Symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the legs

One of the oldest diseases of the vascular system is varicose veins in the legs. The disease develops most often in women. The pathological process is based on the expansion of internal or deep veins, which leads to the process of inflammation of the superficial venous network. As a result, blood outflow and tissue nutrition are disrupted, giving rise to the most dangerous complications in the form of trophic ulcers.

Pathological causes

The disease most often affects the veins of the lower legs, as this part of the body has the greatest load. Signs of varicose veins in women often appear during pregnancy.There are many reasons that contribute to the development of symptoms of varicose veins in the legs:

• The hereditary predisposition to the development of varicose veins is due to the transfer from parent to child of special genes that mutate and contribute to the formation of weak vascular walls.
• Hormonal disorders in the female body during pregnancy, lactation, menopause negatively affect the condition of blood vessels, leading to the formation of blood clots and other pathological conditions.
• Severe forms of obesity lead to physical inactivity, circulatory disorders, increased intra-abdominal pressure. As a result, the outflow of venous blood is disrupted, which leads to the development of varicose veins. Additional factors are violations of lipid metabolism and the deposition of harmful cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels.
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus adversely affects the state of the vascular system and eventually leads to complications. The second type is not very dangerous for blood vessels, so it rarely causes varicose veins.
• An inactive lifestyle, hard physical work always leads to a violation of venous outflow.
• Frequent abuse of alcohol, coffee, concentrated tea leads to dehydration, especially when combined with the consumption of minimal amounts of water. As a result, the blood thickens, blood clots form, triggering blockage of blood vessels and circulatory disorders.
• An unbalanced diet with an insufficient amount of vitamin C in the diet, which is responsible for the condition of the vessels, their strength.
• Congenital, chronic blood anomalies characterized by excessive formation of clotting factors and the formation of blood clots.
• Wear tight clothing that prevents venous backflow.
• Transient or chronic constipation. During straining, intra-abdominal pressure increases, interfering with blood flow.
• Chronic pathology of the heart, negatively affects the entire vascular system.
• The use of drugs that increase blood clotting.

Another factor that triggers the symptoms of varicose veins on the lower part of the legs in women is the frequent wearing of high -heeled shoes. It has been proven that men get sick 2 times more often.

Symptoms and stages of disease development

The symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the lower part of the legs depend on the stage of the pathological process. There are several stages in the development of the disease:

1. In the early stagespathology in the legs and feet, dark blue or purple spider veins appear. They do not bother the patient and do not stand out on the surface of the skin.
2. In the second stageappear several veins that are enlarged, hard and painful to the touch. Nodules are felt in the affected vein.
3. The third levelcharacterized by the appearance of a large number of defective veins protruding above the level of the epidermis.
4. In the fourth stageat the site of the affected vein, redness of the epidermis or blue spots appear, which begin to itch. The itching is so unbearable that the patient cannot control himself. In the place of scratching, a weeping and painful surface appears.
5. In the fifth or sixth stagethe spots merge, forming an ulcer. In the absence of treatment, the process of tissue necrosis begins, reaching the bone in further cases.

In the early stages, there may be no pain in the legs with varicose veins. Symptoms appear when the pathological process takes place.Common symptoms of this disease include the following:

• Feeling heavy in the legs at the end of the working day, even with minimal effort.
• Swelling after physical exercise, disappears after resting in a horizontal position.
• Muscle contraction that cramps at night.
• Excessive dryness of the epidermis on dry bones, itching and burning.
• Increased fatigue.

Subsequently, the patient begins to be bothered by persistent and curving pain in the limbs. As a result, he avoids physical activity, spending a lot of time in a sitting position. At a later stage, when the trophic ulcer turns into a necrotic form, the patient’s movement is very difficult, as the pain becomes unbearable.

Possible complications of varicose veins

Lack of treatment leads to the development of severe consequences of varicose veins. Complications develop in 30% of patients. Common complications are venous bleeding, thrombophlebitis, dermatitis, eczema, which develop as a result of disruption of blood supply to tissues.

Often, trophic ulcers appear, which significantly reduce the quality of life of the patient. Improper and untimely treatment leads to tissue necrosis. In this case, surgical treatment is indicated with isolation of the necrotic focus.

Methods for diagnosing disease

During the diagnosis of a disease, it is very important to determine the cause of it. This will facilitate treatment.

