Problems with blood vessels are a fairly common phenomenon, which occurs more often in modern society.Nowadays, varicose veins of the legs are diagnosed not only in the elderly.This disease affects young people and even children.
What are the symptoms of varicose veins on the legs, arms and other parts of the body?The first signs of this disease are very important to know.Because the effectiveness of all subsequent treatments depends on a timely diagnosis.
This article will focus on the symptoms of varicose veins on the legs and other parts of the body.We will also talk about the causes of the disease and the necessary preventive measures to prevent the development of the pathological process.And, of course, we will pay attention to all kinds of methods to treat varicose veins on the legs, arms or other organs.
It is believed that this disease only affects human body parts.However, this is not true.Recently, doctors are increasingly diagnosing small pelvic varicose veins in women.Pathology is also found in the veins of the esophagus and other internal organs.How to identify and treat such anomalies?Let's find out.
Definition of disease
Before knowing what the disease is, it is necessary to get general information about the structure of the human circulatory system.
As you know, the blood in our body circulates through vessels.Arteries are vessels through which blood flows from the heart to various organs and tissues.Veins are also vessels, but blood flows in the opposite direction - from organs and tissues to the heart.
In order for this process to happen in the right direction, there is a one-way valve in each vein.They provide the necessary blood circulation in the right direction.What else can be achieved with such a valve?Blood does not accumulate in one place, but circulates and enriches the body.
Varicose veins are characterized by damage to intravascular valves or even their complete absence.As a result, the general flow of blood is disturbed and it accumulates in the place where the pathology is detected.Because of this, the veins increase in volume and dilate abnormally.
There are several types of veins in our body - superficial (located under the skin), deep (hidden in muscle tissue) and communicating (connecting the first two types).
Most often, varicose veins are diagnosed in superficial veins, for example, on the legs in the knees, calves or thighs.However, the disease can also affect vessels located in the pelvic or rectal area.
Lower limbs
First, let's look at varicose veins from the lower legs.Externally, this disease manifests itself in the form of purple, blue or bluish veins under the skin that are curved and protrude outward.The same manifestation can be seen in the picture below.
Causes of varicose veins in the legs
The main cause of this disease, as mentioned above, is the pathological process that occurs in the blood vessels themselves.What could trigger such a change?
The main provocateur of this disease includes a hereditary tendency to deformation of veins.Also, excessive load on the legs can have a negative effect on the blood vessels, for example, when a person, due to his professional job, is constantly standing or walking.It is not surprising that teachers, athletes, and hairdressers are prone to this disease.
Other negative factors that affect the elasticity of blood vessels are excess body weight, hormonal changes, and cardiovascular diseases (for example, thrombosis).
Do not forget about bad habits that have a negative effect not only on the veins, but on the whole body as a whole.It is clear that the abuse of smoking and alcohol may provoke the development of pathological processes in the blood vessels.
Often the development of this disease can be triggered by pregnancy, which is a great stress and burden for the entire female body.Also, carrying a baby affects the hormonal background of the pregnant mother, which can also cause pathological processes that occur in the circulatory system.However, it should be remembered that, therefore, pregnancy is not the cause of varicose veins.Carrying a fetus may be the reason or one of the reasons for the manifestation of the disease.
It's no secret that this disease is most often diagnosed in women, and this is not always associated with pregnancy or hormonal changes.Wearing uncomfortable shoes (too narrow or with very high heels) is another main reason for the development of varicose veins in the lower part of the legs.
An important factor in the development of abnormal blood expansion can be various damage to the veins.This may include injury or inflammatory processes occurring in the vessels, as well as the formation of blood clots.
How to identify the disease at an early stage to start timely and high-quality treatment?Let's find out.
Details about the symptoms
The first sign of a problem is pain in the legs, that is, in the place where the valve malfunction occurs.It is also very important to pay attention to unpleasant sensations in the lower part of the leg, as if the leg is heavy.This feeling is an important signal in vascular deformation.
Abnormal appearance of veins is another sign of pathological development.Dark purple veins appear under the skin, they curl and swell.
