Varicose veins - a disease accompanied by the expansion of subcutaneous vessels or veins that are deep under the skin of the human body.
In this disease, the walls of the veins lose their elasticity, when enlarged nodes appear, they expand, forming blood stasis, they are most visible on the legs of women. They are more likely to suffer from the disease. The disease can appear over the age of 20, but more so in middle-aged women. Men also get sick, but much less often.
The reasons
Sometimes the cause of varicose veins is the frequent use of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol itself provokes vasodilation, but if it is abused, it will lead to adverse consequences.
Young girls who like to sit with their legs crossed for hours are also at risk of developing the disease. In this position, the blood stagnates in the legs, which leads to the interruption of the natural blood supply to the whole body.
Basic factors
What are the causes of varicose veins?
- Heredity. If the parents had weakened vein walls, this can be repeated in the children.
- The cause of the disease can be high blood pressure. Sometimes this is due to a violation of the hormonal system.
- For many women, pregnancy is difficult, especially at the end of the childbearing period. Initially, the disease does not manifest itself, but after birth, all the signs of the disease are on the face. The stress that women endure during childbirth has a strong influence on the location of the veins.
- Overloading the body with the physical work of the muscles provides all the conditions for the development of the disease. It is often found in athletes engaged in physical exercise. It is necessary to be able to properly regulate the load on the human body.
- People with sedentary jobs, especially office workers, are exposed to the development of varicose veins.
- Constant standing is not better - this can also give impetus to the disease.
- Women who frequently use contraceptives with a large amount of hormones are at risk.
- Disease of the hip joint or previous injuries can lead to the development of the disease.
- People who are overweight are more likely to develop varicose veins. They have a constant load on the venous system.
- Abuse of sunburn, frequent saunas and drinking alcoholic beverages lead to the same situation.
Varicose veins are much easier to avoid than to treat. You just need to lead a healthy lifestyle, pay attention to good physical shape and normal nutrition. In this case, there is a high probability that you will avoid varicose veins.
How do varicose veins appear on the legs? The first signs with a photo
As a rule, various symptoms of varicose veins can appear at an early stage, when the disease is still treatable.
As a rule, people rarely think about tiredness in the legs in the evening, swelling or varicose veins. If the symptoms appear too suddenly, then we are talking about a neglected disease.
Early manifestations of varicose veins
As a rule, identifying the early stage of varicose veins is not so easy. This is due to the fact that varicose veins have a huge number of symptoms and few people pay attention to them. People ignore leg swelling and fatigue. This is especially true for pregnant women: varicose veins are often not given much importance and it is believed that during pregnancy such a complication is quite normal.
Indeed, too much body weight can be considered a cause of varicose veins, but usually the pounds disappear after the appearance of the baby, but it also happens that a woman who suffered from varicose veins during pregnancy cannot get rid of itillness after birth. Often this is due to the fact that excess weight leads to vein disease.
The early symptoms of varicose veins are easy to notice: the legs begin to tire quickly from any physical activity, they become numb if they are in one position for a long time. But, as a rule, rarely does anyone pay attention to this, believing that pain in the legs when overcoming a long distance is normal. In the winter, many attribute the pain to having heavy insulated shoes on their feet, while in the summer, the cause is the heat. However, this is just an excuse and there is no truth in it.
It is worth taking into account the earliest symptoms of varicose veins that can be noticed during diagnosis when contacting a specialist: leg fatigue after a little physical exertion or pain after wearing heavy shoes, women who wear heels, oftenexperience this, presence of pain, burning sensation in the legs in the evening, increased fatigue, deterioration of working capacity. If the disease is neglected, then the first sign of varicose veins are ulcers.
Diagnosis
From the very beginning of the detection of a disease such as varicose veins, it is necessary to examine the veins in order to determine the soreness, tension, density, the presence of affected areas of the vein, swelling and inflammation inside them. The specialist who deals with this research 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 should take a vertical position so that the veins are filled with blood as much as possible. It is best to carry out the diagnosis in the evening - this will allow the affected areas to acquire a more defined contour. With the help of palpation and surface examination, the specialist can get the first information about the condition of the patient's vessels. After the preliminary examination, the second stage of the diagnosis of varicose veins begins - examination using ultrasound.
