Varicose veins of the lower extremities - the appearance of spider veins (retinal) and dilated hemispheric veins on the legs. This disease is more common in adults, women are more common than men.
The disease received this name when translated from Latin, which literally means: flatulence, enlargement.
The first feeling with this disease is very different for each patient, but the feeling of heaviness in the legs, rapid fatigue, pain along the length of the veins is what unites everyone.
Treatment should be chosen by an experienced physician who can objectively assess the stage and progression of the disease.
Pathology, usually just a cosmetic defect, however, can in some cases lead to serious complications and persistent disability.
What is venous insufficiency, the mechanisms of development of the pathology
Some people after the age of 40 may face a rather unpleasant situation - the appearance of varicose veins in the legs. Tiny purple veins that pierce the skin, weave into a spider web or resemble a densely branched tree, are a serious cosmetic problem for many people, especially for women. A "free" vascular network (medically the term telangiectasia is used) is the dilation of small veins less than 1 mm in diameter located within the thickness of the skin. This is one of the signs to identify patients with varicose veins in the legs.
If the buttons begin to protrude from the surface of the skin, soften to the touch, become more noticeable when a person stands, then we can talk about a different manifestation. This is already a more serious pathology - dilation of the large and small hemispheric veins, as well as their branches.
Veins in the legs are soft, thin-walled channels that help return blood to the heart. To counteract the force of gravity, nature has provided them with valves, which prevent the backflow (reflux) of blood. There are two systems of veins in the lower extremities: superficial and deep veins. The first are represented by vessels under the skin, so they can be seen. The second is the deep vein of the leg, located next to the bone in the thickness of the muscle. There is communication between these systems - the perforated veins.
The valves' inability to perform their function results in blood pooling in the organs below, dumping its "excess" through the veins from deep to the surface. This will create increased pressure in the venous system of the leg, which is located under the skin. What causes her vessels to respond to this is to "bend and lengthen". And that's why varicose veins in the legs happen.
Reason for development
There are many conditions that lead to valve failure and loss of elasticity in the vessel walls. There are decisive causes of varicose veins in the legs, which are often associated with this disease:
- The age. Over the years, our veins lose their elasticity and begin to dilate. The valves are also "raw", lose their elasticity and no longer function properly.
- Pregnancy is accompanied by an increase in the volume of blood in the body, and also helps to slow its movement in the lower extremities (the large uterus presses on the veins of the small pelvis). Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy also play a role. As a rule, the symptoms of varicose veins without treatment resolve on their own within 12 months after childbirth.
Consequent varicocele (or, as many doctors incorrectly call them, capillary varicose veins), the cause of the appearance on the face and legs is often related to exposure to solar radiation. . So women who want to avoid this cosmetic problem need to choose - either a nice tan or a vascular net.
Risk factors
Varicose veins are a multifactorial disease.
- Floor. Women are more likely to get this disease. Hormonal imbalances that occur during pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause can be considered a risk factor because it dilates the vein walls over the long term. Hormone replacement therapy or long-term use of birth control pills also increase the risk of "getting" varicose veins.
- Heredity.
- Fat.
- Standing or sitting for long periods of time (office workers, surgeons, drivers).
- Alcohol abuse. Alcohol and varicose veins also have a definite link.
Symptoms and Diagnosis
At first, the disease may not cause discomfort, can be suspected when the following symptoms appear:
- the formation of spider veins, nets on the legs (enlargement of the vessels in the skin pink, blue, purple);
- The veins become "twisted", protruding above the surface of the skin, like ropes, broken by knots.
Then the following symptoms may be involved:
- tired legs;
- burning, stinging, muscle cramps and swelling in the lower extremities;
- the manifestations of the disease worsen if a person is in a standing or sitting position for a long time;
- itching around the "swollen" vessels;
- bleeding from varicose veins;
- painful, local stiffness of the vessel position;
- changes in skin color or ulcers in the ankle area.
The disease is diagnosed based on the data obtained during the examination and questioning of the patient. To assess the severity of the pathology (function of the valves, presence of blood clots in the veins), Doppler ultrasound is usually sufficient.
