Varicose veins in the legs

What is varicose veins? The disease is characterized by swelling of peripheral veins under the skin. This disease has no age limits, that is, the disease can occur even in a child.

Experts advise comprehensive treatment of varicose veins. Therapy includes medications and traditional medicine. In severe cases, surgery is required. The symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the legs are different.

Causes

There are factors that provoke the pathology of leg veins. Lifestyle is one of the main factors. If a person is often in the same position, such as standing or sitting, then the risk of occurrence increases by 70%.

Incorrect shoes or physical activity above the norm can develop the disease.

Varicose veins formed in the legs in women who have a child. This is due to the fact that the body is severely exposed to additional stress. Another reason is hormonal failure, which can occur when taking birth control pills.

Indirect reasons include the following factors:

1. Smoking. Toxic substances inhibit the process of hematopoiesis, as a result of which the work of blood vessels is disrupted.
2. Depression and prolonged stress. The nervous system is directly connected to the blood vessels. With any violation of the central or autonomic nervous system, the vessel walls become thin and inelastic.
3. Physical activity is above normal. Varicose veins of the lower extremities often occur in athletes who want to gain muscle mass. Excessive exercise contributes to the development of varicose veins.
4. Wrong shoes. Walking in heels often provokes varicose veins. It is for this reason that the pathology is more characteristic of women. When you walk in high heels, the entire load falls on the legs, in which case the veins inevitably suffer.

Another reason is hereditary predisposition. In the presence of the disease in relatives, the risk of the appearance of varicose veins increases.

Symptoms of the disease

Signs of varicose veins in the legs in women and men develop gradually. Many men and women do not pay attention to the first signs of varicose veins, referring to other factors. Precisely because of premature treatment, neglected varicose veins are quite difficult to treat. Symptoms of the disease include the following:

• A vascular network, which appears at the beginning of the disease either on the inner thigh or on the calves.
• In the evening, the patient begins to worry about leg fatigue, heaviness, there is a feeling of internal itching. It seems that the foot is constantly itching, even though the scratching does not bring results.
• At night, the patient often has cramps in the lower extremities.
• After sleep, swelling is observed.

The above symptoms are typical for the initial stage of the development of varicose veins. If the treatment is started at the right time, it is possible to eliminate the disease completely without any recurrence or consequences. If a person does not pay attention to the first signs, varicose veins develop further. In this case, the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs are as follows:

• Venous nodes appear protruding above the skin.
• When palpating the veins in the leg, pain is observed.
• During any movement or walking, pain similar to muscle pain is observed.
• The legs get tired much faster, there is a feeling of heaviness.

Varicose veins of the lower extremities can lead to serious complications that affect the patient's quality of life. For this reason, experts recommend being vigilant about your well-being and with the slightest symptoms of varicose veins in the legs, consult a doctor immediately.

Diagnosing

This diagnosis can be rejected or confirmed only by a vascular surgeon or a phlebologist. A qualified specialist can recognize this pathology even in the initial stage. First, the doctor examines the affected area of the skin, asks general questions: how long ago did the first signs of varicose veins appear, what symptoms bother the patient, was there any home treatment.

To finally verify the diagnosis and determine the severity of the disease, the following types of diagnostics are used:

1. Ultrasound procedure.
2. Phlebography with a contrast agent.

Today, phlebography is used more often as a diagnosis, due to the fact that this method is more accurate and informative.

Treatment of varicose veins

How to treat varicose veins in women's legs? Only a phlebologist can prescribe the right treatment. Depending on the severity of the disease, different treatments are used. Surgical intervention is used only in advanced stages of the disease, when drug therapy does not work. Comprehensive treatment for varicose veins includes the following:

• Tight gauze bandages, compression underwear, elastic bandages.
• A useful substance for varicose veins is hirudin. Naturally, this element can be obtained through the bite of a leech.
• Endovasal laser coagulation is a method of closing subcutaneous veins using laser beams.
• Sclerotherapy is the removal of veins by injecting a substance through finer needles.
• Massage - used to thin the blood and improve blood circulation.
• Taking anti-inflammatory pills, using external ointments.

Treatment with folk remedies

How to cure varicose veins? This question is asked by everyone who faces a diagnosis. As mentioned above, phlebologists advise to approach this problem comprehensively. Against the background of drug treatment of varicose veins, some prescriptions of traditional medicine are successful and effective.

Consider how to treat varicose veins on the legs in women:

• Garden tomatoes will help eliminate itching and relieve tension. For recipes, both ripe and green tomatoes are suitable. Cut the tomatoes into slices, place them on the affected area. Fix with bandages. Every three hours, vegetables should be replaced with fresh ones. You will find the greatest benefit in home-grown tomatoes rather than store-bought ones. You should apply tomatoes throughout the day. The next day you will feel light on your feet.
• Rub a cabbage leaf with olive oil and apply it to the swollen veins. Fix with bandages and leave for at least 7 hours. Treatment at night is recommended. With severe pain, you can apply the recipe every day, at night.
• Generously coat the cotton fabric with liquid floral honey. We wrap the leg, fix it with an elastic bandage from above. We leave it for 3 hours. The procedure is recommended to be performed every three days.
• Cut the green walnuts in half and place them in a pint jar. Fill with vodka or medical alcohol. Close the lid and send it to a dark place for a week. When the tincture is ready, rub your feet from the heels to the thighs every evening with massage movements.
• Put the St. John's wort leaves and flowers in water and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover with a lid. After 6 hours - the soup is ready. We put the cotton cloth in the boil, squeeze it a little and fix the cloth on the affected leg. This recipe helps to get rid of itching and pain. You can use the recipe every day.
• Squeeze the aloe juice into a glass bowl. In total, you should take at least one tablespoon. Add five drops of almond oil and 3 drops of camphor oil. Heat in a water bath, up to about 40 degrees. We rub the swollen veins and the skin about three times a week.
• We take lilac flowers and put them in an enameled container. Pour 0. 5 liters of sunflower oil. Place it in a water bath and let it boil. Cool to room temperature and rub into damaged skin. Top with a gauze bandage. We leave for the night. The procedure should be performed at least three times a week.

Possible complications

Varicose veins of the lower extremities require timely treatment. If you do not take any therapeutic action, the following complications may appear:

• Pulmonary embolism.
• Thrombosis.
• Thrombophlebitis.
• Phlebitis.
• Rupture of a vein.
• Dermatitis.

Preventive measures

Those who are most at risk of developing varicose veins in their legs should follow preventive measures. First of all, this category of people includes those whose relatives are prone to the disease. You should also be especially attentive to your health for women expecting a child and people whose work requires regular sitting or standing. Consider the general recommendations:

• To live an active lifestyle. Walk more often, move more, exercise several times a day. If the lifestyle and rush of work does not allow you to engage in any kind of sport, in this case there is a rational solution: leave work, get off the transport a few stops earlier. A daily walk will replace sports.
• If the main work time requires a sitting position, try to move your legs more often, including your toes. To diversify the position of the legs, experts advise to start a stance, about 30 cm from the floor, periodically raising the legs.
• Women should stop taking hormonal pills and consult a doctor to prescribe another type of contraceptive.
• Do not wear very high heels every day.
• Give up smoking and other bad habits.

If you notice heaviness, spider veins in the legs or pain in the lower extremities, contact a phlebologist. Therapy prescribed in the early stages will help to avoid serious complications and relapse.