Varicose veins are a disease in which, in the first place, the veins in the legs become very inflamed. What to do when symptoms appear, how to treat varicose veins and what factors are the basis for the development of the disease? Awareness of these issues will help to avoid the negative consequences of the illness.
General information about varicose veins
The carrier of varicose veins represents almost one fifth of the total percentage of the world population. The main threat of the disease is that its symptoms cannot be noticed immediately, which is why timely treatment is delayed and the disease leads to complications.
The full medical name of this disease is varicose veins. The name implies that, in the presence of a disease, the peripheral veins located in the limbs of the human body increase in size, acquiring a swollen and sickly appearance.
With varicose veins, knots, cobwebs, curls and other non-pattern intertwined veins can appear on the skin. Its color becomes deeper, swelling and pain appear. Due to the occurrence of nodules, the blood cannot flow steadily through the veins, blood clots occur, which causes the veins to be exposed to high pressure.
Achieving a certain pressure indicator leads to the fact that, during thrombosis, blood in the veins is pushed outward, stretching the vessel walls. The first characteristic symptoms of varicose veins appear, such as the noticeable intertwining of the veins, the expansion of their volume and an intense blue tint.
Most of the time, varicose veins cover the surface of the legs, which is why people who suffer from this disease complain of pain in the veins in their legs. Treatment of varicose veins should be prompt and carried out under the supervision of an experienced physician. When the first symptoms appear, contact a therapist.
causes
The main cause of varicose veins is the interruption of stable blood flow. It is the stagnation of blood in the veins that puts pressure on them. Therefore, the main factors that affect the development of varicose veins include:
- Genetic predisposition. If both parents suffered from varicose veins, the probability of developing the disease in their children could reach 70%. The first symptoms of the disease appear at an early age and the development of the disease can be prevented with healthcare.
- Increased physical activity. Standing regularly and for prolonged periods can strain your blood vessels. Therefore, varicose veins are often found in professional athletes and in people who are subjected to hard physical production work.
- Lack of physical activity. With the complete absence of movement in the blood vessels, blood stagnation occurs. The elderly, as well as office workers who lead a sedentary or sedentary life, can suffer from varicose veins.
- Hormonal imbalance. Functional disturbances in the hormonal or endocrine system of the human body can lead to several consequences. For example, female representatives face stagnation of blood in the vessels. Hormonal disturbances can occur during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, menopause, as well as due to particular stressful situations and nervous disorders. During these periods, estrogen does not prevail in the woman's body, but the corpus luteum hormone, which acts on the muscles in a relaxing way.
- Mechanical effect on veins. Contraction of peripheral veins located on the surface of the extremities can also affect the appearance of blood congestion. For example, tight clothing has this effect.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol contains substances that are toxic and poisonous to the body and also increases blood pressure. Toxins and pressure 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 body members may not tolerate the load placed on them.
When the veins hurt exactly in the legs, the cause of the painful sensations, as a rule, is varicose veins. You should pay attention to factors that can affect the development of the disease and review your lifestyle.
Symptoms
Before starting treatment for varicose veins, you need to make sure that the veins are very painful precisely because of the onset of such disease. The disease is not asymptomatic, the main thing is to pay attention to any deviations from the norm in the body's work. The following manifestations talk about varicose veins:
- Pain in the legs. The pressure that the blood exerts on the vessel walls causes painful and uncomfortable sensations in the lower extremities. Then the vein hurts, you may experience an unpleasant burning sensation and heaviness in your legs.
- Swelling. Swelling on the surface of the legs can appear later in the day when the limbs are experiencing a peak of tension. Swelling affects not only the main part of the legs, but also the feet, ankles, and flexion area of the knees.
- Seizures. Convulsive muscle contractions with varicose veins usually occur at night. They may be accompanied by nervous tic and convulsive spasms.
- Expansion of the veins. As noted earlier, varicose veins look completely different. They are swollen, sinuous and a deep blue. Large saphenous veins indicate the presence of thrombosis.
- Skin discoloration. Due to the fact that during the illness there is stagnation of blood in the vessels, the skin under the peripheral veins can change its tone to a darker and opaque tone.
- Trophic ulcers. Due to a violation of the blood supply to the skin, defects appear that do not heal for a long time.
The most primary symptoms of varicose veins are fever and general body weakness.
