What is varicose veins on the legs

Problems with the vascular system of the legs are found in more than half of the population of the planet. The largest discomfort gives patients with a phlebologist varicose veins on their feet. Pathology is characterized by a decrease in the tone of the walls of blood vessels and the expansion of their lumen. As a result of the sagging of the foot veins, the reverse blood flow in the human body is disturbed. In what complications is the varicose veins entails and how to fight it correctly, we understand below our material.

General characteristics and causes of varicose veins

Caps in the operation of the vascular system of the legs are initially formed against the background of improper operation of the venous valves. Here it is worth knowing that due to the strength of gravity, blood from the heart flows freely to the lower limbs. In the opposite direction, the bloodstream moves under the influence of natural pressure, which create the walls of healthy vessels. This wave is enough to overcome the power of earthly attraction.

If the tone of blood vessels is disturbed, then the body makes all possible efforts to push blood up the vessels. That is, for this it independently increases blood pressure (blood pressure). From such "efforts", venous valves work worse, without completely closing their wings with every blow of the human heart. In this case, blood is actively entered from deep veins into superficial ones, which causes their additional re -completing.

The causes of varicose veins of the lower extremities are the following factors:

• Heredity (transmission of the disease through a male or female line).
• Hormonal malfunctions against the background of autoimmune processes, pregnancy, childbirth or diseases of the reproductive system.
• A sedentary type of activity or vice versa, associated with long standing on the legs.
• A sedentary lifestyle.
• Excess weight (obesity).
• Power exercises with lifting weights from a sitting or from a squat.
• Smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Long stay under the straight rays of the sun.

Symptoms and the first signs

Symptoms of varicose veins can vary to one degree or another of intensity depending on the general condition of the patient and on the stage of the course of the disease. Moreover, the signs of pathology are not always obvious. The only common feature for varicose veins is a condition called the term "heavy legs". That is, at any of the stages of pathology, the patient feels the severity in the legs at the end of the working day or even in the morning after sleep.

I and II stage of varicose veins: signs and symptoms

The initial stages of vascular pathology of the legs are characterized by peculiar signs. So, at 1 stage, the following symptoms are noted:

• a vascular pattern in the form of stars or a blink on the legs;
• swelling of the legs after wearing shoes and even socks;
• night cramps in the calf muscle;
• Fatigue and heaviness in the legs.

At 2 stages of pathology, the patient forms the following symptoms:

• swelling of the veins after prolonged walking in uncomfortable shoes or after prolonged standing;
• visualization of vessels enlarged in the volume of vessels;
• protruding and protruding nodes in the veins of the legs;
• itching in places of inflamed veins;
• redness of the skin.

III and IV stage of varicose veins

Progressive varicose veins are already characterized by signs of complications. The picture looks as follows:

1. Stage 3. Against the background of the above symptoms of the patient, accompanies almost constant swelling of the legs. It can sometimes fall by the morning.
2. Stage 4. The patient in the redness of the skin begins with the beginning of ulcerative formations. The place of the future trophic ulcer is covered with whitish, as if with a lacquered plaque. During its injury, a trophic ulcer is opened, which oozes almost constantly. The situation is dangerous in that ulcers can be infected a second time, this leads to suppuration of inflammation sites.

When to see a doctor, and to what

At the first symptoms of the initial stages of varicose veins, you should contact a phlebologist. This doctor is engaged in blood vessels. If there is no such doctor in your clinic, you can get a consultation with an angiosurgeon or just a surgeon. It should be understood that at the initial stages to stop the process of developing varicose veins with conservative methods is quite possible. Competent tactics of treatment and compliance with all the doctor’s prescriptions will allow you to again feel lightness in the legs.

Diagnostics

For competent and effective treatment of varicose veins on the legs, you need to initially make an accurate diagnosis. That is, to identify the degree of vascular problem. For the diagnosis of veins pathology on the legs, the following methods are used:

1. Visual examination of the patient's legs with compulsory palpation of visible vessels.
2. Ultrasonic dopplerometry or floometry, which enable the doctor to estimate the velocity of blood on the vessels and the total occupancy of the foot veins.
3. Scanning of vessels of the legs. It also allows you to assess the state of the valve system and the veins themselves.
4. Thermography. In this case, infrared radiation is used for diagnosis.
5. Echosclerotherapy. The essence of the methodology is the introduction of a sclerosing substance in small doses and a further examination of the vessels for inflamed places.
6. Flebography is computer. The technique has the principle of standard MRI.
7. Fleboscintigraphy. Here, experts use special radionuclides to study the lymphatic and venous systems of the legs.

