Varicose veins in the legs

What are varicose veins? The disease is characterized by swelling of peripheral vessels under the skin. This disease has no age limit, that is, the disease can occur even in children.

Experts recommend complex treatment of varicose veins. Therapy includes drugs and traditional medicine. In severe cases, surgical intervention is required. Symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the legs are different.

Reasons

There are factors that provoke the pathology of veins in the legs. Lifestyle is one of the main factors. If a person is often in the same position, for example, standing or sitting, then the risk of occurrence increases by 70%.

The wrong shoes or excessive physical activity can develop the disease.

Women with children develop varicose veins on their legs. This is due to the fact that the body is acutely subjected to additional stress. Another reason is hormonal failure, which can occur when taking birth control pills.

Indirect causes include the following factors:

1. Don't smoke. Toxic substances interfere with the process of hematopoiesis, as a result of which the work of blood vessels is disturbed.
2. Depression and prolonged stress. The nervous system is directly connected to the blood vessels. With any disturbance of the central or autonomic nervous system, the walls of the vessels become thinner and less elastic.
3. Physical activity is higher than normal. Varicose veins of the lower extremities often occur in athletes who want to gain muscle mass. Excessive exercise contributes to the development of varicose veins.
4. Wrong shoes. Walking in heels often provokes varicose veins. It is for this reason that the pathology is most characteristic for women. When walking in high-heeled shoes, the entire load falls on the feet, in which case the arteries suffer mercilessly.

Another reason is hereditary. If relatives have the disease, the risk of getting varicose veins increases.

Symptoms of the disease

Symptoms of varicose veins in the legs in women and men develop gradually. Many men and women do not pay attention to the first signs of varicose veins, referring to other factors. It is extremely difficult to treat varicose veins that have been neglected precisely because they are not treated in time. Symptoms of the disease include:

• At the beginning of the disease, a network of veins formed either in the inner thigh or in the calves.
• In the evening, the patient begins to worry about fatigue and heaviness in the legs, there is a feeling of internal itching. It seems that the foot is constantly itching, although scratching does not help.
• At night, the patient often has cramps in the lower extremities.
• Swelling is observed after sleep.

The above symptoms are characteristic of the initial stage of the development of varicose veins. If the treatment is started on time, it is possible to completely eliminate the disease without any relapse or result. If a person does not pay attention to the first signs, varicose veins develop further. In this case, the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs are as follows:

• Venous nodes are visible above the skin.
• Pain is observed during palpation of the veins in the legs.
• Pain similar to muscle pain is observed during any movement or walking.
• Legs get tired faster, there is a feeling of heaviness.

Varicose veins of the lower extremities can cause serious complications that affect the patient's quality of life. For this reason, experts advise to be vigilant for your own well-being and immediately consult a doctor with the slightest symptoms of varicose veins in the legs.

Diagnostics

This diagnosis can be rejected or confirmed only by a vascular surgeon or phlebologist. A qualified specialist can recognize this pathology even at the initial stage. First, the doctor examines the affected area of the skin, asks general questions: how long ago did the first symptoms of varicose veins appear, what symptoms bother the patient, is there home treatment?

The following types of diagnostics are used to finally check the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease:

1. Ultrasound procedure.
2. Phlebography with contrast material.

Today, phlebography is more often used as a diagnosis, which is due to the fact that this method is the most accurate and informative.

Treatment of varicose veins

How to treat varicose veins on legs in women? Only a phlebologist can prescribe the correct treatment. Depending on the severity of the disease, different treatment methods are used. Surgical intervention is used only in the advanced stages of the disease, when drug therapy does not work. Complex treatment of varicose veins includes the following:

• Tight gauze bandage, compression underwear, elastic bandage.
• A useful substance for varicose veins is hirudin. Naturally, this element can be obtained through the bite of a leech.
• Endovasal laser coagulation is a method of closing subcutaneous veins using laser beams.
• Sclerotherapy is the removal of veins by injecting a substance through very fine needles.
• Massage - used to dilute the blood and improve blood circulation.
• Taking anti-inflammatory pills, using external ointments.

Treatment with folk remedies

How to treat varicose veins? This question is asked by everyone who is faced with the diagnosis. As mentioned above, phlebologists recommend a comprehensive approach to this problem. Against the background of drug treatment of varicose veins, some traditional medicine recipes are successful and effective.

Consider how to treat varicose veins on the legs in women:

• Garden tomatoes will help relieve itching and relieve tension. Both ripe tomatoes and green ones are suitable for recipes. Cut the tomatoes into slices and place them on the affected area. Fix with bandages. Vegetables should be replaced with fresh ones every three hours. The biggest benefit comes from home-grown tomatoes rather than store-bought ones. It is necessary to apply tomatoes during the day. The next day you will feel lightness in your legs.
• Lubricate a cabbage leaf with olive oil and apply it to the swollen veins. Fix with bandages and leave for at least 7 hours. It is recommended to treat at night. With severe pain, you can apply the recipe daily, at night.
• We generously lubricate the cotton cloth with liquid flower honey. We wrap the leg, fix it with an elastic bandage from above. We leave for 3 hours. It is recommended to do the procedure every three days.
• Cut the green walnuts in half and put them in a liter jar. Fill with vodka or medical alcohol. Close the lid and send it to a dark place for a week. When the tincture is ready, rub your feet every evening from heels to thighs with massage movements.
• Pour the leaves and flowers of St. John's wort with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the flame and cover with a lid. After 6 hours - the broth is ready. We put the cotton cloth in the decoction, squeeze it a little and stick the cloth on the affected leg. This recipe helps to get rid of itching and pain. You can use the recipe daily.
• Squeeze the aloe juice into a glass container. In total, you should buy at least one spoon. Add five drops of almond oil and 3 drops of camphor oil. We heat it in a water bath to about 40 degrees. We rub swollen veins and skin three times a week.
• We take the lilac flowers and place them in an enamel bowl. Pour 0. 5 liters of sunflower oil. Place in a water bath and bring to a boil. Cool to room temperature and apply to affected skin. Cover with a gauze bandage. We leave for the night. The procedure should be performed at least three times a week.

Possible complications

Varicose veins of the lower extremities require timely treatment. If you do not take any therapeutic measures, the following complications may occur:

• Pulmonary embolism.
• Thrombosis.
• Thrombophlebitis.
• Phlebitis.
• Rupture of a vein.
• Dermatitis.

Preventive measures

Those who are most at risk of developing varicose veins in the legs should follow preventive measures. First of all, this category includes people whose close relatives are prone to the disease. Pregnant women and people whose work requires regular sitting or standing should also be especially careful about their health. Consider the general recommendations:

• Lead an active lifestyle. Walk more often, move more, exercise several times a day. If the lifestyle and the stress of work do not allow you to do any kind of sports, then there is a rational solution: to leave work, to get out of the traffic a few stops earlier. A daily walk will replace exercise.
• If the main work time requires a sitting position, try to move your legs more often, including your toes. To diversify the position of the legs, experts recommend starting a stand about 30 cm from the floor, raising the legs from time to time.
• Women should stop taking hormonal pills and consult a doctor to prescribe another type of contraceptive.
• Do not wear very high heels every day.
• Give up smoking and other bad habits.

If you feel heaviness, spider veins in the legs or pain in the lower extremities, contact a phlebologist. Therapy prescribed in the early stages will help prevent serious complications and relapses.