Varicose veins (or varicose veins) in the legs are a very common disease. Especially women from 30 to 60 years old become their victims, especially if they suffer from diabetes mellitus or are overweight and have posture problems. In addition, these people suffer from varicose veins, the work of which forces them to remain standing or sitting for a long time. Unfortunately, the number of cases is increasing every year. Therefore, it is important to know not only how to cure varicose veins in the legs, but also how to avoid them.
Reasons
The treatment of varicose veins, in the first place, should be to eliminate the immediate cause of their occurrence. Below are the ones that are most common in everyday life:
- To stand or sit for a long time;
- Overweight (obesity);
- Increased pressure in the veins of the lower limbs due to high loads with constipation, weight lifting and pregnancy;
- Congenital or post-traumatic absence of venous valves in the vessels of the lower extremities.
It is possible to cure varicose veins in the legs only after eliminating all of the above factors. Otherwise, recurrences of the disease cannot be prevented.
Symptoms
One of the most important signs of varicose veins is the appearance of nodular lumps and bumps along the veins of the lower extremities. This is often accompanied by severe pain and heaviness in the legs, and an unpleasant burning sensation can be added. In severe cases, episodic leg cramps and edema may occur, which usually appear in the late afternoon. A characteristic of varicose veins is the gradual thickening and darkening of the skin in the lower leg.
If left untreated, the walls of the affected vessels become inflamed and obstructed by various blood clots. Over time, ulcers may appear on the skin. In the overwhelming majority of cases, this development of events leads to quite formidable diseases, for example, thrombophlebitis or thrombosis.
In what situation should you see a doctor?
Varicose veins develop gradually, but sometimes they progress very quickly - in these cases, you cannot hesitate to consult a doctor. For the acute course of the disease, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- Acute pain that reaches such an intensity that the person cannot move on his own. This is accompanied by a feeling of warmth and tightening of the skin on the legs;
- Shortness of breath, feeling of weakness and shortness of breath;
- Bleeding located in the vicinity of the affected venous vessels or themselves.
Diagnosis
When the first signs of varicose veins appear, you should seek help from your doctor. As a rule, after performing standard tests (examination, anamnesis, complete blood count, OAM), he refers these patients to a specialist in vascular diseases (phlebologist) or immediately to a vascular surgeon.
In addition to the basic diagnostic measures, they can be assigned:
- Ultrasound of the vein (duplex scanning);
- Contrast venography.
Treatment
Today there is no remedy for varicose veins, which would give a result of 100%. Treatment must be carried out comprehensively, using surgical and therapeutic techniques.
Conservative treatment
Combating varicose veins in the legs with the aid of conservative methods is only possible in cases where the symptoms are just beginning to appear and there is no need to talk about possible complications. The main components of this treatment are:
- Diet;
- A set of special exercises;
- Compression therapy;
- Medical therapy.
Diet
As mentioned earlier, varicose veins mainly affect overweight people. In this sense, one of the conditions for the success of the treatment, without a doubt, is the observance of the correct diet, aiming at the destruction of extra pounds. There are many variations on how to compose your daily diet, but none of them should be followed without consulting the nutritionist first.
As a rule, these diets involve avoiding sweets, as well as foods that contain a lot of vegetable fiber.
Physical fitness
An excellent cure for varicose veins in the legs is physical therapy exercises. There are several special exercises that can be performed to significantly slow the progression of the disease and, at times, eliminate it completely. Also, don't forget to walk outdoors (morning and evening) and swim.
Important!In the case of varicose veins, one should avoid going to the sauna, taking a shower, not taking a very hot shower and not climbing the feet. This is due to the fact that, with these procedures, blood flow to the extremities increases significantly, where, in varicose veins, stagnation is already observed.
Compression therapy
The treatment of varicose veins at home involves the use of special golf shirts, socks and tights, as well as elastic bandages of various lengths. As a rule, doctors recommend using them all day and taking them off just before bed.
Thus, it is possible to significantly increase the tone of the veins and improve blood flow in the legs. And that, in turn, helps to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. It is also a very useful foot massage for varicose veins, which must be performed by a specialist.
Medical therapy
Today, medicines for the treatment of this disease are widely represented in the pharmaceutical market. In addition, together with the tablet forms, gel, ointment and foot cream for varicose veins are used. All of them can significantly reduce the rate of disease progression and even prevent the development of some complications.
However, we must not forget that any medication should only be used as directed by the doctor. After all, almost every one of them has some contraindications and misuse can lead to unforeseen situations.
Most of the time, for varicose veins in the lower extremities, doctors prescribe drugs from the following groups:
- Anti-inflammatories;
- Venotonics - drugs that increase the tone of the veins and improve venous flow;
- Preparations to reduce blood viscosity and prevent blood clots.
Surgical Treatment
Surgery is the most radical method used in situations where all alternative methods of fighting do not give any positive results.
The most common operation involves making small incisions in the skin and removing the affected veins. After the operation, the legs are well bandaged. After a few hours, patients can now move independently.
Nowadays, the technique of removing pathologically altered veins with laser is becoming increasingly widespread. This operation is less traumatic, but after it, recurrences of the disease are frequently observed.
Prevention
Undoubtedly, like most modern diseases, varicose veins are easier to prevent than to cure. That is why doctors recommend starting to prevent this disease from the early years. To do this, do the following:
- Actively play sports;
- During standing work, you need to take breaks periodically (walking on tiptoe and then on heels);
- After exercise, you need to take a cold shower;
- During pregnancy, especially in the final stages, special shirts should be worn.