Methods of treatment of the lower extremities

Drug therapy

You can treat varicose veins in the initial stages with the help of drugs. And quite effective. The type and name of the drug is selected depending on the severity of the patient's condition.

For external (local) use, a phlebologist can prescribe drugs in the form of gels, creams or ointments.

Also, for oral administration, anticoagulant preparations are prescribed, which successfully thin the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots.

Against the background of aimed therapy, the patient is prescribed for the treatment of varicose veins that support the work of the vascular and circulatory systems. So, such drugs and additives are shown:

1. Vitamins. In particular, vitamin C and vitamins of group V.
2. The ointments are non -steroidal anti -inflammatory. Perfectly remove the inflammatory process and reduce redness of the skin.
3. Angioprotectors. Assign to enhance the tone of the veins and reduce the permeability of the capillaries.

Surgical treatment of varicose veins with minimally invasive and full -fledged operational methods

At 3-4 stages of varicose veins, surgery is indicated in order to remove patients with vessels that interfere with normal blood flow. Depending on the patient’s initial state, one of the minimally invasive techniques or a full surgical intervention can be used.

Sclerotherapy

This non-surgical type of procedure consists in introducing special-sclerosantias (phlebosclerosis substances) into the lumen of the veins. Their basis is alcohols. As a rule, all these drugs are intended strictly for intravenous administration by injection. Such substances provoke the destruction of the general endothelial (internal) layer of the vessel and its further narrowing (sclerosis). As a result, the lumen of the vessel is either significantly reduced or completely glued.

Most often, doctors use such drugs:

• Soap fatty acids and salt. These are vacoricide, sylpisole, sotradikol, thrombovar or varicosan.
• Cell poisons. This is a quinin with urettan, a solution of skilled 1–5 %, vistaril, etc.
• Hypertonic compounds dehydrating the intimacy of veins. Sodium salicylate solution is 20–40 %, sodium bromide 30 %, sodium chloride 24 %.
• Organic cauterizing solutions. Ethyl alcohol, glucose solution 66 %or dextrose.

Combined phlebectomy

Such a technique of surgical intervention implies the use of several techniques at the same time. But first of all, the patient in an upright position marks the whereabouts of all inflamed veins to be removed. Marking is carried out under the control of ultrasound of the vessels of the legs.

With complex phlebectomy, the following stages of surgical intervention are used:

• Crossectomy. Otherwise, the procedure is called the dressing and parallel intersection of the small and/or large subcutaneous vein. The dressing is carried out in the zone of sauces with deep vessels of the legs. The crossectomy is performed through the cut -out cut formed in the area of the inguinal fold. Its length is 3-5 cm. Then the surgeon notes a large subcutaneous vein until it falls into the femoral, and pulls the veins-sprouts. The BPV trunk (large subcutaneous vein) intersects. Only her stump remains about 5 mm. Then, from that inguinal section, the surgeon conducts the following stage of the operation - stripping.
• Stripping. Or, otherwise, the removal of the trunks of a large or small subcutaneous vein. It is performed through two endoscopic cuts located on both edges of the inflamed vein. In this case, one inguinal cut is already there. Through it, a special probe is introduced into the cavity of a sore vessel, which has a special thick olive with a cutting edge at the end. The probe moves to the end of the area of the inflamed vessel and is sewn to it there. Then the surgeon pulls the sick vessel, as if turning it inside out. In parallel, the cutting olive cuts off the vein from the surrounding fabrics and capillaries. This method of removal of the sick vein is the most reliable, but at the same time very traumatic, since the surrounding vessel of the fabric suffers.
• Liquidation (dressing) of perforant veins. In this case, the surgeon simply binds perforant veins through small cuts on the skin with a size of 1-2 cm.
• Miniflebectomy. The method of removing varicose veins (small areas) and varicose nodes through small endoscopic sections. It is performed if there is no need to remove a large or small subcutaneous veins.