Treatment of diseases
If the diagnosis is made of "varicose veins of the legs", this does not mean that a long hospital stay is required. Thanks to modern minimally invasive procedures, the disease is often treated as an outpatient.
Change your lifestyle or help yourself
There are a number of self-help methods that help ease the discomfort of varicose veins and help prevent further varicose veins. Here are some of them:
- Exercise regularly. Move as much as possible. Regular walking is a great physical activity that can improve blood circulation in your legs. How much load will be optimal - you can ask your doctor about this.
- Constant control of your weight, excess will have a detrimental effect on the blood vessels in the legs. Do not forget about salt, too much salt intake in the body will cause water retention, increasing the load on the veins.
- Pay attention to what you are wearing. Shoes with low heels, as opposed to high heels, work the venous pump muscle in the leg - the gastrocnemius muscle. Avoid wearing tight pants around the groin and waist as this can reduce blood flow.
- Keep your legs as high as you can. To do this move, several times a day, you need to rest and raise your legs above your heart, for example, lie down and rest them on a pillow.
- Avoid sitting or standing for a long time.
Compression therapy
Usually, the early stages of varicose veins of the lower extremities are treated with compression knitting. External compression prevents the veins from swelling, thereby improving the movement of blood through the vessels.
Additional treatments for a more serious situation
If lifestyle changes and the use of compression hosiery do not improve symptoms and also if episodes of varicose veins (decompensation and decompensation) do not allow self-management of the pathology, treatment options are available. The following values will come to the rescue:
- Therapy therapy.This procedure does not require major anesthesia and is performed on an outpatient basis. The doctor injects a special substance (softener) into the dilated vein, which sticks to the walls.
- Therapeutic foam.Different from the conventional technique, in this technique, atheroma is injected into the vein after mixing with gas (usually air), which helps to treat larger diameter veins.
- Laser surgery. . . The new technology, which removes small veins and vascular networks, is done without skin incision and blood vessel puncture.
- Intravenous radiofrequency or laser ablation. . . One technique involves inserting a catheter into a vein, at the end of which is placed a transmitter of radio wave energy or laser energy.
- Safety-no-thigh ligation and great hemispheric vein ablation. . . The first procedure involves bandaging and cutting off the upper part of the vein. In the second, a special transducer is inserted into the lumen (two preliminary incisions are made: one in the groin area, the second at the upper third of the lower leg) and extended along the entireits length. It is then removed along with the dilated vein.
- Emergency vein ablation. . . The doctor will remove the small varicose veins and make several micro-incisions in the skin. The scars are usually barely visible.
- Endoscopic venous surgery. . . It is usually done when the patient already has severe lower extremity varicose veins (ulcers appear) or previous treatments have not worked.
Varicose veins that appear during pregnancy usually go away without treatment within 12 months of giving birth.
Alternative medicine dose
There are many alternative treatments for chronic venous insufficiency, a condition associated with varicose veins. The following remedies are most often used for this pathology:
- butcher's broom;
- grapes (leaves, juice, seed extract);
- horse chestnut;
- sweet clover.
Before taking any herbs or supplements, you need to make sure that these supplements are compatible with medications prescribed by your doctor and safe for your particular condition. Therefore, before using it, you should consult your doctor.
Preventive
There is no universal and guaranteed way to prevent the development of varicose veins in the legs. However, there are preventive measures that help reduce the risk of new manifestations of the disease, improve its symptoms. Here are some of them:
- Physical activity (regular sports, where the legs are "engaged", for example, walking or running, improves blood circulation in the lower extremities, strengthens blood vessels).
- Weight control (additional weight increases the load on the lower extremities (pressure in the veins).
- Do not cross your legs when sitting.
- While resting, raise them above heart level.
- Try to avoid standing or sitting motionless.
- Diet (low salt and high fiber).
You should also wash your feet with cold water after bathing. Try to take a shower or sauna less often.
Varicose veins of the legs are a common problem, affecting 10 to 20 percent of men and 33 percent of women. Unfortunately, it is impossible to fully recover from this disease. But new minimally invasive techniques used in medicine can improve symptoms. Early treatment in the early stages of the disease can prevent the development of serious complications.