A light gait, long walks without fatigue even in the heels, beautiful ankles and hips that you don't want to hide from others - these are the benefits of healthy legs without signs of venous disease. Gradually, the way and pace of life changes if a person neglects the prevention of varicose veins.
This is true for both women and men. The disease progresses in different ways and the stage of varicose veins in medicine on the question of identification in the patient is still a subject of debate. But you have to understand the classification so as not to miss the moment when varicose veins are treated without surgery.
The essence of the problem
Varicose veins are disorders of the blood flow in the saphenous veins. Due to problems with the venous valves, which must hold back portions of blood to travel further to the heart, plasma flows in the opposite direction and stagnates.
The pressure cannot push blood through the veins of the lower limbs, causing the walls to stretch. On the legs, a pattern of stripes and zigzags of blue hue gradually appears, complemented by pockets and bulges at an advanced stage.
But varicose veins are not immediately noticeable. The problem can progress without visual symptoms, which is why people who experience discomfort in their legs but cannot find protruding veins attribute the discomfort to fatigue.
Varicose veins do not occur in isolation as a separate disease. This is only a symptom of dysfunction of the circulatory system as a whole, which appears at a young age. It is wrong to regard varicose veins of the lower limbs as a sign of old age. Many girls in their twenties hide their legs under pants and long skirts because of varicose veins.
There are several reasons for the dysfunction of the circulatory system:
- Genetic inheritance from parents. If the mother (most often) or father has problems with the flow of blood from the legs to the heart, then the children should conduct an examination and prevention of the vascular and venous system. But genetics do not work in all cases if there is no motivating factor - a sedentary lifestyle or standing due to the peculiarities of the profession, unbalanced diet, diseases with complications;
- Neglect of the rules of a technical break when employed in certain areas of work, where there is a heavy load on the legs, but there is no movement (hairdresser, specialist in sales service, accountant, programmer, driver). Warming up the legs every 30 minutes prevents the blood from stagnating;
- Some health problems affect the blood vessels and veins - diabetes mellitus, heart problems, injuries to the legs, spine, obesity;
- Pregnancy for many women is the cause of the first symptoms of varicose veins. The embryo not only increases the weight of the pregnant woman, which puts stress on the legs, but also puts pressure on the internal organs and vital systems of the pregnant woman.
Varicose veins are a serious signal of internal problems that have not occurred, but require at least a standard examination by a therapist.
Different stages of development of venous insufficiency
Despite the fact that the veins in men are localized not only in the legs, but throughout the body, varicose veins of the lower extremities are more common. Both women and men suffer from the disease, but a higher percentage of the beautiful half of the population.
There are several stages of varicose veins, which are categorized according to their severity.The division is conditional, so that the attending physician makes a diagnosis and knows what treatment regimen to prescribe the patient for specific complaints.
Among medical experts, there are a number of classifications of the stages of varicose veins. The international community identifies seven stages of varicose veins, drawing a line under narrow symptoms. But in practice, varicose veins are diagnosed in 3 stages of the disease gradation:
- First degree (compensation stage) - deterioration of blood flow from the legs to the heart is predetermined by lifestyle or genetically, but the patient has time to return the venous valves to normal functioning. Symptoms of varicose veins at the initial stage are mild and are not taken seriously;
- Second degree (undercompensation) - there are visual signs of venous insufficiency, difficult to confuse with other changes. Discomfort in the legs goes away after a long rest or constantly accompanies a person. At this point, patients most often seek medical help. Vascular and venous changes are important, but it is possible to relieve tension and pain in the lower limbs;
- The third degree (decompensation) is the last stage of varicose veins, when the thinned walls of the circulatory system start to burst from the excess blood. The tissues of the skin are not nourished and die. Skin ulcers develop and are difficult to treat. In some cases, in grade 3 varicose veins, bacteria join the ulcerative foci. Stabilizing the patient's condition requires time, effort, and complex therapy.
The listed stages of varicose veins are conditional division. In each group of venous insufficiency there is a mild, moderate and severe degree of the disease, which is determined by the symptoms described by the patients upon reception. Based on the fact that the pathology of the veins is individual in each case, the line of transition from one stage to another is insignificant, especially in cases of 1 and 2 degrees.
Features of the initial stage of the pathology
1 degree of varicose veins is diagnosed by a doctor in rare cases, because people do not come to the clinic when a short-term edema or heaviness in the legs appears. Folk remedies help them relieve fatigue, puffiness goes away on its own after sleeping or changing from high heels to slippers. Varicose veins of 1 degree in many people do not pass to another stage until old age, if there is no provoking factor.