Conservative treatment

Diet in the treatment of varicose veins

To increase the tone of the walls of blood vessels and significantly dilute the blood, you need to reconsider your diet. You should refuse such products:

• Alcohol in any form
• Fat and smoked dishes,
• Grenades in excess,
• Fatty refined oils.

To improve the state of veins on the legs, you can and should eat such products:

• Onions are on
• honey,
• grape
• tomatoes,
• Fruits and berries for the season.

A plentiful drinking regime at the rate of 30 ml of water per 1 kg of patient weight is also shown.

Refusal of smoking

It is important to understand that smoking contributes to the formation of blood clots and significantly violates blood coagulation. At the same time, not only blood components, but also the walls of blood vessels suffer. Their elasticity is significantly reduced, which does not play on the hand of a patient with varicose veins. Therefore, in order not to aggravate the situation, it is necessary to abandon the pernicious habit as soon as possible.

Compression underwear (stockings, golfs, tights)

Compression knitwear is one of the effective ways to prevent further progression of varicose veins. Such linen (golfs, stockings and tights) evenly distributes the intensity of blood flow towards the heart. As a result, the load on the walls of the vessels is significantly reduced, and the lumen of patients with veins is returned to a relatively normal state. It is very important to understand that the compression formula embedded in knitwear repeats exactly the load that the calf muscles can form during intense leg movement. That is, the blood in the veins of the lower extremities does not stagnate even with a sedentary lifestyle. At the same time, all compression underwear in terms of compression intensity is classified into 4 types:

1. Preventive knitwear. It has a compression level of 10 to 18 mm Hg. Art. It is indicated for wearing persons with a genetic predisposition to varicose veins.
2. The first class of knitwear. The degree of compression in this case is 18–22 mm Hg. Art. It is used at the initial stage of varicose veins and for the prevention of varicose veins with enhanced physical exertion with weight lifting or with excessive body weight.
3. The second class of knitwear. Compression level - 23–32 mm Hg. Such linen is indicated for thrombophlebitis or for varicose veins, formed against the background of surgery.
4. The third class of knitwear. The compression here is 33–46 mm Hg. Art. Showed by deep vein thrombosis or after operations.
5. Fourth grade. Elastic linen has a compression degree of 49 mm Hg. Art. Such knitwear is worn in severe forms of thrombosis or with lymphostasis to improve lymphatic drainage.

Folk methods of treating varicose veins

If varicose veins did not give complications and the treatment of pathology is carried out only drugs, then it can be used as therapy and folk methods. Moreover, you can use both compresses and tinctures for oral consumption. Below, consider the most popular variants of the folk treatment of varicose veins.

Herbal fees and tinctures

In order to use homeopathy, you can use such herbs and plants:

1. Chestnut. Tincture is prepared from it. Pour 10 g. crushed chestnut fruits 100 ml of vodka. Everyone is placed in glass containers and insisted for about 10 days in a dark place. The mixture is periodically shaken. After the deadline, the agent is pranked and taken 15-20 drops per day before meals (in the morning and evening).
2. Celandine. A bandage is wetted in the plant's juice and it is applied in the form of a compress. The bandage is fixed for 4 hours, then washed off with warm water. The course of therapy is a week. After that, take a break for 10 days and repeat the treatment. The complex is three such courses.
3. Fern. Here they take sour milk (3 tablespoons of canteens) and dry grass (3 tablespoons of dining rooms). Everything is mixed and distributed according to the gauze. The bandage is applied to the sore leg and fixed with a bandage for three hours. This treatment technique is best used in the evening before bedtime.
4. Chamomile pharmacy. A decoction is made from the plant (2 tablespoons of grass are placed on a glass of boiling water). After that, the product is insisted for 30-40 minutes and pzhed. The finished infusion is used as a liquid for compresses. Chamomile removes vascular stars and similar patterns well.

Conclusion

It is worth remembering that varicose veins - pathology is irreversible. Therefore, it is advisable now to think about the health of the legs and fundamentally change the lifestyle. Remember, the health of your legs depends only on you. Especially if there is a predisposition to the development of pathology.