The skin in the affected vessel area becomes dry, can peel and darken, itch and itch.At the site of the development of the pathological process, edema forms, the skin swells or swells.
If you do not pay attention to these manifestations in time, the symptoms can intensify.The person begins to experience cramps, and open ulcers in the area of varicose veins, which can bleed and cause pain.Wounds are a possibility of infection, so you should consult a doctor as soon as possible so as not to complicate an already difficult situation.
Disease identification
What will they say at the hospital?Most likely, the specialist will refer you for the necessary examinations to diagnose this disease and rule out other possible diseases.
The most important diagnostic step is the physical examination of the patient.The patient will be asked to stand, sit and swing their legs.It is based on external examination that the diagnosis will be made.
After this, the doctor may recommend a Doppler ultrasound, based on which it is possible to check blood flow and, if any, detect blood clots.
An angiogram can also be prescribed by a specialist.This study involves the injection of certain dyes into the veins, thanks to the structure of the vessels and their pathological changes will be clearly visible on X-rays.
General Principles of Rehabilitation
Is it possible to cure varicose veins at home?Yes, especially when it comes to the early stages of the disease.
The first thing the doctor will advise is to adjust your weight and nutrition program.That is, if the patient has extra pounds, then he should undergo a special diet to normalize his weight.If the patient's weight is normal, then he still needs to monitor his diet, avoiding fatty and salty foods, which can affect blood vessels and also trigger obesity.
Additionally, a therapeutic diet may involve giving away strong coffee (and sometimes tea), smoked foods, and canned foods.Alcoholic drinks are also 100% contraindicated for people suffering from varicose veins.It is very important to eat more vegetables and fruits (including freshly squeezed juices), whole grains and soybeans.And, of course, do not forget about vegetables.Parsley, dill and lettuce are what will help you overcome any illness!
Your doctor may also prescribe wearing compression garments, such as stockings or tights.
Many men may have a complex about unusual treatments for varicose veins in the legs.However, you should not get hung up on this problem.Compression garments are a fairly common method of treating vascular pathology of the lower legs.Its wise use will not only relieve the patient of unpleasant symptoms and pain, but will also help prevent the development of the disease.In some cases, a piece of clothing will be recommended to the patient for continuous use throughout his life.Often, compression stockings are prescribed to pregnant women to reduce their condition during pregnancy, when the body cannot be helped in other ways.
The essence of these therapeutic underwear is that they compress the leg in the ankle area, gradually weakening the effect on the skin on the leg.This stimulates proper blood circulation towards the heart.
Nowadays, you can find different compression stockings and tights on sale, differing from each other not only in size, but also in the level of compression (pressure exerted on the legs).
Another way to treat varicose veins is to prescribe special exercises for the legs.Experts recommend patients certain exercises that will help normalize blood flow in the legs.
Let's move on to drug treatment
To help fight the disease, special ointments and oral medications can be prescribed, the purpose of which is to thin the blood and improve circulation.Also, such drugs can strengthen the walls of blood vessels, relieve inflammation, and relieve pain.
Often, doctors prescribe phlebotonics (or venotonic drugs).They improve lymphatic drainage, strengthen the walls of blood vessels, give them elasticity, and reduce capillary permeability.
Patients can also be prescribed antiplatelet agents that dissolve clots and increase blood instability by preventing platelet aggregation and suppressing their adhesion.
During the suppression of this disease, it is very important to take drugs that will prevent blood clotting.For this purpose, the attending physician may prescribe drugs based on heparin or its derivatives.
According to experts, it is better to use non-steroid drugs against inflammation.
And, of course, we must not forget the ointment.Local medicines are presented in large quantities in the pharmacological market.
More radical treatment
The methods described above do not always achieve the desired results.
In such cases, your doctor may suggest non-invasive treatment options.What do they include?Let's discuss each method.
Laser treatment
One of the most gentle methods of treating varicose veins is the use of a laser on the surface of the epidermis.A small flash that illuminates the vein wall promotes the development of sclerosis, as a result of which the affected vein disappears, as if it had been removed.
