Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a chronic disease, which is manifested by a violation of the mechanism of blood circulation in the veins. As a result, the venous walls are subjected to constant pressure, gradually thinning, forming enlarged nodules on the veins.
As a result of blood pooling in the veins of the lower extremities, varicose veins develop. It is manifested by swelling of the peripheral veins of the legs and their protrusions under the skin. The veins look crooked and have a bluish color. There is severe pain in the legs.
Varicose veins progress without treatment, complicated by thrombophlebitis and trophic ulcers. Treatment of varicose veins should be started at the first symptoms to prevent the development of the disease.
First of all, to treat varicose veins of the legs, doctors use conservative methods. If those do not yield results, then they use surgical treatments.
Physiotherapy treatment
In the treatment of varicose veins of the legs, one must mention the method of physical therapy. The main things are as follows:
- Electrophoresis;
- Lymphatic drainage;
- High pressure oxidation;
- Galvanized;
- Magnetic therapy;
- Darsonvalization;
- Exposure to ultraviolet rays;
- UHF and others.
The most common procedure is darsonvalization. It is done with a special device that generates a weak discharge. Move your legs vertically from bottom to top for 15 minutes for each limb. The course of treatment for varicose veins is about 20 sessions (depending on the development of the disease). As a result, vascular tone returns to normal, lymph flow and microcirculation in the legs are improved.
Pulsed magnetic field therapy is performed using a magnetic field generator, which induces an eddy current in the tissues of the lower extremities, which has a therapeutic effect. As a result of this action, the muscle fibers of the vessel walls in the legs are stimulated and toned. This improves blood circulation in the extremities, reduces swelling, relieves pain. Depending on the degree of development of varicose veins, the session lasts from 10 to 20 minutes.
Pneumatic compression also helps restore venous and vascular tone through a form of massage. A device resembling a boot is placed in the patient's leg. It is pressurized by the gas supply. However, this method should be abandoned in patients with varicose veins with a tendency to thrombosis.
Balancing therapy is an effective treatment for varicose veins in the legs, which involves taking a bath with mineral water. The bathhouse itself is designated local or common. Hydrotherapy is a topical contrast bath method. These methods are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. Manifestations of varicose veins of the legs to treat these methods at this stage are quite effective.
Oxidize
In addition to local physical therapy procedures, other procedures are also performed that affect the entire body. For example, an oxygen bubble bath improves blood circulation, which reduces the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs. High pressure oxidation is very useful. During the session, the patient inhaled pure oxygen at a pressure of more than 1. 5 atm.
Ozone therapy is related to this method. Inhalation of ozone activates many processes in the patient's body: microcirculation improves, metabolism normalizes, and regeneration is accelerated. At therapeutic doses, ozone also prevents the formation of blood clots, slightly thinning the blood. The course of treatment of varicose veins by ozone machine is 5 - 10 courses with an interval of 2 days between sessions.
Physical therapy is especially effective in the early and middle stages of the disease. Physiotherapy procedures should be prescribed by a phlebologist.
Medicines for treatment
Medicines in the way of defeating varicose veins of the legs are of secondary importance. They are the key to successful and highly effective treatment of the primary method. The drug is prescribed during physical therapy and other conservative treatments and after surgery.
There are many medications to treat varicose veins. They can be used in combination or separately. The phlebologist should appoint a suitable doctor. All drugs can be divided into several groups:
- Phlebotonics;
- Anticoagulants;
- Decongestants;
- Disruptors;
- Antioxidants
- Thrombolytic drugs.
Phlebotonics allows you to increase the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins, thus being effective in the treatment of varicose veins in the legs. The walls become stronger and denser. The effect of treatment with other methods is fixed. The blood circulation in the legs is improved, the lymph flow is improved. They are prescribed in preparation for surgery and subsequent rehabilitation, reducing inflammation in the veins with varicose veins.
Anticoagulants are drugs that reduce the ability of blood to clot. This prevents the formation of blood clots, which is important for varicose veins of the legs. They can be taken as pills or injections. Taking drugs without consulting a doctor is very dangerous, because they have side effects - bleeding, difficulty stopping bleeding.
Decongestants can be taken orally as a pill or taken externally as a gel and ointment. In the form of tablets, diuretics are used mainly. Such drugs significantly reduce the soreness of the varicose leg, as well as further increase the pressure on the venous wall. Their use improves blood circulation.
Drugs that cause clotting disorders - drugs that also affect blood clotting, however, do not belong to the group of anticoagulants. They only prevent blood clotting in the earliest stages, and therefore do not belong to the class of anticoagulants. They have no significant effect on indicators of general coagulation. When used as an adjunct therapy for varicose veins, they have similar effects to anticoagulants.
Antioxidants work by detoxifying. As a result of restoring chemical bonds in cells, strengthening of the walls of blood vessels and veins. As a result, the treatment of varicose veins in the legs is much faster.
