Methods of treating varicose veins, possible causes and symptoms of the disease

Varicose veins are a very common pathology that can greatly reduce the quality of life and cause dangerous complications, requiring expensive and complicated treatment.

What are varicose veins?

Varicose veins or varicose veins are diseases related to failure of venous valve devices. Due to their failure, the normal outflow of blood from the surroundings is disrupted, and the blood stagnates in various parts of the vascular bed, causing the blood vessels to dilate.

The main factor prone to this disease is people over 40 years old. This is due to the fact that at this time, the container is subjected to various negative effects, which causes its adaptability to decrease.

In most cases, varicose veins affect the lower extremities, but pathological processes can also be observed in the groin or internal organs.

It is necessary to take preventive measures because this pathology tends to develop and the treatment plan for varicose veins is quite complicated.

Reason

The main cause of varicose veins is considered to be too much and insufficient mobility. The normal venous blood flow mechanism is closely related to muscle contraction. During muscle tension, blood is pushed through the vein, and the presence of valves in the venous cavity prevents its reflux.

Lack of physical activity can cause peripheral congestion, and as a result, the blood can put excessive pressure on the valve device.Excessive pressure can also adversely affect the vascular system. Frequent muscle contractions can damage venous valves.

In addition, there are many negative factors and diseases that increase the risk of varicose veins:

• Bad habits. Alcohol and nicotine have vasomotor properties. They widen and constrict blood vessel lumen, thereby disrupting normal blood flow.
• Abuse of coffee.
• The shoes are uncomfortable.
• Genetic susceptibility.
• Systemic connective tissue disease.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Diabetes.
• Trauma.
• Overweight.

The presence of these factors significantly increases the risk of illness. Regardless of the cause, the symptoms of varicose veins in the lower extremities will not be different.

Clinical manifestations

Usually, the symptoms of this disease appear when there are already irreversible structural changes in the veins of the lower limbs. That is, the patient already needs surgical treatment when they go to the doctor.

In the early stages, varicose veins may be asymptomatic. Some patients complain of slight soreness after long walking or running. No specific symptoms can be diagnosed. The initial form of varicose veins can be detected only by instrumental examination.

The symptoms of late varicose veins are as follows:

1. The appearance of purple osis, distributed locally along the vein.
2. Blood vessels bulge and form nodules above the surface of the skin. These formations are painful and dense, which is related to inflammation in these areas and the process of proliferation of connective tissue (hardening).
3. Continuous pain that does not depend on physical labor. If it occurs only after the overvoltage in the initial stage of pathological development, it will disturb the patient even in dreams in later periods. This is due to the fact that one of the signs of inflammation is pain syndrome. The intensity of the pain may be very obvious, leading to the appearance of the line.
4. The local temperature rise in the node area.

The first symptoms of the disease require immediate medical treatment for diagnosis and treatment.

Why varicose veins are dangerous

Lack of adequate treatment is fraught with the development of many dangerous complications that threaten not only health but also life. These include:

1. Thrombophlebitis. In areas with inflamed veins, blood flow slows down significantly. Such conditions are suitable for the formation of blood clots. These blood clots may block the vascular cavity of the lower limbs, resulting in gangrene, or carry the blood into the lungs, heart, brain and other organs, thereby severely disrupting the blood supply. These diseases are extremely difficult to treat and often lead to disability and death.
2. Nutritional ulcers. Violation of venous blood flow is always accompanied by microcirculation disorders in the tissues of the lower limbs. Lack of oxygen and nutrients can cause ulcers. These ulcers are difficult to treat and often recur because it is necessary to treat the root cause of their occurrence.
3. Bleeding. If varicose veins are accompanied by high blood pressure, it may cause the surrounding blood vessels to rupture and bleeding. This is due to the fact that dilated blood vessels become thinner and high blood pressure values ​​may cause them to rupture. In addition, bleeding may cause minor mechanical damage, and in healthy people, it will not even lead to the formation of hematomas.

Almost all complications can be exacerbated by the addition of infectious agents, which can severely worsen the condition and complicate treatment.

If complications occur, the treatment of varicose veins should be reconsidered.

Diagnosis

If you suspect varicose veins, the patient needs a series of examinations to confirm the diagnosis and assess the condition of the tissue surrounding the pathological focus.

To this end, it was shown to have conducted the following survey:

1. Complete blood count.
2. Blood Biochemistry.
3. Blood coagulation chart. Through laboratory examination, the development of thrombosis and thrombophlebitis can be predicted based on the coagulation characteristics. Hypercoagulability is a threatening disease.
4. Ultrasound. With the help of ultrasound, you can get a detailed image of the vascular bed and find no inflammatory foci on the outside.
5. Venography. Using a contrast agent to obtain a graphic image of the venous system of the lower extremities allows you to study its structure in detail and even identify the smallest changes.

In addition to instrumentation and laboratory research, specific tests are also conducted to assess the state of soft tissues and assess the degree of circulatory failure.

External examination is also very important. During this period, doctors can see specific external manifestations, presumptive localization and trophic ulcers.

Phlebologists should be involved in the treatment and supervision of patients with this disease. It is this doctor who specializes in the treatment of varicose veins.

Treatment

The treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities can be done through the use of drugs or through surgical intervention. The choice of treatment depends on the severe changes observed in the affected area.

The treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities is carried out according to a special plan, which takes into account the influence on the pathological process and prevents the development of complications.

Surgical treatment of varicose veins is the most effective because it allows you to get rid of the disease forever. However, not all patients can use it, and there are many contraindications.

Conservative therapy

Only in the early stages of disease progression is allowed without surgery to treat varicose veins.

It is worth remembering that conservative treatment only helps to eliminate the manifestations of the disease. It is impossible to achieve a long-lasting effect by using drugs alone. They only work for a certain period of time and cannot prevent the progression of the disease.

