Varicose veins are a disease in which, first of all, the veins in the legs are very painful. 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 problems will help to avoid negative consequences of the disease.
General information about varicose veins
The carrier of varicose veins is almost one in five of the total percentage of the world's 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 for such a disease is varicose veins. From the name, it can be understood that in the presence of disease, the peripheral veins located on the limbs of the human body increase in size, thereby acquiring a swollen and unhealthy appearance.
With varicose veins, knots, cobwebs, clusters and other non-standard intertwining of veins may appear on the skin. Their color becomes darker, edema and pain appear. Due to the appearance of lymph nodes, blood cannot flow stably through the veins, blood clots occur, which exposes the veins to high pressure.
Reaching a certain pressure indicator leads to the fact that during thrombosis the blood in the veins is pushed outward, stretching the walls of the vessels. The first characteristic symptoms of varicose veins appear, such as a noticeable interlacing of the veins, an expansion of their volume and a dark blue tint.
Most often, varicose veins cover the surface of the legs, so people suffering from such a disease complain of pain in the veins of the legs. Treatment of varicose veins should be immediate and carried out under the supervision of an experienced doctor. As soon as the first symptoms appear, contact a therapist.
Causes
The main cause of varicose veins is the disruption of stable blood flow. It is the stagnation of blood in the veins that causes the pressure exerted on them. Therefore, the main factors affecting the development of varicose veins include:
- Genetic predisposition. If both parents suffer from varicose veins, the probability of developing the disease in their child can reach 70%. The first symptoms of the disease appear at an early age, and the development of the disease can be prevented with health care.
- Increased physical activity. Regular and prolonged standing on your feet can strain your blood vessels. Therefore, varicose veins are often found in professional athletes and in people undergoing intense physical production work.
- Lack of physical activity. In the complete absence of movement in the blood vessels, blood stagnation occurs. The elderly, as well as office workers who lead sedentary or sedentary lives, can suffer from varicose veins.
- Hormonal imbalance. Functional disorders of the hormonal or endocrine system of the human body can lead to various consequences. For example, female representatives are faced with stagnation of blood in the vessels. Hormonal disturbances can occur during puberty, pregnancy, lactation, menopause, as well as due to private stressful situations and nervous disorders. During such periods, it is not estrogen that prevails in the female body, but the hormone of the corpus luteum, which acts on the muscles in a relaxing way.
- Mechanical effect on the veins. Contraction of the peripheral veins located on the surface of the extremities can also affect the onset of blood congestion. For example, tight clothes have such an effect.
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol contains toxic and toxic substances for 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, so the body members may not tolerate the load placed on them.
When the veins hurt exactly in the legs, varicose veins are usually the cause of the painful sensations. You need to pay attention to factors that could affect the development of the disease and review your lifestyle.
Symptoms
Before you start the treatment of varicose veins, you need to make sure that the veins are very painful precisely because of the appearance of such a disease. The disease is not asymptomatic, the main thing is to pay attention to any deviations from the norm in the work of the body. The following manifestations speak of varicose veins:
- Pain in the legs. The pressure that the blood exerts on the walls of the vessels leads to painful and uncomfortable sensations in the lower extremities. Then the vein hurts, you can face an unpleasant burning sensation and heaviness in the legs.
- Swelling. Swelling on the surface of the legs may appear towards the end of the day, when the limbs experience a spike in tension. The swelling affects not only the main part of the legs, but also the feet, ankles and the flexion area of the knee.
- Convulsions. Convulsive muscle contractions with varicose veins usually occur at night. They may be accompanied by a nervous tic and convulsive contractions.
- Expansion of the veins. As previously stated, the veins with varicose veins acquire a completely different appearance. They are puffy, curvy, and deep blue. Large saphenous veins indicate the presence of thrombosis.
- Discoloration of the skin. Due to the fact that during the disease stagnation of blood appears in the vessels, the skin under the peripheral veins can change its shade to a darker, dull shade.
- 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 weakness of the body.
If you start treatment for the disease, then it can move on to the next stage. With the rapid development of varicose veins of the lower extremities, you may experience the following symptoms:
- hardening of the skin;
- black dots;
- loss of moisture from the skin, violation of its nutrition;
- bleeding caused by the rupture of the lymph nodes.