The first stage of the examination will be a test: the patient is placed on a couch, he lifts his legs perpendicular to the body and holds them for 30 seconds to ensure the outflow of blood from the veins of the lower legs. Afterwards, with a special tourniquet, the limb is pulled in the thigh area and the patient is invited to stand. Typically, blood flow to the limbs should last at least 15 seconds. If this period is shorter, the presence of early stages of varicose veins is suspected.

During phlebography, a special contrast agent is injected intravenously into the patient and the patency of the deep vein is assessed on x-ray. To determine patency in a particular vessel, Dopplerography is performed.

The most informative method is ultrasonic angiography, which not only allows you to assess the patency in an enlarged vessel, but also to see the extent of its damage.

Based on diagnostic examination data, the doctor creates a treatment regimen, which is individual in each case.

Principles of conservative therapy

The early stages of the pathological process are successfully treated in a conservative manner. To eliminate pathological symptoms, tablet preparations and agents for external application in the form of gels and ointments are used.The most commonly prescribed medications are:

1. Tablets against varicose veins. They have anti-inflammatory, decongestant, analgesic, tonic properties, stimulate blood circulation, strengthen vascular walls, relieve itching, burn, restore elasticity of the ducts. Some of them are in the form of ointments or gels.
2. External agents act similarly to the preparation of tablets. Effective in the early stages of the pathological process. The use of such funds is allowed in the absence of trophic ulcers.
3. A mandatory step in treatment is to take an anticoagulant, for example, acetylsalicylic acid, which will help prevent further blood clotting.
4. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain in the later stages of the disease.

The early stages of varicose veins are successfully treated with laser photocoagulation. During the procedure, the affected vessel is exposed to a laser that avoids it, preventing further progression of the pathology. Often, manipulations are performed to remove cosmetic defects, as the affected limb looks unattractive.

Methods of surgical intervention

Further cases of the disease are unacceptable with conservative therapy. When the pathological process has moved to the stage of trophic ulcers, the patient is offered surgery that will solve the problem radically.

Sclerotherapy refers to a minimally invasive method of therapy and consists of node removal. During manipulation, a special sclerosing agent is injected into the lumen of the vein, which contributes to its gradual death. Prior to introduction, vessels were removed from general circulation by binding and cutting.

Phlebectomy is the complete removal of a diseased duct through a small incision or puncture. It is performed to remove extensive lesions.

As a rule, the recovery period is not painful. For 2-4 weeks, the patient must wear compression underwear or wrap the diseased limb with an elastic bandage.

Alternative Medicine Recipes

In the early stages of varicose veins, folk remedies are quite effective. Most doctors approve a combination of conservative therapy and non -traditional prescription.The following are considered most effective:

1. Compressed chopped green tomatoes will help relieve pain and swelling, normalize blood circulation, applied to the affected area and left overnight, secured with a bandage. Many do not understand why green tomatoes, because they have fewer nutrients. But the secret of this product lies in its high lycopene content, which eliminates congestion. It is permissible to use ripe fruit in the form of paste.
2. To enhance the effect of drugs, it is recommended to take freshly squeezed vegetable juice from carrots and beets every day. Especially valuable is the juice from the leaves of celery, which has a very positive effect on blood vessels.
3. An effective remedy for pain relief is grated potatoes, which must be applied on the feet, left for 4 hours, washed. Repeat the procedure daily until the patient's condition is relieved.
4. Protruding veins can be treated with a special compress of 1 part chopped garlic and 2 parts butter. Compress is used at night for 2 weeks.
5. Chestnut -based tincture will help relieve heaviness and pain in the legs. To prepare it, you need to take 200 g of peeled fruit, grind and pour a liter of alcohol, leave for 2 weeks to infuse. Use for a sweep every evening for 21 days. Take a break for 10 days and repeat the course.
6. An effective remedy is chamomile oil. It is necessary to prepare it from 150 g of crushed flowers and 500 ml of olive oil. After 10 days of infusion, the composition is ready for use. It is permissible to rub a sore limb or apply compresses at night. Perform treatment until the condition is relieved.

Such funds must be used with the permission of a physician. You can prevent the manifestation of allergies with the help of early tests for individual intolerance to certain drugs.

Disease prevention measures

People who are prone to varicose veins should take precautionary measures. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing that do not obstruct venous outflow. You must adhere to the principles of a healthy diet, take a walk, abandon bad habits.

As a preventive measure, it is necessary to periodically take multivitamin preparations that strengthen the vascular wall.

At the first sign of varicose veins, you should immediately contact a specialist to prescribe the necessary treatment. This will help avoid serious complications.