Varicose veins are a serious disease that significantly reduces the quality of life and, without timely treatment, simply makes them unbearable.
Because of this, it is important for anyone who has faced such a problem to know the causes of varicose veins, their manifestations, and most importantly, the best methods to treat this disease.
general information
Varicose veins are a chronic vascular disease that develops as a result of blood stagnation (usually in the lower extremities). This is due to the failure of the vascular valves, which normally only carry blood upwards from the lower extremities to the heart. Standing blood puts pressure on the walls of blood vessels, causing them to thin, lose elasticity, and deform and expand significantly. On the legs of such a patient, one can observe with the naked eye wriggling "snakes" of blood vessels that rise above the skin and form varicose veins "knots" in some places.
Causes of Varicose Veins
There are several reasons for this disease to develop. In particular, varicose veins can lead to:
- "Bad" inheritance. Varicose veins occur in people with congenital weakness of the valve apparatus or the vein walls.
- Increased venous pressure. Very often factors that increase blood pressure lead to such a disease, namely pregnancy, obesity, constant vertical loads (when a person stands on his feet for a day), a sedentary lifestyle (sedentary work).
- Taking hormonal drugs. Certain hormonal medications, such as high-estrogen birth control pills, cause blood clots and can lead to varicose veins.
- Violation of blood circulation. These disorders can be caused by poor physical activity, smoking, tight footwear, or chronic constipation.
- Hormonal disorders related to age-related changes in the body.
Manifestations and complications of the disease
Doctors note that varicose veins are not that bad in and of themselves, since their complications are dangerous. Indeed, in the early stages of the development of the disease, the dilation of the saphenous veins is an aesthetic problem for a person (which women especially suffer from). First, vascular networks - the so-called "cobwebs" appear on the skin. At the same time, a person begins to feel a feeling of heaviness in the legs, notices a swelling of the limbs, and feels pain when walking. These are important symptoms of varicose veins, which in any case should not be ignoredIf a person is in no hurry to see a doctor and find out the cause of the disease, they risk developing varicose veins and a problem that cannot be resolved without surgery.
With the development of varicose veins, the skin in the lower leg area becomes thicker and bluish. The patient's calves begin to "whine" after a short walk, and swollen veins can be seen under the skin. In addition, such veins become very painful over time.
But that's just the beginning of serious health problems. If a person does not begin to fight the existing disease, irreversible changes appear in the skin around the affected veins, as a result of which lipodermatosclerosis develops, and later trophic ulcers appear. In addition, without treatment, the inner walls of the veins become inflamed and provoke blood clots. This is how thrombophlebitis develops. As blood clots grow in size, they clog the lumen of the vein, and the clot can break loose at any time. And this condition is fraught with death.
So it is very clear that varicose veins need treatment. And you need to start therapy as early as possible. Next we will consider the methods of treatment for this serious illness.
Medication
In the complex therapy of varicose veins, drugs are inevitably used. Usually these are capsules or tablets that have a wide range of effects on the body. In particular:
- Phlebotonics. These drugs increase blood flow, prevent the development of thrombosis, and at the same time increase the tone of the vascular walls. It will not be possible to get rid of varicose veins with such drugs, but they are quite capable of relieving the swelling of the legs and getting rid of the burning sensation and pain.
- Blood thinning medication. Such drugs thin the blood and promote better blood circulation, which prevents the development of thrombosis. Drugs are prescribed only individually, and the timing of use is determined by the doctor.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. These include pills, ointments, and gels that help relieve pain, reduce swelling, and prevent platelets from sticking together. More importantly, these drugs prevent the inflammation of the veins that leads to thrombophlebitis.
Stockings and tights made from varicose veins
The fair sex is confronted with varicose veins much more often than men. This is mainly due to hormonal changes in the female body (menopause, pregnancy). That is why wearing special tight-fitting stockings or tights is the best way for you to prevent varicose veins. This compression garment compresses the legs and prevents varicose veins, which means that it is an excellent prevention against varicose veins. And with an already developed disease, such underwear will protect the legs from pain, swelling and fatigue.
Hydrotherapy
The treatment of varicose veins with water has always been known. At different temperatures, the veins narrow and widen, which increases their elasticity. Knowing this, modern doctors apply hydrotherapy in the early stages of varicose veins development, when vascular networks are just beginning to appear on the skin. In addition, baths can be local (only for the feet) or general (for the whole body) depending on the problem at hand. The water temperature in such a bath varies between 20 and 40 ° C.
Unconventional treatments
In the complex treatment of varicose veins, non-traditional methods can also be used. Here are some examples.