If any of these symptoms appear, you should see a doctor and start treatment immediately.
Processing methods
If the veins of the legs hurt precisely because of varicose veins, the specialist will prescribe a whole series of measures to eliminate the disease. The most common treatments for varicose veins include:
- medical preparations;
- folk remedies;
- gymnastic;
- massage;
- compresses and affected areas bandaged;
- special diet.
Treatment will be more effective if the patient takes a holistic rather than a selective approach.
Medications
Medicines for the treatment of varicose veins can be divided into 4 groups:
- external use;
- for oral administration;
- eliminate symptoms;
- treat the underlying causes;
- Operational modes.
In the fight against the disease, doctors prescribe drugs that thin the blood, pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, a vitamin complex, etc. Oral medications can be administered orally or by injection.
Any medication should only be used under the supervision of the attending physician, observing the instructions for use and the duration of treatment.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies for the treatment of varicose veins should complement a set of measures aimed at eliminating the disease. You can use them at home.
Some common folk methods include:
- medicinal baths;
- compresses;
- decoctions of herbs.
Baths for effective treatment of varicose veins are recommended 3-4 times a week. Water should be diluted with special sea salt for baths or special herbs prepared in advance. For example, you can use the following recipe:
- Fill the tub with lukewarm water.
- Dissolve the dry leaves of medicinal herbs in water.
- Take a bath for 20-25 minutes.
Chamomile, St. John's Wort, oak bark and plantain leaves, which can be purchased at any drugstore in the city for a low price, are suitable as raw materials for baths. It is possible to take such baths for prophylactic purposes, as they help cleanse the vessels of toxic substances and stabilize blood flow.
Compresses and lotions can be made from vegetable and essential oils from pharmacies, 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 application area with an elastic bandage. You need to change these compresses twice a day every 2-3 hours.
You can prevent the development of the disease in the traditional way by consuming decoctions of medicinal herbs inside. For the preparation of broths, the raw materials of the following herbs are suitable:
- hawthorn;
- chamomile;
- hop cones;
- plantain;
- St. John's Wort;
- Licorice root;
- Angelica Root.
You should consult your doctor in advance about the alternative methods. Some components may not be able to be used due to the presence of allergic reactions.
Gymnastic
Inactivity, which causes stagnation of blood in the vessels, is one of the reasons for the development of varicose veins. Therefore, people who are forced to lead a computer life should regularly perform gymnastic exercises at home. For example:
20-25 times:
- Sit on a chair
- Squeeze your legs together
- Tighten your muscles
- Lower your feet to your toes then to your heels
20-25 times:
- Lean against the wall with both hands
- Tiptoe up
- Get on your heels
15-20 times:
- Sit
- Stand on your tiptoes while seated
- Get on your heels
15 times on each leg:
- Sit
- Raise your right leg parallel to the floor for 7 seconds
- Inferior
- Do the same with the left leg.
Massage
Massage for varicose veins can be done independently at home. You will need a special nourishing cream or oil. Sea buckthorn is perfect. It should be rubbed on the problem areas of the legs in a circular motion for five minutes a day. This procedure will also increase the elasticity of the skin and provide it with moisture.
Diet
The varicose vein diet involves restriction of consumption or complete rejection of the following foods:
- broths;
- marinades;
- salty, smoked, sweet, fried foods in oil;
- coffee and derivative beverages;
- alcoholic products and tobacco.
It is worth diversifying the diet with foods that have a positive effect on strengthening the walls of blood vessels:
- fresh fruits and vegetables;
- nuts;
- fishery products, seafood;
- green vegetables;
- fermented dairy products.
Operational methods
There is treatment for varicose veins and by surgery. However, it is used in extremely advanced cases. The operations consist of ligating the veins of the esophagus and stomach with the imposition of an anastomosis or of placing a stent in the duct between the hepatic and portal veins.
To avoid varicose veins, it is worth resting your legs and doing preventive home procedures. Effective treatment of varicose veins that have already appeared consists of rapid and complex treatment under the guidance of a specialist.
Which doctor to contact
The treatment is carried out by a phlebologist, a vascular surgeon.