If you start treating the disease, it can progress to the next stage. With the rapid development of varicose veins in the lower extremities, you may encounter the following symptoms:
- skin tightening;
- dark spots;
- loss of moisture from the skin, violation of its nutrition;
- bleeding caused by ruptured nodules.
If one of these symptoms occurs, you should see a doctor and start treatment right away.
treatment methods
If the leg veins hurt precisely because of varicose veins, the specialist will prescribe a series of measures to eliminate the disease. The most common treatments for varicose veins include:
- medical preparations;
- folk remedies;
- fitness;
- massage;
- bandages and bandaged affected areas;
- special diet.
Treatment will be more effective if the patient agrees to a comprehensive rather than a selective approach.
Medicines
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 causes;
- operational methods.
In the fight against the disease, doctors prescribe medications that make the blood more fluid, analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs, a complex of vitamins, etc. Oral medications can be given orally or by injection.
Any medication should only be used under the supervision of the treating physician, observing the instructions for use and duration of treatment.
folk remedies
Folk remedies for the treatment of varicose veins must complement a set of measures to eliminate the disease. You can use them at home.
Among the common popular methods are:
- medicinal baths;
- compresses;
- herbal decoctions.
Baths for the effective treatment of varicose veins are recommended 3-4 times a week. The water should be diluted with special sea salt for bathing or special herbs prepared in advance. For example, you can use the following recipe:
- Fill the bathtub with warm water.
- Dissolve the dried leaves of medicinal herbs in water.
- Take a shower for 20 to 25 minutes.
Chamomile, St. John's wort, oak bark and banana leaves, which can be purchased at any pharmacy in the city for a small cost, are suitable as raw material for bathing. It is possible to take these baths for prophylactic purposes, as they help to clean the vessels of toxic substances and also to stabilize the blood flow.
The compresses and lotions can be made from pharmacy essential and vegetable oils, aloe juice or honey. To do this, you need to apply one of the listed components to the areas affected by varicose veins and then wrap the area of application with an elastic bandage. You need to change these pads twice a day every 2-3 hours.
You can prevent the development of the disease in the traditional way by consuming herbal decoctions. For the preparation of broths, the raw materials of the following herbs are suitable:
- hawthorn;
- chamomile;
- hop cones;
- plantain;
- Saint John's herb;
- Licorice root;
- Angelica root.
You should consult your doctor in advance about alternative methods. It is possible that some components cannot be used due to the presence of allergic reactions.
Fitness
One of the reasons for the development of varicose veins is inactivity, which causes blood stagnation in the vessels. Therefore, people who are forced to lead a computer lifestyle should regularly do gym exercises at home. For example:
20-25 times:
- sit in a chair
- press your legs together
- contract your muscles
- Lower your feet to your toes and then to your heels
20-25 times:
- lean against the wall with both hands
- go up on tiptoe
- Stand up
15-20 times:
- Sit down
- stand on tiptoe while sitting
- Stand up
15 times on each leg:
- Sit down
- Raise your right leg parallel to the floor for 7 seconds
- To decrease
- Do the same with your left leg.
Massage
Massage for varicose veins can be done independently at home. You will need a special nourishing oil or cream. The sea buckthorn is perfect. It should be rubbed into the problem areas of the legs in a circular motion for five minutes daily. This procedure will also increase the skin's elasticity and nourish it with moisture.
Diet
The diet for varicose veins implies restriction of consumption or total rejection of the following foods:
- broths;
- marinades;
- salty, smoked, sweet, fried in oil foods;
- coffee and derived beverages;
- alcoholic and tobacco products.
It is worth diversifying your diet with foods that have a positive effect on strengthening blood vessel walls:
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- nuts;
- fishery products, seafood;
- greens;
- fermented dairy products.
Operational Methods
There is a treatment for varicose veins and surgical intervention. However, it is used in extremely advanced cases. The operations consist of connecting the veins of the esophagus and stomach by imposing an anastomosis or placing a stent in the duct between the hepatic and portal veins.
To avoid varicose veins, it's worth resting your legs and doing preventive procedures at home. Effective treatment of existing varicose veins consists of timely and complex treatment under the guidance of a specialist.
which doctor to contact
Treatment is done by a phlebologist, vascular surgeon.