Intravenous laser coagulation is another procedure to treat varicose veins.However, it involves making a small incision at a location above or just below the affected vein.Then the catheter is inserted into the vessel and an ultrasound is sent.The laser action lasts about a minute, after which the patient feels heat in the area of the affected vein, which, after a certain time, disappears, becoming part of the connective tissue.
Because the patient is given local anesthesia before the procedure, the person does not feel anything.After the manipulation, a feeling of heaviness in the lower part of the leg and bruising may occur.However, this does not affect the recovery period.The next day the patient can go to work and do normal activities.
Radio frequency
Along with the laser, the ablation method can also be used, which is done in the same way as the laser freezing described above.The only difference is the equipment used.Instead of a laser, specialists use radiofrequency energy, which enters the affected vessel through a catheter, heating it until the wall of the vein collapses and it closes.After this, the blood is directed in the other direction - into healthy vessels.
Surgical intervention
It involves complete or partial removal of the affected vessel.Surgery for varicose veins is only prescribed as a last resort, when other treatment methods have failed.To combat varicose veins, surgeons use various surgical techniques.Some of them will be listed below:
- Crossectomy.
- Vein extraction.
- Miniphlebectomy.
- Endoscopy.
The essence of this manipulation turns to the following: small incisions are made in the leg in several places (most often below and above the affected area), after which a thin flexible wire is inserted into the vessel, which removes the diseased vein.These operations are performed frequently, and almost always they occur without complications, but they require certain risks and difficulties.
For example, surgical intervention is performed under anesthesia (general or spinal).The use of anesthesia can cause allergic reactions to the drugs used, bleeding, and breathing problems.
Other negative factors that may occur after surgery include the possibility of infection, bruising and swelling in the affected area, nerve damage, vein irritation, or the formation of blood clots in the vessels.We must also not forget that surgical intervention does not guarantee the absence of recurrence in the future.
The postoperative period does not last long.Within a day or two the patient can begin his daily tasks.He will be advised to wear a compression garment for a week.
Sclerotherapy
This is one of the treatment methods for varicose veins, which should also be paid attention to, and it can be done directly in the doctor's office without hospitalization.During the manipulation process, a special chemical solution is injected into the diseased vein, which acts as an irritant, as a result of which the vein thickens and closes.After this, blood circulation is carried out through healthy vessels.
This procedure can be used when the small veins located in the knee area are affected.Sclerotherapy is usually combined with other methods to treat varicose veins.
Various drugs are used as chemical solutions.After the procedure, the patient should wear a compression bandage soaked in a sclerosing agent.The time of wearing will be determined by the attending physician individually.
Side effects of such injections include the following negative manifestations:
- The appearance of blood clots in other vessels in the lower part of the leg.
- Headache.
- A painful sensation in the lower part.
- Temporary visual impairment.
- Pass out.
- Epidermal irritation around the injection site.
However, most patients tolerate sclerotherapy well.If contraindications are taken into account and the manipulation is carried out correctly, positive results in the treatment of varicose veins are guaranteed.
People's First Aid Kit
Is it possible to cure diseases using alternative medicine?In some cases - yes, especially if we are talking about the main manifestations of the disease, and if the treatment with the grandmother's method will be carried out with the permission of the attending physician.
Therefore, what components should you determine to start an effective treatment of the pathology?First of all, let's take apple cider vinegar.Mix two teaspoons of the product in a glass of water, add a little honey and drink on an empty stomach in the morning.
Apple cider vinegar can also be used for topical application in the form of rubbing, after dissolving it in water (ratio 1 to 10).Gently rub the affected area at night - in the morning the unpleasant symptoms should decrease.
Often, chestnut tincture is used against varicose veins.To do this, collect beautiful and whole fruits and roll them through a meat grinder.Then fifty grams of raw material is poured into a half-liter bottle of vodka and placed in a dark place for two weeks.After this, the tincture is filtered and taken orally, thirty to forty drops per spoonful of water, half an hour before meals three or four times a day.The course of such treatment is one month.Then rest for two weeks and, if necessary, repeat again.
