Rainy autumn is coming - a time when we move less and sit more, wear heavy shoes during the day, take hot baths more often and for longer. All this does not have the best effect on our blood vessels, and especially on those with varicose veins.
Use some of the slowdowns in life to your advantage: pay attention to the health of your feet.
What are varicose veins?
It seems that everything is extremely clear: these are enlarged and visible veins on the legs.
However, such changes are not only a cosmetic defect, but a manifestation of insidious varicose veins.
What is happening?
The superficial vessels of the lower extremities expand, which leads to the creation of conditions for the slowing down of blood flow and the formation of thrombi (blood clots) in the lumen of the vessels.
Dangers
Due to the lack of nutrition and blood supply, trophic ulcers appear - skin defects on the legs that have not been treated for a long time.
The resulting blood clots can break off and spread throughout the body along with the blood. What does it mean? Development of thromboembolism: the lumen of the vessel is suddenly blocked and blood flow is obstructed. Various organs are affected: acute cerebrovascular accident (stroke) or heart attack (myocardium, kidney, lung) may occur. Complications are life-threatening and often cause disability.
What else is known about varicose veins?
The older a person is, the higher the risk of developing varicose veins. The disease has neither gender nor age. The disease can occur even in children, although it is extremely rare. Women get sick more often than men.
A brief excursion into anatomy
Our blood moves through systemic and pulmonary circulation.
Normal
The heart beats rhythmically and blood flows through the veins. Due to the pull of gravity from top to bottom, blood moves easily in the veins.
After reaching the legs, the blood turns and begins to move back through the veins - from the legs to the heart. Without additional anatomical structures, this process is difficult, because the blood will simply flow back. To ensure normal blood flow, nature has provided valves in the veins that allow blood to flow in only one direction - up.
Heart, vessel walls and valves have assistants - leg muscles. Due to the energetic work of the muscles, the blood vessels in the legs contract and relax, pushing the blood upwards from the valve to the valve.
For varicose veins
The walls of the veins weaken, widen and stretch. In this case, the valves stop closing, a gap appears between them, which slows down the blood flow. Over time, a vicious circle develops: the slower the blood flows, the more the veins stretch and the worse the valves work.
Our veins are under attack
Varicose veins are believed to be a hereditary disease (98% of cases). A certain gene is transmitted to us from our ancestors, causing the weakness of the venous wall and the weakness of the venous valves. However, even in this case, the disease does not always develop.
Additional negative factors:
- Overweight or obese.
- A person engages in heavy physical labor, lifts weights, stands for a long time.
- Vigorous sports, leg injuries.
- Sedentary lifestyle: a person is forced to sit for a long time - for example, 6-8 hours a day at a computer or in a car.
- In women - wearing heels, pregnancy and childbirth, taking hormonal contraceptives (blood thickens).
- Chronic constipation.
- Dietary features: increased amount of carbohydrates, lack of vegetables and fruits. Because the body does not receive the substances necessary to restore the structure of the venous wall.
How to recognize varicose veins? What to do?
The disease has several stages of development with the gradual addition of new symptoms. Only a doctor should understand this.
You can independently evaluate the health of your veins and / or suspect the development of the disease.
When to go to the doctor
In the first signs of the disease: swelling, heaviness or pain in the legs, sometimes cramps in the calf muscles. In this case, there may be no visible changes in the veins of the lower extremities.
And, of course, if veins appear on your legs, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Moreover, it does not matter which veins and how strong they look. These can be dilated veins with the formation of bluish nodules. Sometimes the changes are small in the form of a vascular pattern called "stars" or "webs", which are early signs of varicose veins.
Correct diagnosis is the basis of successful treatment
Doppler ultrasound examination and duplex angioscanning of leg veins are performed. The study is informative starting from the early stage of the disease: only if there are complaints and there are no visible changes in the vessels.
From tablets and ointments to surgery
Contact us for varicose veinsPhlebologist. The sooner the doctor pays attention to the health of your feet, the more effective the treatment will be.
The "gold standard" is surgical removal of varicose veins, which has been performed for decades. The intervention is somewhat traumatic and is performed under anesthesia with incisions and stitches in the hospital.
However, modern medicine treats the problem gently and comprehensively.
The choice and combination of methods depends on the severity of the disease:
- Phlebotonics and phleboprotectors are prescribed - drugs that improve the condition and tone of the venous wall, increase the outflow of venous blood from the lower extremities.
- Blood thinners, anti-inflammatory and pain relievers are used.
- Wearing therapeutic compression stockings (stockings/stockings). The class is selected by the doctor depending on the stage of the disease or for the purpose of prevention.
- Minimally invasive surgical interventions: sclerotherapy, endovenous laser coagulation, radiofrequency obliteration of veins. The modified vessels are "glued together" or "sealed". The procedure lasts about an hour, and after some time the patient goes home. Advantages: no cuts, no infections, no pus. Thanks to technology, the risk of complications is close to zero.
Can varicose veins be treated?
Nope. If it is a disease inherited from one's ancestors, no doctor can cure it forever.
You can eliminate the consequences of the disease, stop its further development and get rid of complications. However, there remains a fairly high risk of relapse. Therefore, follow your doctor's recommendations and try to avoid situations that negatively affect the health of your veins.
Flying gait: prevention of varicose veins
Almost everyone is at risk of developing varicose veins, so it would not hurt us all to follow simple rules in certain cases.
During pregnancy
Hormonal changes and compression of the inferior vena cava by the pregnant uterus cause blood stagnation in the veins of the lower extremities.
How to proceed
Choose compression stockings with your doctor. When symptoms of the disease appear, phlebotonics are prescribed.
In a standing or sedentary occupation, lifting weights
Blood circulation worsens and the load on the lower extremities increases.
How to proceed
Avoid tight clothing and stockings with tight elastic bands. Do not wear shoes with heels higher than six cm. While working, move more often, change your position, do simple exercises.
When sitting, avoid crossing your legs, crossing your legs, or putting one or both of your feet under you.
With a sedentary lifestyle
Blood stagnates in the veins of the lower limbs.
How to proceed
Do sports that put dynamic stress on your lower leg. By contracting and relaxing the muscles, it improves blood flow in the veins. Suitable for swimming, running, race walking, cycling.
With a hereditary tendency
There is a high probability that the disease gene will manifest itself later. Moreover, it does not matter which veins were weakened in our ancestors - hemorrhoids, leg or groin.
How to proceed
Visit a phlebologist once a year for a preventive examination. Try to move more and avoid situations that have a negative effect on the veins.
P. S.Varicose veins are a "silent" disease. For a long time, the disease does not cause pain, does not cause discomfort and does not interfere with life. Unless "mesh" is perceived as an annoying cosmetic flaw. Meanwhile, a timely visit to the doctor will help to avoid many problems.