Treatment of varicose veins in the legs

Treatment of varicose veins at home: what is the danger?

Most patients with varicose veins of varying severity do not treat vascular disease or do not treat it at home. This leads to sad consequences: complications develop, the patient loses the ability to move on his own legs and becomes disabled. Avoiding problems is actually not difficult: as soon as varicose veins are detected, you need to treat the disease before it starts.

There are several methods to treat vascular diseases, an experienced doctor will tell you which one is suitable.

Many people write about how to treat varicose veins on the legs using folk methods, but not everyone talks about the dangerous consequences. It should be remembered that traditional methods were developed when there were no other methods of treating veins. Now they are available and the problem can be solved faster and easier.

• Treatment with apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for treating varicose veins. On the Internet, readers are advised to dilute vinegar with honey and drink it on an empty stomach, dilute it with water and wipe your feet. But remember that apple cider vinegar is acidic. Oral intake may adversely affect digestion. External use also raises questions, because the skin with varicose veins dries out, and the acid dries it out even more. Especially if your legs itch with varicose veins, this can aggravate the course of the disease.
• Treatment with chestnuts.To relieve pain and relieve itching due to varicose veins, chestnut tinctures are also recommended to be taken orally and applied to the affected areas. Only horse chestnut is poisonous. Under no circumstances should it be eaten raw. Even when taking the tincture made from the fruits of this plant, symptoms of poisoning (vomiting, nausea, weakness) and cramps in the lower limbs may appear. In addition, chestnut tincture increases blood pressure. The external use of an alcohol solution dries the skin of the legs, which is not very good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in the advanced stages of varicose veins.
• Treatment with leeches.Leeches bite the skin and introduce a mixture of useful substances into the human body, have a beneficial effect on the blood, thin it and have an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to place leeches at home, but to entrust it to a certified professional, because you need to know exactly where leeches can and cannot be placed. Itching is often observed in the first days after the treatment of veins with leech. Biting places are very itchy, a person cannot bear it and starts scratching the itchy place, as a result, an ulcer may form. Also, small triangular scars are left on the legs after a leech bite. For some, a lifetime.
• Folk remedies that can be prescribed by a doctor.At the initial stage of venous insufficiency, the doctor can prescribe contrast foot baths for the patient's veins. The alternating movement of cold and hot water relaxes and narrows the veins in the legs. Such gymnastic effect strengthens blood vessels, improves microcirculation and relieves itching. The method can be used at home as often as you like. Especially if it is not possible to visit the pool. Varicose veins stop growing and your legs hurt.

  And, for example, clay can help to cope with tired legs at the initial stage of varicose veins, relieve itching and minor swelling. A heaping tablespoon of pharmaceutical clay is diluted with water to a thick paste. Then the paste is applied to the calf areas with a brush or cotton pad. It is important not to let the clay dry out, you must constantly add a new layer or moisten the existing layer with water. After an hour, the clay should be carefully washed off and allowed to dry without wiping your feet with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, can be repeated every month.

But before treating varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time on procedures whose effectiveness is doubtful. Rather, it will be possible not to treat the legs, but to wait for the worsening of the severity and the development of complications.

Effective conservative treatment

This is ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins are swollen, your veins are itchy (itchy), then you should prepare for surgery. In fact, everything depends on the stage of the disease, not only on the degree of bulging of the veins or the severity of the venous network in the lower extremities. In most cases, the doctor tries to cope with the disease using conservative treatment methods and without surgery. An integrated approach is used for this: physical activity, changes in diet, drugs and physiotherapeutic treatment are prescribed; compression garments are selected.

1. Physical activity.Modern man is sedentary: he sits at work and at home, he gets to the office by sitting on the subway or bus. All this leads to physical inactivity and venous incompetence. Leg veins weaken and cannot cope with their work, varicose veins expand. Therefore, it is important to return the patient to an active lifestyle. The doctor can prescribe at least two hours a day of walking, Nordic walking, swimming in the pool or classes in a recreational exercise group. It is better to avoid working on the legs at any stage of the disease.

2. Diet.It is not about a diet, but about proper nutrition by limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarines, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, pies) are prohibited. It is recommended to use more liquid and plant foods. Food should be balanced, at least five times a day. Eating right is essential to keeping your weight under control. Extra pounds put extra strain on the leg veins and increase the risk of worsening chronic venous insufficiency at any stage of varicose veins.

3. Drug treatment.If the condition does not develop and varicose veins continue without complications, drug treatment is more often used at home. Typically, drugs from several groups are used:

   • Venotonics (phlebotonics) are used in the form of tablets, ointments or gels. They help maintain the tone of the vascular walls, facilitating the movement of blood through them. It is especially good for mild ailments.
   • Antiplatelet agents prevent blood components from sticking together, which minimizes the risk of blood clots in the lower extremities.
   • Anticoagulants usually contain or are based on glycosaminoglycan. Maintains optimal blood viscosity - dilutes it slightly so that it can move freely in the veins of the legs.
   • Angioprotectors protect the walls of blood vessels, making them more elastic and resistant to internal damage.
   • Anti-inflammatory drugs prevent the appearance of inflammatory reactions in the walls of blood vessels, especially at an advanced stage, and have an analgesic effect.
   • Products based on plant components (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) replace traditional herbal medicine.