Potato juice
Affected veins should be lubricated with freshly squeezed potato juice in the morning, afternoon and evening and bandages with a bandage dipped in this juice should be applied at night. In addition, 100 ml of potato juice should be drunk 3 r / day. Varicose veins should be treated with such a remedy for 3-4 months.
Apple Cider Vinegar
It's called the "Number 1 Remedy" for varicose veins, and all because apple cider vinegar improves blood circulation, strengthens blood vessel walls, and improves skin tone. Application is very simple: 2-3 r / day you need to smear the skin in the area of the affected veins with vinegar. And in parallel with this, you should drink a glass of water in which 1 tsp diluted. Vinegar. The duration of therapy is 2 months.
Kalanchoe leaves
This is another effective way of treating varicose veins. Fill half a liter bottle with chopped Kalanchoe leaves and fill the raw material with 40% alcohol to fill the bottle. After leaving the product to steep in a dark place for a week, strain and rub the affected areas with the tincture for 2 r / day. The treatment should be complemented by a light massage of the swollen veins. This treatment lasts 4 months.
Willow bark
Baths with white willow bark are a great help in fighting this disease. For such a procedure it is necessary to grind the bark, after which 2 tbsp. l. Pour such raw materials with 400 ml of water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. Put the finished product in buckets of water, then lower your feet and hold for 30 minutes. And put on compression stockings immediately after the procedure and let your legs rest. The procedures should be done every other day for 3 months. Incidentally, to increase the effect, a brew made from willow bark can be diluted with a brew made from oak bark.
All of these methods are an excellent means of preventing this disease and provide great help in treating varicose veins in the early stages of the disease. However, practice shows that people with affected veins see a doctor in 80% of cases with an advanced disease. In such a situation, neither compression garments, nor creams and ointments, nor folk remedies can in any way affect the development of the disease. Drastic measures are required. Fortunately, modern medicine is ready to offer effective methods for solving this complex problem.
Sclerotherapy
This is a non-surgical method of treating varicose veins in which the doctor uses a thin needle to inject a special substance into the affected vein - a sclerosant. Such a substance sticks the vein from the inside, causing it to dissolve and begin blood flow through healthy veins. The number of sclerosant administration sessions can vary depending on the severity of the lesion. And during treatment, the patient must wear compression underwear.
As a result of such therapy, a person almost forever forgets about the annoying varicose veins. Recurrences only occur in 25% of cases and are usually associated with advanced disease. True, it is understood that sclerotherapy is not carried out in pregnant women and overweight people.
Laser treatment
This is one of the modern advances in medicine that allows you to get rid of varicose veins without surgery. The radiation generated by the laser "brazes" the affected vein from the inside, thereby closing its lumen and cutting off the flow of blood that begins to travel through the deeper veins. Over time, connective tissue forms from the stuck vessel, which then dissolves.
This method of solving the problem is more effective than sclerotherapy. It is not very traumatic, the operation takes no more than 40 minutes and the patient can leave the clinic literally 2 hours after the operation. It's no wonder that treating varicose veins with a laser is called "office surgery. " In this case, skin incisions need only be made when removing large veins, while removing small varicose veins without causing tissue damage. Just keep in mind that the cost of onesuch surgery are quite high.
Radio frequency ablation
More recently, in our country, they began to practice the most modern method of eliminating the affected veins, which is called radio frequency ablation. It is used to treat the major large veins affected by varicose veins. A high-frequency catheter is inserted into the affected vein through a puncture in the skin, which "brews" the vein from the inside with the help of microwaves. In addition, the catheter has sensors with which you can monitor the effectiveness of the procedure.
This method can rival laser treatment in that it also doesn't require any skin incisions, doesn't leave bruises, and can be done in just 30 minutes. On the day of the operation, the patient can go back to work. However, the cost of such a procedure is high even compared to laser coagulation.
Operative removal
It is important to understand that for eczema, thrombophlebitis, as well as trophic ulcers, treatment using the above methods is not carried out. The elimination of neglected varicose veins is only possible through surgical removal of the veins in conjunction with sclerotherapy. However, not everything is so critical here either. In the arsenal of modern surgeons, there are low-trauma microsurgical methods that allow you to remove a diseased vein through a small incision and simply not leave any scars after the procedure. In addition, new technologies allow painful veins to be removed in just 30-40 minutes.
You don't have to be afraid of varicose veins. On the contrary, the disease requires a lot of attention, and the sooner the better. Timely identification and a properly selected method of treatment will allow you to get rid of the disease without any problems and lead a full life.
Get well!