Varicose veins - a disease accompanied by the expansion of subcutaneous vessels or veins deep under the skin of the human body.
With this disease, the walls of the veins lose their elasticity, when varicose nodes appear, they expand, forming blood pools, they are most visible on women's legs. They are more likely to develop this disease. The disease can manifest at the age of 20, but more in middle-aged women. Men also get sick, but less often.
The reasons
Sometimes the cause of varicose veins is frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol itself causes vasodilation, but if abused, it will lead to bad consequences.
Young girls who like to sit cross-legged for hours are also at risk of getting this disease. In this position of the legs, blood stagnates, which leads to a disruption in the natural blood supply to the rest of the body.
Main factor
What are the causes of varicose veins?
- Ancestry. If the parents have weakened the vein walls, then this may be repeated in children.
- The cause of this disease may 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 childbirth. At first, the disease is not obvious, but after giving birth, all the signs of the disease are on the face. The stress experienced by women during childbirth has a strong effect on the location of the veins.
- Overloading the body with physical work of the muscles provides all the conditions for the development of the disease. It is often found in athletes involved in physical training. It is necessary to be able to properly control the load on the human body.
- People with sedentary jobs, especially office workers, are subject to the development of varicose veins.
- Standing constantly is not better - it can also encourage the disease.
- Women who often use contraceptives with large amounts of hormones are at risk.
- Hip joint disease or previous injury 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 easier to prevent than to treat. You just need to lead a healthy lifestyle, pay attention to good physical fitness, as well as regular nutrition. In this case, there is a high probability of avoiding varicose veins.
How do varicose veins appear on the legs? First signs with photos
As a rule, various symptoms of varicose veins can appear in the early stages, where the disease can still be treated.
As a rule, people rarely think about fatigue 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 stages of varicose veins is not so easy. This is due to the fact that varicose veins have a large number of symptoms, and few people pay attention to them. People ignore swollen feet and fatigue. This is especially true for pregnant women: often varicose veins are not given much importance and it is believed that during pregnancy such complications are quite normal.
It is true that being overweight can be considered the cause of varicose veins, but usually the kilograms are lost after the baby appears, but it also happens that women who have varicose veins during pregnancy cannot get rid of this disease after giving birth. Often this is due to the fact that excess weight leads to vein disease.
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, hardly anyone pays attention to this, believing that pain in the legs when overcoming long distances is normal. In winter, many attribute the pain to the presence of heavy insulated shoes on their feet, while in summer heat is the cause. However, this is just an excuse and there is no truth to it.
It is necessary to consider the earliest symptoms of varicose veins that can be observed during the diagnosis when contacting a specialist: leg fatigue after a little physical exercise or pain after wearing heavy shoes, women who wear heels often experience this, the presence of pain, a burning sensation in the legs in the evening, increased fatigue, deterioration in performance. If the disease is neglected, then the first sign of varicose veins is an ulcer.
Diagnostics
From the beginning of the detection of a disease such as varicose veins, it is necessary to investigate the veins to determine the pain, tension, density, the presence of parts of the veins that have been affected, swelling and inflammation in them. Specialists who deal with this examination are called phlebologists. What to do at the early 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 must take a vertical position so that the veins are filled with blood as much as possible. It is better if the diagnosis is carried out in the evening - this will allow the affected area to acquire a clearer contour. With the help of palpation and superficial examination, the specialist can get the first information about the condition of the patient's canal. After the initial examination is carried out, the second stage of the diagnosis of varicose veins begins - a study using ultrasound.
Tests during the diagnosis of varicose veins are an important source of information that helps to diagnose the disease correctly.
What tests are given if varicose veins are suspected?
The first analysis is blood sampling for hormones, biochemicals and hemoglobin. A general blood test is also taken, the group and Rh, infectious group are determined.
After that, the patient needs to pass 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 focus of the disease. The procedure takes no more than half an hour, during which 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 in the legs, you need to 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 taken, the patient may die.
Treatment methods for the first signs of varicose veins on the legs:
- sclerotherapy;
- medical treatment;
- medicinal herbs;
- compression underwear;
- surgical intervention.
Folk method
They are only used in complex treatment in combination with medicines, you need to take tinctures from nettle, acacia. These tinctures are drunk three times a day before meals, it is useful to make a cold foot bath from a decoction of burdock, nettle and birch leaves.
All suggested herbal preparations are taken only with the permission of the doctor, it is not recommended to drink decoctions and tinctures on your own.
Treatment with drugs
The 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 use of the ointment to be effective, it is recommended to wear compression underwear at the same time.
Compression underwear
This range includes tights, stockings, at various stages of varicose veins, different compression underwear set. You can buy such medical tights in specialized stores.
These underwear help to normalize the outflow of venous blood, the necessary force compression restores the normal function of the veins.
Taking medication does not completely cure varicose veins, but removes some symptoms and eases the disease process. Also, thanks to the use of various drugs, the risk of manifestations of diseases such as thrombophlebitis is reduced. This disease appears due to the lack of treatment for varicose veins, it is only treated in hospitals, and surgery is often required.
I also often use lymphatic drainage massage for treatment, thanks to its use in the general course of therapy, the patient improves the outflow of lymph in the legs, there will be less swelling, fatigue and the feeling of heaviness in the legs disappear. The only drawback is the sequence effect. It will last only two months, but then the massage course 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 is found.
This drug acts 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, another vein begins to perform its work function.
This medicine is prescribed by a phlebologist, for each patient individual treatment is used. A 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 carried out by an experienced specialist, because if the procedure is performed incorrectly, the vein will restore its blood flow through the sclerotic vessels, and there will be no therapeutic effect.
In addition to the introduction of drugs, when using this procedure, 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 drug distribution along it.
In more complex cases, when massage, compression underwear, drugs do not help and the disease enters a more acute stage, surgery is prescribed for the patient.
Due to varicose veins
The consequences of this disease are not a good sign, it is a cosmetic problem and is associated with other health problems that appear 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 significant health problems.
Often there is pain in the legs, which is accompanied by unpleasant itching. Excruciating pain arises from an insufficient amount of oxygen and other trace elements not being able to enter the affected area. The cause of pain is the defeat of a large vein. But small ships also give unpleasant sensations.
Of course, cosmetic problems are also important for women, but a more unpleasant consequence is ankle swelling. Pain in the upper and lower legs. Even with good rest, a person will feel constant pain.
Dermatitis - a consequence of varicose veins
The worst consequence is dermatitis. This disease develops at the site of vein expansion. With such a disease, a person experiences constant itching, the formation of wounds, and various rashes. The appearance of dermatitis can cause thrombophlebitis. When blood clots appear, you need to immediately seek the help of a specialist. If this is not done, then the consequences for a person can be very serious. Therefore, under no circumstances can it be postponed.