Varicose veins are a serious disease that significantly impairs the quality of life and without timely treatment makes it simply unbearable.
That is why it is important for everyone who has faced such a problem to know the causes of varicose veins, its manifestations, and most importantly, to study the best methods of treating this disease.
General Information
Varicose veins are a chronic vascular disease that develops due to blood stagnation (usually in the lower limbs). This is due to the failure of the vascular valves, which normally pass blood exclusively upwards, from the lower extremities to the heart. Stagnant blood puts pressure on the blood vessel walls, whereby they become thinner, lose elasticity and deform, expanding significantly. On the legs of such a patient with the naked eye, "snakes" can be observed writhing from blood vessels that rise above the skin and in some places form varicose "knots".
Causes of varicose veins
There are some reasons for the development of this disease. In particular, varicose veins can lead to:
- Bad inheritance. Varicose veins are encountered by people with congenital weakness of the valve apparatus or venous walls.
- Increased venous pressure. Most often, factors that increase blood pressure lead to such a disease, namely pregnancy, obesity, constant vertical loads (when a person stands for a day), a sedentary lifestyle (sedentary work).
- Taking hormonal drugs. Some hormonal medications, such as the high estrogen birth control pill, cause blood clots and can lead to varicose veins.
- Violation of blood circulation. These breaks can appear due to poor physical activity, smoking, too tight shoes, or chronic constipation.
- Hormonal disorders associated with age-related changes in the body.
Manifestations and complications of the disease
Doctors note that varicose veins are not as bad in themselves as its complications are dangerous. In fact, in the early stages of the development of the disease, the expansion of the saphenous veins is an aesthetic problem for a person (which women especially suffer from). First, vascular networks appear on the skin, the so-called "cobwebs". At the same time, a person begins to feel heaviness in the legs, notices swelling of the limbs and feels pain when walking. These are important symptoms of varicose veins, which in no case should be ignored. If a person is not in a hurry to see a doctor and find out the cause of the ailment, they risk having varicose veins and encounter a problem that cannot be solved without surgery.
As varicose veins develop, the skin on the lower legs becomes denser and becomes bluish. The patient's calves begin to "whine" even with a short walk and swollen veins can be seen under the skin. Also, over time, such veins become very painful.
But this is only the beginning of serious health problems. If a person does not begin to fight the existing disease, irreversible changes begin to occur in the skin surrounding the affected veins, as a result of which lipodermatosclerosis develops, and subsequently trophic ulcers appear. Also, without treatment, the inner walls of the veins become inflamed and cause blood clots. This is how thrombophlebitis develops. Increasing in size, the blood clots block the lumen of the vein and at any time the clot can break off. And this condition is fraught with death.
Therefore, it is quite clear that varicose veins need to be treated. And you need to start therapy as soon as possible. Next, we will consider the treatment methods for this serious disease.
Pharmacological treatment
In the complex therapy of varicose veins, drugs are necessarily used. Most of them are capsules or tablets, which have a versatile effect on the body. Particularly:
- Phlebotonics. These drugs increase blood flow, preventing 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 swelling of the legs, eliminating the burning sensation and pain.
- Medicines to thin the blood. Such medicines thin the blood and promote better blood circulation, preventing the development of thrombosis. Medicines are prescribed on an individual basis only, and the timing of the application is set by the doctor.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs. These include pills, ointments, and gels that relieve pain, relieve swelling, and prevent platelets from sticking together. More importantly, these drugs prevent inflammation of the veins that leads to thrombophlebitis.
Stockings and tights with varicose veins
The fair sex is faced with varicose veins much more often than men. This is largely due to hormonal changes occurring in the female body (menopause, pregnancy). That is why the most optimal way to prevent varicose veins for them is to wear special tight-fitting stockings or tights. Such compression underwear compresses the legs and prevents varicose veins, which means it is an excellent prevention of varicose veins. And in the case of an already developed disease, such underwear protects the legs from pain, swelling and fatigue.