Examination during the diagnosis of varicose veins is an important source of information that helps to correctly diagnose the disease.
What tests are done when varicose veins are suspected?
The first analysis is a blood sample for hormones, biochemistry and hemoglobin. A general blood test is also taken, its group and Rh, infectious group are determined.
The patient must then provide urine for analysis to also determine hemoglobin, sugar, ketone bodies, 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 foci of the disease. This procedure takes no more than half an hour, during which time the patient is in a horizontal position.
Treatment
This disease is very dangerous and widespread throughout the world, depending on the stage of the disease, different treatment methods are used.
To treat the first signs of varicose veins on the legs, you should consult a phlebologist, after the examination he will make the correct diagnosis, it is impossible to treat this disease on your own. If timely treatment is not undertaken, the patient may die.
Methods of treating the first signs of varicose veins on the legs:
- sclerotherapy;
- medical treatment;
- medicinal herbs;
- compression underwear;
- surgical intervention.
Folk methods
They are used only in complex treatment in combination with drugs, you need to take nettle, acacia tinctures. These tinctures are drunk three times a day before meals, it is useful to make cool foot baths from decoctions of burdock, nettle and birch leaves.
All suggested herbal preparations are taken only with the permission of a doctor, it is not recommended to drink decoctions and tinctures on your own.
Drug treatment
Such drugs, which have a tonic effect on the veins, are sold in pharmacies in the form of tablets and capsules, ointments and gels.
In order for the application of ointments to be effective, it is recommended to wear compression underwear at the same time.
Compression underwear
This range includes tights, stockings, at different stages of varicose veins different compression underwear is prescribed. You can buy such medical tights in specialized stores.
This underwear helps to normalize the venous outflow of blood, the compression of the necessary force restores the normal functioning of the veins.
Taking medication does not completely cure varicose veins, but it removes some of the symptoms and eases the disease process. Also, thanks to the use of various drugs, the risk of developing a disease such as thrombophlebitis is reduced. This disease occurs as a result of the lack of treatment of varicose veins, is treated only in a hospital and often requires surgery.
I also often use lymphatic drainage massage for treatment, thanks to its use in the general course of therapy, the patient improves the flow of lymph in the legs, there will be less swelling, fatigue and heaviness in the legs disappear. The only minus is the effect of the massage. It will last only two months, but after that the course of massage can be extended.
Sclerotherapy
This type of treatment is used if surgery is needed, but this procedure is different from surgery. A special medicine is injected into the vein where the thrombus was found.
This medicine works in such a way that the upper layer of the affected vein is destroyed, then it sticks together. Then, after 1. 5 years, this vein dissolves in the human body, other veins begin to perform their work 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 experienced specialists, because if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the vein will restore its blood flow through the sclerotic vessel and will not have a therapeutic effect.
In addition to the introduction of drugs, when applying this procedure, a microfoam is injected into the vein. For the accuracy of this procedure, an ultrasound scanner is needed, thanks to which the doctor will see on the screen the movement of the needle and the process of distributing the medicine along it.
In more complicated cases, when massage, compression underwear, drugs do not help and the disease passes into a more acute stage, such patients are prescribed surgery.
Consequences of varicose veins
The consequences of the disease do not bode well, it is a cosmetic problem and is associated with other health problems that have appeared as a result of varicose veins. Women who want their legs to look beautiful and slim suffer the most. With the onset of the disease, this is impossible, but the cosmetic problem is not the main one. Varicose veins lead to more tangible health problems.
Most often there is pain in the legs, which is accompanied by unpleasant itching. Pain arises from an insufficient amount of oxygen and other trace elements that cannot pass to the affected area. The cause of the pain is the defeat of the large veins. But small vessels also give unpleasant sensations.
Of course, the cosmetic problem is also important for women, but the more unpleasant consequences are the swelling of the ankles. The pain is in the upper and lower legs. Even with good rest, a person will feel constant pain.
Dermatitis - a consequence of varicose veins
The most severe consequence is dermatitis. The disease develops in the places of expansion of the veins. With such a disease, a person suffers from constant itching, formation of wounds and various rashes. The appearance of dermatitis can lead to thrombophlebitis. When a blood clot appears, you should urgently seek the help of a specialist. If this is not done, then the consequences for a person can be very serious. Therefore, in no case can it be delayed.