Patients with varicose veins are certified to use the following drugs:

• NSAID. It is recommended to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs locally in the form of ointment. In some cases, these drugs can be prescribed in tablet form, but long-term treatment may lead to the development of gastritis or peptic ulcer disease caused by side effects.
• Antiplatelet drugs. The action of these drugs is to prevent blood clots. The original representative was considered ordinary aspirin and was used in small doses. They thin the blood, which helps blood flow through inflamed veins. For patients with bleeding tendency, such drugs cannot be used.
• Hormones in the prednisolone group. If non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs do not have the desired effect, adrenal cortex hormones should be used. These substances are also used as ointments. They have obvious anti-inflammatory effects and can also improve tissue microcirculation. It is worth remembering that long-term use of hormones can also have an adverse effect on the physical state.
• Phlebotonics. This group of drugs is used to treat varicose veins of the lower extremities. They normalize the hue of blood vessel walls, thus ensuring normal blood flow.

The treatment of varicose veins should be systematic. Regular and periodic intake of the drug allows you to maintain a constant concentration of active substances, thereby ensuring a constant effect on damaged blood vessels.

These drugs should be used strictly according to the doctor's instructions. Independent use of them is strictly prohibited because they can cause side effects and have specific contraindications. Failure to comply with these restrictions can worsen the overall situation.

Conservative therapy is most suitable as a support method in planned surgical preparation.

Surgical treatment

Many people want to know how to cure varicose veins without surgery? In fact, this is impossible. The main type of surgical treatment is implicit resection.

Safe resection is an operation to remove the damaged saphenous vein. Therefore, the focus of the disease was completely eliminated. But the disadvantage of this treatment is the considerable injury rate. Recently, such an operation has been performed with a large number of incisions in the skin, which is necessary to provide access to the vein.

Nowadays, modern methods for the treatment of varicose veins allow safe resection with the minimum number of incisions because there are specialized probes to extract the veins. One incision can remove veins up to half a meter long.

This operation has many contraindications that make it impossible to perform it. These include:

1. Diabetes. This pathology is accompanied by the fact that wound healing is significantly reduced. In this case, surgical intervention can cause sepsis and may require amputation.
2. Intolerance to antibacterial agents. Antibiotics need to be prescribed after surgery to eliminate pathogenic bacteria that enter the wound during surgical treatment. Some patients are intolerant to these drugs. Surgical treatment without antibiotic treatment is strictly prohibited.
3. Serious diseases of the cardiovascular system. Those pathologies with heart failure may become contraindications because certain anesthetics are prohibited.

Safenectomy is performed for simple forms of varicose veins. Those who observe trophic ulcers or necrotic changes caused by acute blood supply disturbances need to expand the scope of surgery.

The ulcer may be removed during surgery. Therefore, tissue death can be prevented. If venous thrombosis causes gangrene, the limb must be amputated. Only do this in extreme cases.

There are also modern minimally invasive treatment methods, including:

• Sclerotherapy.
• Radiofrequency ablation.
• Laser ablation.

These treatments are based on the blockage of the vascular cavity and its further destruction with the help of chemical or physical factors.

It is recommended to use them in the early stages of the disease. In this case, the risk of recurrence is minimal. This type of treatment is not recommended for advanced varicose veins, as this may require a large number of treatment courses.

Folk remedies

Some sources recommend the use of various traditional medicines as a treatment for varicose veins in the legs. It is strongly recommended not to do this, because the role of plants in this pathology has not been scientifically proven.

The treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities should only be planned by certified medical experts. Non-surgical treatment of varicose veins only helps to delay its implementation. You should not seek help from various folk therapists, because the wasted time before starting proper treatment can lead to amputation.

Concomitant therapy

In order to obtain the maximum therapeutic effect, other measures should be taken while using the drug. These include:

• Diet. Patients with varicose veins should avoid fatty foods. It helps increase cholesterol levels and blood viscosity. This process leads to an increase in blood circulation around the varicose vein area and causes thrombosis. In addition, you need to drink a lot of fluids to thin your blood. It is recommended to drink plain water instead of carbonated drinks or tea.
• Keep your legs elevated regularly. Such a procedure stimulates blood to flow out under its own weight, thereby preventing congestion.
• Wear tight socks. In the upright position of the body, this stocking prevents blood from accumulating in the dilated veins. However, such stockings must be used correctly, because long-term wear will adversely affect the skin of the feet and calves.
• Walk. Patients need to maintain an active lifestyle. In the later stages of varicose veins, walking should be brief and should not cause leg fatigue or soreness.

In addition, comorbidities such as atherosclerosis, diabetes or obesity should be treated. The existence of this treatment is limited to medication in some cases, which ensures a favorable outcome of the disease.

Prevention

In order to prevent the development of varicose veins, you need to follow some simple rules that will reduce the risk of varicose veins. They are all in order to maintain normal blood characteristics and create a normal lifestyle. These include:

1. Drink at least half a liter of water every day.
2. Proper nutrition. The term not only means that all necessary substances are provided in the diet, and harmful foods are excluded, but it also includes regular meals. Eating at the same time allows you to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients from the food, because it will produce reflexes and release sufficient gastric juice.
3. Quit bad habits.
4. Limit the amount of coffee and other energy drinks.
5. Stay active even when you sit down. To this end, there are some special exercises, the purpose is to contract the leg muscles.
6. Treat the disease promptly. Any pathology in the human body will lead to long-term consequences. To avoid this situation, you should always seek the help of a medical professional and perform preventive examinations when any symptoms appear.

Nowadays, there are many ways to treat varicose veins. With timely diagnosis, they enable you to solve the problem once and for all. It is only recommended not to treat varicose veins with surgery at the beginning of the disease.