Changes in the vascular system occur not only in adults, but also in modern adolescents, who are deprived of mobility and prefer a computer, phone and other gadgets to active leisure.
Only the arms and the brain are trained, and the rest of the body does not change position for a long time. Blood circulation slows down, especially in the lower part of the skeleton. Bent knees, crushed muscles, veins and blood vessels in the thighs, buttocks lead to stagnation.
Teenagers often complain of leg pain and cramps. In some cases, edema is visible, especially if you are overweight. There are no clear symptoms of 1st degree varicose veins, but the initial stage is neglected and its progressivity depends only on the attention of children or their parents to themselves.
Teenage girls choose uncomfortable high-heeled shoes to attract attention. The pressure in the veins of the lower extremities increases and leads to the initial degree of pathology. The inability to stand and move in high heels deforms the feet, increases the load on the spine and bones of the legs, hip joints. The curvatures negatively affect the vessels because they are compressed.
The initial degree of varicose veins in young people is not alarming, as the symptoms disappear after rest or a little warm-up. The signs of grade 1 varicose veins are as follows:
- Heavy legs even without physical activity;
- Slight pockets in the afternoon, when the foot is too small to fit in the shoe or when the edges sink noticeably into the skin. The symptom disappears in the morning if the legs are resting or if an intervention is performed to relieve swelling and tension in the muscles - upright position of the lower limbs, foot baths, massage, change of uncomfortable shoes;
- Short-term seizures in rare cases.
In rare cases, with grade 1 varicose veins, external signs of venous pathology appear - thin bands of veins or a vascular network, which are stressed due to reduced speed of blood flow.
It is difficult to diagnose the initial stage of the pathology on your own, since the listed symptoms are observed in other diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, kidney problems. For diagnosis and treatment, you should see your doctor at the first sign of discomfort.
Varicose veins are localized not only in the legs, and the initial stage can be skipped if there are no changes in the lower extremities.
Level 2 features
The initial stage of venous pathology in the absence of prophylaxis or therapy after some time passes to the stage of undercompensation. Symptoms of grade 1 varicose veins appear more often and last longer.
External changes appear on the skin - swollen veins or a large number of spider veins. At night and even during the day, cramps occur, the patient feels pain and cannot move his leg. When physically examining the veins of the lower extremities, changes in the functioning of the valves are observed.
The pressure in the vessels increases, but it is difficult to push the blood out without closing the valves. Forms of blood stagnation, which appear on the skin in the form of blue nodules.
- A sign of stage 2 venous insufficiency is swelling that does not go away after rest and preventive procedures. Edema occurs due to the inability of blood to rise through the veins, hemodynamics are impaired. The liquid part of the blood (plasma) begins to seep under the skin through the thinned walls of veins and small vessels, since the function of its transport is impaired;
- Skin color changes due to poor circulation and nutrient intake. The cells of the epidermis acquire a brown tint, gradually turning into black. Inflammation develops and, consequently, the initial stage of ulcerative formations;
- Patients who see the doctor in stage 2 of the disease complain of severe pain, muscle numbness and itchy skin. The symptoms are caused by the lack of adequate nutrition for the cells of the epidermis.
The stage of undercompensating for varicose veins is not considered hopeless if the treatment is diagnosed and prescribed in a timely manner. If one or more signs of 2nd degree varicose veins are found, one cannot self-medicate and listen to supporters. Only a doctor will help to cope with the problem.
Grade 3 Features
People reach 3rd degree venous insufficiency if they treat themselves in an inattentive and disrespectful way. The first stage of the pathology in rare cases causes discomfort and changes the quality of life, but the 2nd degree of venous insufficiency should not go unnoticed in order to neglect the visit to a doctor and undergo a course of rehabilitation.
3 degree of pathology is the most serious and dangerous, because trophic ulcers are formed, which do not heal even with drug therapy. At the stage of decompensation, the body has exhausted its ability to keep the veins in working order.
The walls are stretched and thinned to the limit, there is a risk of rupture in case of injury. Another problem with grade 3 varicose veins is thrombophlebitis - blockage of the vessel, formation of blood clots, which can break off and lead to death.
Venous insufficiency reaches its final stage in extreme cases. The reasons for this attitude of people towards themselves are not clear. To endure the pain, to feel aesthetic discomfort and not being able to walk easily seems strange. Timely diagnosis of the problem and compliance with the doctor's recommendations will not allow varicose veins to pass through even one stage of the pathology.
