Varicose veins are diseases that quickly become chronic. The disease causes a change in the length and diameter of the veins, the appearance of nodes, thinning of the venous walls. Quite often, varicose veins manifest themselves during pregnancy, when the woman's body has significant loads against the background of hormonal changes.
Reasons for appearance
If we consider the reasons under the influence of which varicose veins occur during pregnancy, we can distinguish several main ones:
- Weight modification.During pregnancy, veins appear on the legs due to a weight gain of ten or more kilograms, which leads to an increase in pressure and load on the vessels;
- Hormonal changes in the body.During the formation of the fetus, the hormonal background of a woman is repeatedly rebuilt, which damages the vessels: they lose elasticity, become fragile, prone to the appearance of varicose veins;
During pregnancy, veins appear on the legs due to weight gain of ten or more kilograms.
- During pregnancy, the work of the valves of the veins changes, as the volume of circulating blood increases. It should be noted that varicose veins after pregnancy, if left untreated, do not disappear anywhere;
- Hereditary factors. If one of the parents of a pregnant woman has varicose veins, the chances are high that she will experience the same disease;
- Choosing the wrong clothes and shoes. Sometimes mothers-to-be are surprised at the provenance of varicose veins, without thinking that tight clothes and high-heeled shoes can cause it;
- Decreased physical activity. In the veins of the legs during pregnancy, blood stagnation can begin if the pregnant woman moves little and does not do special exercises.
Some of the causes that cause varicose veins during pregnancy are easy to eliminate - just change your habits.
Symptoms and signs
Varicose veins during pregnancy in the early stages are difficult to detect, since there are no pronounced symptoms.
However, it is worth contacting your doctor if the following symptoms are present:
- feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs;
- edema, especially in the evening, if you sit for a long time;
- convulsions, especially at night;
- redness or darkening of the skin;
- the appearance of the vascular networks;
- seals on the skin, the appearance of trophic ulcers;
- Inflamed veins during pregnancy are easily palpable.
Types of varicose veins during pregnancy
Varicose veins during pregnancy can be of different types. The most common disease is:
- in the groin;
- on the legs;
- in the vagina;
- in the uterus.
The manifestation of varicose veins in the small pelvis has symptoms similar to some gynecological diseases, so it is very difficult to diagnose. The risk of varicose veins on the labia also increases with each pregnancy (symptoms are felt more after physical exertion or sexual intercourse).
Diagnostics
Varicose veins and pregnancy have a great impact on a woman's body, causing additional stress on many organs, so it is important to identify the disease at an early stage.
To identify varicose veins in pregnant women, the method of duplex ultrasound is used today. This modern type of diagnostics has replaced the previously performed ultrasound angioscan and Doppler mapping. Duplex ultrasound is done within twenty minutes and provides detailed information on the condition of the deep and superficial veins.
In some cases, for additional diagnostics, run:
- Segmental Doppler.A simple but reliable test that indicates the condition of the arteries, establishing their patency and narrowing.
- BMR (magnetic resonance venography).If varicose veins are diagnosed during pregnancy, this examination allows you to assess the state of the vessels without using contrast, does not cause any harm to the body.
- Computed tomographic phlebography.Conducted with the use of contrast, it allows to evaluate the state of blood vessels at great depths. If varicose veins have unclear symptoms, this type of examination is prescribed.
Disease treatment methods
Not all methods that can be used to treat varicose veins after pregnancy can be used during gestation. For example, during pregnancy, injections of certain drugs cannot be used, and surgery is not always possible. These restrictions also apply to women with varicose veins in their legs, but who plan to become pregnant within the next two years.
Surgical treatment
As mentioned above, varicose veins during pregnancy are dangerous due to limitations in treatment options. However, there are situations when drug treatment is not enough, so surgery is performed. For example, if severe thrombophlebitis occurs or if there are non-healing trophic ulcers.
In most cases, operations are performed at a gestational age of no more than six months, and sclerotherapy or frequency ablation is used, and further operations are performed after pregnancy. In the postoperative period, the use of special underwear and therapeutic exercises is prescribed - these recommendations apply to the postpartum period.
Today, if severe varicose veins are detected during pregnancy, they practice using a laser in the treatment instead of a scalpel. Modern technique allows you to defeat varicose veins quickly and safely.
Medication
Doctors perfectly know what the danger of varicose veins is, so they recommend turning to specialists at the first manifestations of the disease. In such a situation, a course of venotonic drugs and means for normalizing blood density is prescribed. There is also a large selection of special ointments and gels for external use, including those containing Gingko biloba. All drugs that affect the tone of the veins are serious, so they should be taken only according to the scheme recommended by the doctor.
Alternative treatment
People have been dealing with the tandem "pregnancy and varicose veins" for a long time, therefore, earlier, and even today, popular methods such as lotions, tinctures, ointments, baths are widely used in treatment. Of course, if the disease has begun, these techniques are considered exclusively as an auxiliary therapy, but in the early stages, alternative treatment is quite effective.
Compress the dyes:
- Hop tinctures help well to overcome in the initial stages of varicose veins during pregnancy. You need to take 1 tablespoon of bumps, pour 200 milliliters of boiling water and keep for 20 minutes. After that, the solution is filtered and used for tablets. In a similar way, infusions of horse chestnut flowers or leaves are prepared. Such compresses can be applied at night and kept on the leg until the morning.
- Veins during pregnancy are treated with peeled horse chestnut powder: 50 grams of this powder is poured with 200 milliliters of vegetable oil and the legs are massaged with the resulting composition before going to bed;
- If early varicose veins are detected during pregnancy, scalded cabbage leaves are used for compresses, which relieve inflammation, pain, swelling.
It is recommended to treat varicose veins during pregnancy on the legs with trays of infusions of various medicinal herbs, the choice of which is wide enough in every pharmacy. Recommended when doing this:
- do not exceed the temperature of the solution in the bath above 38 degrees;
- to bathe for no more than 15 minutes;
- do a relaxing massage after the procedure;
- lie down at the end of the bath for 30-40 minutes with your legs raised.
Varicose veins in pregnant women are also treated with herbal decoctions that are taken orally:
- A decoction of clover flowers is prepared: 1 tablespoon of chopped flowers is poured into a thermos and poured with 400 ml of boiling water. After two hours, filter the broth and take ½ glass 4 times a day;
- You can make a harvest from the leaves of coltsfoot, strawberries and cranberries, five-lobed motherwort, as well as flowers of calendula officinalis and viburnum. The ingredients are mixed in equal parts, 2 tablespoons of the resulting mixture are poured with 400 milliliters of boiling water and held for 15 minutes in a water bath. After that, you need to keep the collection for 40 minutes in a warm place. Take ½ cup 4 times a day.
Disease prevention
Varicose veins on the legs, like any disease, must not only be treated, but also preventive measures must be taken to prevent the disease or avoid its recurrence:
- It is not recommended to sit or stand for a long time. It is preferable to rest on your side to relieve stress from the veins in the legs and small pelvis.
- To relieve stress on leg veins, keep your legs elevated when lying down or sitting down.
- To ease leg veins during pregnancy, wear special compression stockings. Such underwear helps redistribute blood through the veins, stimulates blood in the leg veins and reduces the likelihood of blood clots. Compression knitwear is recommended to be worn not only during, but also after pregnancy, one and a half to two months.
Remember that varicose veins on the legs are less common in people who exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle. Even light exercise helps keep fit and reduces the risk of developing varicose veins.