   Pharmacological forms differ in targeted action and predictable action. They have practically no contraindications. It is used as part of a complex therapy to reduce swelling and pain in the legs. Medicines are prescribed by a doctor after a proper examination of the patient. He chooses not only suitable products, but also the form of release: injections, tablets, ointments, gels, foot compresses. Based on the stage of the disease and the degree of development of complications, the phlebologist recommends treating varicose veins at home or in the hospital.

4. Physiotherapy treatment (PTL).Physiotherapy for varicose veins helps drugs to penetrate the area of the affected veins faster and increases the effect of drugs. As a result, the duration of treatment is significantly reduced, the doctor has the opportunity to transfer the patient from therapeutic doses to maintenance doses and cancel some drugs. Basic FTL methods:

   • electrophoresis helps to deliver drugs to varicose veins under the influence of a weak electric current;
   • darsonvalization increases the tone of the vessels, reduces the stagnation of interstitial fluid and, therefore, itching with varicose veins;
   • Magnetic therapy improves blood flow in vessels, significantly reduces tissue swelling;
   • pneumomassage of the lower extremities increases the tone of the vascular walls, reduces swelling, itching and improves blood flow;
   • laser therapy reduces the severity of inflammatory reactions, improves blood microcirculation and has a venoprotective effect;
   • cryotherapy (cold) tones blood vessels, improves lymphatic drainage and relieves itching;
   • hydrotherapy (water treatment) tones and has a general strengthening effect;
   • Mud therapy strengthens the walls of blood vessels in the legs and has a beneficial effect on the skin, promoting its regeneration and minimizing itching.

   Physiotherapy treatment cannot be prescribed for some conditions. In addition, different stages of varicose veins require different treatment. Therefore, FTL is prescribed by two doctors at once: a phlebologist and a physiotherapist. Some procedures, especially with the initial degree of vascular damage, can be performed at home, many FTL devices are now sold in pharmacies. We recommend the pocket electrical stimulator of the venous outlet, which helps quickly and effectively cope with the symptoms of varicose veins.

Compression form

An auxiliary method that facilitates the movement of blood through the vessels. A compression fit is available for men and women.

Products can be in the form of socks, stockings or tights and differ in color, size and degree of compression. Outwardly, they look like ordinary ones, but they have a clear therapeutic and preventive effect. Everything is a special elastic thread and a thoughtful knitting pattern.

As a result, the vessels receive external support and begin to cope with their work. Pain, itching and swelling in the lower extremities decrease, the development of the disease stops.

The doctor recommends compression stockings based on the stage of the varicose veins. It also tells how to wear it correctly and how much to wear it.

Correct use of foot form determines its effectiveness. We consider Swiss compression knitwear to be the most reliable and high quality.

Surgical treatment methods

If conservative therapy does not help, surgical treatment is resorted to. The doctor has the opportunity to choose the most suitable method that will be the most effective and minimally traumatic at a certain stage of varicose veins.

• Sclerotherapy.The doctor places a special solution in the lumen of the affected vessel, which causes the walls to stick together and stop blood flow through the treated vessel. The vein stops protruding above the surface of the skin and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
• Endovasal laser therapyknown under two names: EVLO (endovenous laser vein obliteration) and EVLC (endovasal laser vein coagulation). The essence is the same: with the help of a laser pulse, the affected vessel is sealed and stops functioning. The intervention does not affect the surrounding tissues of the lower extremities and does not require general anesthesia. It can be performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery is quick, leaving no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose veins, except those accompanied by complications.
• Phlebectomy.A standard surgical procedure used for severe disease and performed under general anesthesia. The affected part of the vein is removed. After the operation, almost invisible half-centimeter long scars remain on the skin. Recovery time after phlebectomy is long. The patient stays in the hospital for about two weeks. During this time, she wears compression stockings, takes medication and visits the physiotherapy room. After the sutures are removed, the patient is discharged home to continue the treatment of varicose veins at home. Complications are rare.

Surgical operations to eliminate varicose veins of the lower extremities are performed only when the patient maintains blood flow through the deep veins. After the operation, the blood should rise freely through the bypass vessels so that there are no complications.

Prevention of varicose veins in legs after treatment

After the successful treatment of varicose veins in the legs, the patient should not lose his vigilance. If the cause of the disease is not eliminated, another vessel may expand and everything will happen again. First of all, it is necessary to give up bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose low-heeled shoes, periodically visit a doctor for a preventive examination and follow his recommendations.

The tips are simple and easy to follow. If you follow them, you are less likely to experience complications from varicose veins and the need for a hospital stay. If someone from your family joins you, it will also benefit them. And remember: the best treatment for varicose veins is prevention. If you have suspicious symptoms or are at risk, contact your doctor immediately!