This tincture can also be used to rub the affected area at night.
An ancient method to get rid of varicose veins is the use of leeches.How much hirudotherapy is needed in each individual case is up to the patient and his doctor to decide.
Therefore, we have paid enough attention to varicose veins from the lower legs.Now let's talk about other types of diseases.
Pelvic vessels
This pathology is very easily confused with gynecological diseases in women.
Varicose veins in the pelvic area can be considered a hormonal disorder, a pathology of the genitourinary system, or even a common radiculitis.However, it is very important to identify the disease as early as possible.Pelvic varicose veins in women can cause disturbances in ovarian function and the entire circulatory system.
What is the cause of this intimate disease?
Disease Provocateur
The main reasons for the development of this disease include difficult pregnancy, high-intensity physical activity, inactive lifestyle, some gynecological diseases, prolonged use of hormonal drugs, dissatisfaction in sexual life, and so on.Most often, varicose veins of the pelvic veins occur against the background of an increase in the amount of estrogen.And, of course, do not forget that excess weight and bad habits do not improve, but only worsen the situation.
How to identify such a disease?
This important symptom
First of all, pelvic varicose veins show themselves in pain of varying intensity, which is aggravated after or during sex, physical activity, or prolonged stay in the same position.This disease is also characterized by bleeding, frequent urination, accompanied by pain, swelling, redness of the vulva or perineum, burning or itching in this area.
A few words about treatment
How to get rid of pathological dilatation of the pelvic veins?First of all, you should contact an expert.He may recommend wearing compression clothes and special gymnastics (these are well-known exercises performed in the supine position - "birch", "scissors" and "bicycle").
Among folk methods, decoctions of dandelion or chaga root, as well as chestnut tinctures, have proven to be the most effective.
What can be said about another type of varicose veins - pathology of the gastrointestinal tract?
Digestive organs
Esophageal varicose veins are considered not a very common disease;Often this disease is a concomitant symptom of some more serious disease.
Why does such a pathology occur, and how to determine it?
Briefly about causes and symptoms
The main cause of esophageal dilation is congestion in the liver vessels, which is provoked by thrombosis or cirrhosis.This pathology is most often diagnosed in men, as well as patients with serious chronic diseases, especially those over fifty years old.How to identify this disease?
Esophageal varicose veins are most often asymptomatic, which manifest themselves in rare attacks of heartburn, heaviness in the stomach, difficulty swallowing, and belching.Sometimes the patient can exhibit external signs of the pathological process - the protrusion of blood vessels and veins on the anterior wall of the stomach (abdominal cavity).
Often, this disease is diagnosed during a crisis, that is, when the wall of the vein breaks and bleeding occurs.In most cases, bleeding is accompanied by vomiting (with blood), low blood pressure, general weakness, increased heart rate, and bloody discharge (or stool).
If the symptoms appear, you will definitely need to take a blood test and take an X-ray (with the introduction of a special contrast solution).
Treatment of esophageal pathology
Often, treatment for this disease is carried out in intensive care.In the case of bleeding, the doctor's initial task is to eliminate it.For this purpose, astringents, colloid solutions, and hemostatic agents can be used.In some cases, doctors recommend a blood transfusion or its main component (or blood substitute).
If the methods listed above do not produce results, experts may consider it advisable to perform surgery or esophageal sclerosis.After recovery, the patient has to follow a fairly strict diet for the rest of his life.Proper nutrition will include split meals, avoiding fatty, smoked, salty and fried foods, avoiding hot or too cold foods, etc.
Prevention
It is known that this disease is easier to prevent than to treat.What steps should be taken to prevent the occurrence of pathological processes in the veins?
First of all - a healthy lifestyle!A reasonable diet, moderate physical activity, getting rid of bad habits, wearing comfortable shoes and clothes - all this will help not only improve your well-being, but also prevent many serious diseases.Good health to you!