Thrombolytics prevent blood clots. This is due to the destruction of fibrin, which is part of the blood clot. The use of a drug of this class allows plasminogen in the blood (an inactive protein) in the form of plasmin, causing the destruction of blood clots. However, taking this drug does not prevent further thrombosis with varicose veins.
The pharmaceutical company has developed a series of drugs that combine the properties of several of the described groups. Such drugs should be prescribed by a doctor and taken strictly under his supervision. This is due to the fact that they have quite a few side effects.
The use of drugs to treat varicose veins of the legs cannot be the only solution. They are prescribed in combination with other treatments.
Laser therapy
This is an effective treatment for varicose veins in the legs. The principle of action of the laser in this disease lies in its effect on hemoglobin. Hemoglobin absorbs the laser light and heat is generated in the blood. As a result, the damaged vessel is "sealed". The laser also indirectly affects the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins, as it causes constriction of these walls. The advantage of such an impact is its accuracy. It affects only certain tissues and does not affect the surrounding tissues in any way.
After exposure to the laser, the movement of blood through the treated area stops. The blood supply to this part of the limb will be produced by the deeper veins. In the "inactive" part of the vessel, connective tissue is formed, which disappears over time.
The advantage of this method of getting rid of varicose veins is minimal trauma. The patient did not feel any discomfort or pain after the intervention. In addition, there are other advantages:
- This method does not require an incision in the skin, unlike surgery. Therefore, there is no scarring afterwards. There is also no bruising after the procedure;
- The procedure is short and performed under local anesthesia. In view of this, as safe for health as possible, in contrast to surgical intervention, which is carried out under general anesthesia;
- From a financial point of view, laser varicose vein treatment is similar to surgery. However, while it may seem more expensive, it should be noted that the patient does not then need to undergo rehabilitation and extended sick leave, or spend money on recovery.
Many diseases can be cured by laser. It has become a good alternative for many types of procedures. Minimal trauma, painless and effective - all these make laser treatment the preferred treatment in many cases.
Therapeutic therapy
Sclerotherapy is a common method for treating varicose veins in the legs, sometimes called physical therapy. Basically, special drugs are injected into a vein. This method is painless and effective, so it is popular. This method is sometimes comparable in its effectiveness to lasers and even surgical interventions. After such a procedure, the vessel walls are glued and strengthened, thus defeating varicose veins of the legs. And the drug is absorbed in the body.
The advantage of the cure method is that it does not leave scars and bruises after the procedure. It is important that it is not too painful and can be done under local anesthesia. After the procedure, the integrity of the circulatory system is not violated, since the veins are not removed. Such an intervention can be an ideal option both when using dangerous surgical methods - with thrombophlebitis, perinephritis and in the treatment of recurrent episodes of the disease, when the veins are easilybreak and twist.
This method has a number of contraindications. First of all, this is the period of pregnancy and lactation. Serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, chronic liver and kidney disease, allergic diseases - all these will also become contraindications to the use of therapeutics, you'd better thinkHow to cure varicose veins in the legs in another way.
If the doctor prescribes sclerotherapy, then he should be informed of possible contraindications. When a patient has chronic diseases of any nature, the availability of sclerotherapy remains questionable.
Surgery
Surgery is an traumatic and painful method to effectively treat severe varicose veins. However, only its efficiency reaches 100%. Also, sometimes it takes significantly less time than any other way. Among the minor scars, one can name large scars and scars, long recovery time. There are several types of surgical interventions:
- Excision involves removing part of a vein with a thin probe. It is injected into the tip of the vein and drawn at the end. In this case, the area fixed on the transducer rotates from the inside out as it was originally, and its removal becomes easy;
- Vein ablation is a traditional surgical method for treating varicose veins, which involves cutting tissue with a knife. It is performed both when minimally invasive intervention is not possible, for example, when significant areas are affected or severely inflamed, and for other indications;
- Microflebectomy is considered a minimally invasive procedure. Helps in the treatment of varicose veins effectively. The procedure is similar to the previous method, only a very small incision is made on the skin. As such, it is less prone to injury. It can be done when the damage is not too severe and it is not necessary to remove a large vein.
This method has a number of both indications and contraindications. Therefore, pregnant women and those who have just given birth cannot interfere. After giving birth, you have to wait at least a month and a half. In the early stages of varicose veins, you should not use this method either.
Surgical intervention is not a guarantee of the absence of recurrence of varicose veins in the legs. You should be careful about your health.
Many methods of treatment for varicose veins of the legs allow the doctor to choose the best method for each specific case. However, the more advanced the disease, the more radical methods will have to be chosen. Therefore, you should not delay in contacting your doctor if you observe the first symptoms of varicose veins in the legs.