding above the skin of the leg and thigh. Blood flows more slowly and rises poorly. Venous stasis and swelling develops, which passes after a night's rest. There is a risk of blood clots.
And during pregnancy and childbirth, when the level of female hormones that weaken the vascular wall rapidly increases, this pathology of the veins of the lower extremities is diagnosed in every third woman.
But not only the limbs, even up to the age of 30-35, varicose veins of the pelvic organs (beginning to develop as a result of fluctuations in intravascular pressure during contractions), hemorrhoids and varicocele (dilation of the veins of the spermatic cord in men)appear en masse.
There are varicose veins of the esophagus and stomach.
Varicose veins - ICD-10 code
The ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) code for this disease is 183
- If varicose veins are complicated by an ulcer - 183. 0
- If varicose veins with inflammation, stagnant dermatitis - 183. 1
- When combining the first two conditions - 183. 2
- If varicose veins are uncomplicated - 183. 9
Symptoms of varicose veins of the lower extremities
Knots, swollen veins on the legs, blue network of small vessels, cobwebs, swelling in the evening, nagging, pain along the veins, burning, sometimes itching, heaviness in the legs at the end of the day, the appearance of night cramps, paresthesia - goosebumps and tingling.
And with significant progression of the disease, often develop:
- thrombophlebitis (which is expressed in the appearance of sharp pain along the vein, redness, local increase in temperature, swelling, sometimes you can feel painful areas with a blood clot blocking the lumen of the vessel, in severe cases, chills begin, a transition of an inflammatoryprocess from superficial to deep veins),
- trophic ulcers on the background of chronic venous insufficiency.
No one will probably like this photo. And then the release of a blood clot and a subsequent stroke or heart attack, tissue necrosis, is still looming. . . But that's already pretty sad.
Since, in order to reduce the load on the veins, it is unacceptable to evolutionarily return to walking on all fours, we will have to look for methods to unload our legs with natural methods.
Causes of varicose veins and predisposing factors
- Genetics (heredity).
- Changes in hormonal levels (pregnancy, hormonal contraceptives).
- Strenuous physical activity, especially static, purely standing or sedentary work.
- Overweight.
- Chronic cough.
- Smoking.
- Leg injuries that damage valves in blood vessels.
Women successfully provoke the appearance of varicose veins by prolonged standing and walking in high heels and sitting at a table with crossed legs.
Wearing thongs and tight synthetic underwear has an adverse effect.
Which doctor treats varicose veins in the legs
A phlebologist deals with veins. If surgery is already required - a vascular surgeon.
Diagnosis of varicose veins
In addition to the external examination of the lower extremities and the collection of anamnesis (complaints), to establish the diagnosis is carried out:
- Doppler ultrasound (determines the quality, speed of blood flow, the presence of obstacles in the form of clots, blood clots),
- transillumination (transillumination of veins, even with changes not yet visible to the eye).
Also, the diagnosis of varicose veins is not complete without taking blood for clotting.
Modern medicine does not offer an effective way to treat this disease, the radical removal of superficial veins does not count. There is also radiofrequency ablation, laser therapy and sclerotherapy, but they are not suitable for everyone, there are contraindications and they are mainly shown in the early stages of this disease.
But what can we do on our own for varicose veins at home to counter this unpleasant vascular pathology?
Therapeutic exercises for varicose veins of the legs
The prevention of varicose veins mainly involves gymnastic exercises, and this is not surprising, since the vessels simply need to be trained.
The most advantageous functional position of the legs for varicose veins is raised, elevated. But it is not possible to spend all the time with your legs in the air, and stagnation in the venous network must somehow be avoided, because it is precisely this that leads to heaviness in the legs, cramps and swelling.
And it turns out that it is more useful for a person to walk and even run than to sit for hours in the office or in front of the computer, at rest there is practically no blood movement, the liquid manages to sweat into the tissue, and the swelling increases.
That's why we don't go crazy at work, we often take breaks during work, get up, stretch, walk around the table, go to the bathroom if possible, climb a few stairs and do some exercise.
A similar warm-up and distraction from sedentary work is also useful for diseases of the eyes and spine (the neck and lower back are most affected).
Complex of exercises for varicose veins
- We sit on a chair so that our feet do not touch the floor. We rotate our legs at the ankles, bend them and straighten them to a strong tension, then we do the same with the toes, each exercise 15-20 times. Also, with varicose veins of the legs, foot massage will be useful.
- Briskly walk in place for a minute.
- We stand close to the wall, palms at shoulder level, emphasis on the wall. We rise on our toes and fall on our heels, 10-15 such rolls.
- Slowly rise up on your toes, feet shoulder-width apart, arms up.
- "Bicycle" with the legs from a lying position.
- "Scissors" (vigorously cross straight legs like scissors).
- Slow leg swings from a side position, alternately with the right and then the left.
- Pull your knees all the way up to your chest. Repeat 20 times.
In addition to therapeutic gymnastics, sports for diseases of the veins of the lower extremities are extremely useful - swimming, aqua aerobics (in the water, the pressure on the veins decreases by 2 times! ), skiing, cycling, competitive walking.
It is also worth considering that some exercises can only harm the veins - strength training with a barbell, jumping rope, long and intense running and long exercises on an ergometer are contraindicated. With weak blood vessels in the legs, team sports with jumping and running are not recommended - football, basketball, volleyball (the valve apparatus is damaged).
Preventing varicose veins at home
- In addition to exercise, contrast showers and compression stockings are very beneficial for blood vessels.
The latter has its drawbacks: firstly, it is quite expensive, and secondly, after prolonged wear, the dishes become completely soft and stop working independently.
So I would recommend it not for constant wear, but for heavy loads, standing work, long treks and during pregnancy.
- It is useful to load your legs by walking on the stairs, vibration gymnastics or jumping (quickly lifting the toes and lightly hitting the floor with the heels two to three times a day, 30-60 times, lifting the heels low by 1-2 cm).
- You should not abuse prolonged exposure to the sun, in the bath or in hot baths.
- Drink at least 2 liters of liquid per day, it is recommended to control your weight and make sure that the plant-vegetable component prevails in your diet. You should give up alcohol, spicy, smoked and salty foods, or at least significantly reduce their component in your diet.
- No tight underwear, shoes, socks or stockings with tight elastic.
- During the holidays, avoid drinking champagne, it can make your illness worse.
- Don't wear high heels every day. Over 4 cm - already tall.
- Don't squat.
- Do not cross your legs, in this position the vessels are compressed and the outflow of blood from the limbs, already bad, becomes even more difficult.
- Try not to stand still, even in the queue, it is better to move from foot to foot.
- Remember that vitamin C maintains the elasticity of the vascular wall.