Hydrotherapy
The treatment of varicose veins with water has been known since time immemorial. At different temperatures, the veins shrink and widen, which helps increase their elasticity. Knowing this, modern doctors use hydrotherapy in the early stages of the development of varicose veins, when the vascular networks have just begun to appear on the skin. Furthermore, depending on the existing problem, the baths can be local (only for the feet), or general (for the whole body). The water temperature in such a bath varies from 20 to 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 soaked in this juice should be applied at night. Also, 100ml of potato juice should be drunk 3 rounds / 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 vascular walls, and improves skin tone. It is very simple to use: 2-3 r / day it is necessary to lubricate the skin in the affected vein area with vinegar. And in parallel, you should drink a glass of water in which 1 tsp has been diluted. vinegar. The duration of therapy is 2 months.
Kalanchoe leaves
This is another effective remedy for treating varicose veins. Half-fill a half-liter bottle with chopped Kalanchoe leaves and fill the raw material with 40% alcohol to fill the bottle. After leaving the product to infuse in a dark place for a week, filter it and use the tincture to rub the affected areas 2 r / day. The treatment should be completed with a gentle massage of the swollen veins. This treatment lasts 4 months.
willow bark
Baths with white willow bark will be of great help in the fight against 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. Add the finished product to buckets of water, where you then lower your feet and hold for 30 minutes. And immediately after the procedure, put on the compression stockings and let your legs rest. The procedures should be performed every other day for 3 months. By the way, to enhance the effect, a decoction of willow bark can be diluted with a decoction of oak bark.
All these methods are excellent means of preventing this disease and provide good help in the treatment of varicose veins at an early stage of the disease. However, practice shows that in 80% of cases people with affected veins go to doctors with an advanced disease. In such a situation, neither compression underwear, nor creams and ointments, nor folk remedies are able to influence the development of the disease in any way. Drastic measures are needed. Fortunately, modern medicine is ready to offer effective methods of solving this complex problem.
Sclerotherapy
This is a non-surgical method of treating varicose veins, in which the doctor, using a fine needle, injects a special substance into the affected vein - a sclerosing agent. Such a substance joins the vein from the inside, as a result of which it dissolves and blood flow begins to flow through healthy veins. The number of sclerosing sessions may vary depending on the severity of the injury. And during the treatment, the patient must wear compression underwear.
As a result of such therapy, a person almost forever forgets about the annoying varicose veins. Relapses appear in only 25% of cases and are usually associated with advanced disease. True, it should be understood that sclerotherapy is not performed for pregnant women and obese 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 "welds" the affected vein from the inside, thus closing its lumen and interrupting the path of the blood flow, which begins to travel through the deeper veins. Over time, connective tissue forms from the glued vessel, which subsequently 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. No wonder that the treatment of varicose veins with a laser is called "office surgery". In this case, the incisions on the skin should be made only when the large veins are eliminated, while the small varicose veins are eliminated without damaging the tissues. Just remember that the cost of such an operation is quite high.
Radiofrequency ablation
More recently, in our country, they began to practice the most modern method of eliminating the affected veins, which is called radiofrequency ablation. It is used to treat the major large veins affected by varicose veins. In this case, a radiofrequency catheter is inserted through a puncture into the skin into the affected vein, which, using microwaves, "prepares" the vein from the inside. In addition, the catheter has sensors that allow you to monitor the effectiveness of the procedure.
This method can compete with laser treatment, as it also requires no skin incisions, leaves no bruises and takes just 30 minutes. On the day of the operation, the patient can return to her functions. However, the cost of such a procedure is also high compared to laser coagulation.
Surgical excision
It is important to understand that in case of eczema, thrombophlebitis and trophic ulcers, treatment by the above methods is not carried out. It is possible to eliminate neglected varicose veins only by surgical removal of the veins in combination with sclerotherapy. However, even here not everything is so critical. 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 there will simply be no scarring after the procedure. In addition, new technologies allow you to remove painful veins in just 30-40 minutes.
There is no need to be afraid of varicose veins. On the contrary, the disease requires a lot of attention to itself, and the sooner the better. Timely identification and a properly selected method of treatment will allow you to get rid of the disease without problems and live a full life.
Good health to you!