Having considered in detail the classification of varicose veins of the lower extremities, it should be noted that venous insufficiency occurs in other parts of the body and internal organs. Such a problem is more difficult to notice, but when discomfort in the legs appears, one can also think of disturbances in venous blood flow elsewhere.
How to diagnose a pathology
At the first signs of discomfort in the legs, you should contact a medical institution. Diagnosis and treatment of venous insufficiency is performed by a phlebologist, but the initial consultation can be obtained from a therapist.
- A visual examination of the condition of the integuments on the legs, the presence of orthopedic changes and other signs is performed;
- Palpation of problem areas not only of the legs, but also of the groin and abdomen;
- Patient complaints are heard;
- A detailed medical history is compiled in the form of an investigative interview. The questions focus on identifying the cause that has become the starting point for the formation of varicose veins;
- A referral for general blood and urine tests is necessary to determine the general state of health of the patient;
- Functional test to determine the degree of venous dilation (Schwarz, Perthes, sole test);
- In case of varicose hypertrophy, a physical examination of the patency of the veins and the condition of the venous valves is carried out - duplex ultrasound (DHS), plethysmography, venography, rheovasography.
After all measures for diagnosing venous insufficiency and determining the degree of varicose veins, prophylaxis, conservative treatment, treatment with alternative methods and, in extreme cases, surgical intervention, theelimination of pathology with the help of a laser is prescribed.
How to cope with varying degrees of venous dysfunction
The earlier signs of varicose veins are detected, the easier and faster it is to deal with the problem. The initial stage of the pathology can be completely canceled without the use of drugs if prompt prevention is started:
- Change your pace and your lifestyle. Often the cause of impaired blood flow through the veins is a sedentary lifestyle or standing due to work activities. It is necessary to add movement to improve hemodynamics and avoid high pressure in certain areas. With excess weight you need to tackle its normalization, but gradually;
- Choose comfortable and correct shoes. In the presence of orthopedic deformities, shoes are selected taking into account this problem. High heels only on special occasions;
- Give up bad habits that cause problems in the vascular system;
- Reduces weight if overweight and gives extra load to legs;
- Choose the right exercise to help the blood flow from the legs to the heart.
At the initial stage, the doctor prescribes venotonics, cream, pills to reduce the load on the venous walls and restore their elasticity. The medical jersey must be personalized to relieve tension in the legs.
When external signs appear and create aesthetic discomfort, a special composition (sclerotherapy) is introduced into a vein, but this is rare at an early stage.
The second stage of venous insufficiency needs more attention so that the problem does not turn into stage 3. The specificity of eliminating the pathology of the 2nd degree is similar to the treatment of varicose veins in the initial stage. Medicines are prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots, reduce tissue swelling, and restore blood flow.
Surgical therapy of varicose veins of the 2nd degree is used in the presence of obvious changes on the skin - convex veins, venous mesh, vascular pattern. In the treatment room, radio frequency or laser therapy is performed. Shown including sclerotherapy, when the external defect disappears in the eyes after injection into the problematic injection site.
Compression garments are essential for improving blood circulation and reducing stress on the legs.
How to treat grade 3 varicose veins, when the condition of the veins and tissues is in terrible condition and the body is not able to correct the condition? Treatment is only surgical to prevent thrombosis, rupture of the veins, and restore hemodynamics throughout the body.
Usually a phlebectomy procedure is performed - removal of the affected vessels. The operation is performed using surgical instruments (classical method) or a laser without a single incision (modern method of treating varicose veins of the 3rd degree).
The course of the disease is complicated by the formation of ulcers which do not heal even with drug treatment. Therefore, a surgeon is essential at this stage. After a successful operation, an individual course of drugs, dressings and medical linen is selected.
In conclusion
Varicose veins are not a harmless cosmetic defect on the legs and other parts of the body, but a serious pathology that, with the connivance, will turn a person's life into torment and constantly walking aroundin the clinic offices.
The initial stage of venous insufficiency is inherent in most of the population, but the diagnosis is rarely made due to the ignorance of people about the possible consequences.
If the professional activity involves a sedentary image or a constant presence on your feet, then there are examples of pathology in relatives, you should take preventive measures and exclude the progression of the disease to the initial stage. By leaving the problem unattended, you may not notice how the veins will cause other pathologies.