WHAT ARE VARICOSE VEINS

Many people suffer from varicose veins during their lifetime.Unfortunately, this is a fairly common phenomenon that affects not only the legs, as is commonly believed, but also other organs.Fortunately, it is treatable.True, it is long and complex and should only be started after fully understanding the reasons for its occurrence.

WHAT CAUSES VARICOSES, WHO SHOULD BE CONCERNED?

The main symptoms of the onset of the disease:

• the appearance of varicosities, or even meshes;
• the veins became visible;
• the skin on the legs is uncomfortably dry;
• cramps in the leg muscles;
• swelling of the legs and heaviness appeared at the end of the day;
• thickening or darkening;
• the veins became sensitive.

What are varicose veins?This question torments many middle-aged and other people.This term refers to the swelling of the veins of the lower limbs.The veins swell, form knots, become very tortuous and create a lumpy blue surface.

This happens because there is not enough blood circulation in the veins.Blood stops flowing as it should, leading to an increase in pressure inside the vein.When it exceeds all normal levels, excess blood begins to have a stretching effect on the walls of the veins.The edges of the vessels approach the upper layer of the epidermis and become visible to the naked eye.The first sign of varicose veins is the appearance of vascular networks.The leg vessels visible through the skin surface are diseased.

Varicose veins - their nature has been known since ancient times.Even Byzantine doctors mentioned this disease in their works.The Egyptians treated it with elastic bandages, and Hippocrates, Avicenna and Paracelsus tried to invent more effective ways to treat it.

It is very scary that this pathology is very common: about 25 percent of the world's population is susceptible to this disease.Phlebologists claim that the main cause of varicose veins is poor development of the connective tissues of the legs.Most often, women suffer from this disease, since constant hormonal changes create good conditions for the development of the disease.

PREVENTION OF VARICOSE VEINS

Good, strong veins require constant self-care.At the initial stage, varicose veins destroy the beauty of the legs and pose a slight threat to health, but as they progress, they create complications and become life-threatening.Varicose veins of other organs are most often companions of various diseases and to achieve a real effect, they must be treated at the same time.Risk groups who should first remember about the prevention of varicose veins:

1. Anyone leading a sedentary lifestyle.
2. This is expensive during the day, for example at work.
3. Who is overweight or obese.
4. Constantly wears high heels or shoes that are too narrow.
5. Has diseases (or recent surgery) in the pelvic region.
6. Wears tight clothing that interferes with blood circulation.
7. He often sits cross-legged.
8. Pregnant women.
9. Athletes training with regular overloads.
10. Takes hormonal medications.

Many people do not even suspect that they are carriers of a serious illness.The advanced stage of this disease is quite difficult to treat, unlike the initial stage.Therefore, everyone, and especially those who have poor heredity, should know what varicose veins are, their symptoms and remember that a timely visit to a phlebologist is simply necessary, as is a preventive examination at the dentist.You need to take care of your health on your own, without letting things take their course.

Varicose veins, what are they?

To understand what varicose veins are, let's look at the underlying causes of this disease.As you know, our body is penetrated by a dense network of blood vessels, some of which carry blood to the heart - veins, others, on the contrary, carry it in the opposite direction - arteries.As long as the system is functioning properly and the blood vessels are clean, elastic and not under undue stress, everything is fine.If regular failures begin, sooner or later they can lead to diseases, including varicose veins.

It can occur in any part of the body, but is most often localized to the extremities.Partly because by lifting the blood in the legs, the veins carry high loads, partly because our limbs are one of the busiest parts of our body - we are forced to lift weights, walk a lot, stand or sit, which is also bad, because it interferes with normal blood circulation.

VARICOSE VEINS OF THE EXTREMITIES: COMPLICATIONS

The most common form of this disease, that is, what we mean by varicose veins, are varicose veins of the legs.Its first symptoms were listed above, but what can lead to neglect of treatment?We list the main complications of this disease:

• thrombophlebitis;
• phlebothrombosis;
• trophic ulcers;
• bleeding from varicose lymph nodes.

What is thrombophlebitis?This is an inflammation of the walls of external veins and the appearance of blood clots on them, which not only narrow the blood circulation space, but can ultimately completely block the vessel.It accompanies varicose veins of the extremities almost from the start.And a person who does not take care of his veins, as a result, and a bunch of complications, gets acute thrombophlebitis, when a blood clot not only interferes with blood circulation, but is also the center of inflammation, affecting not only the walls of the vessel, but also neighboring tissues.

Phlebothrombosis– this is the name for deep vein thrombophlebitis, an equally serious and difficult to treat disease, when thrombosis interferes with blood circulation and the vessels and tissues around them become inflamed.What is thrombosis?This is the appearance of blood clots in the vessels, interfering with blood circulation, or even completely blocking the lumen of the blood vessels.Even a partial reduction in the supply of fresh blood slows down tissue metabolism and leads to the accumulation of its products, and a complete blockage can ultimately lead to cell death, that is, tissue necrosis.

The particular danger of these diseases is that they can ultimately lead to thromboembolism - a blood clot, having broken off, will migrate with the blood circulation throughout the body, blocking one of the large arteries, which can be fatal.

Another serious problem, varicose veins of the later stages, are trophic ulcers - long-term open, non-healing wounds.How long?If after a month and a half the wound does not seem to heal, it is a trophic ulcer.It is treated, but it is a long and complex treatment, where it is necessary to combine surgical and therapeutic methods.

No less dangerous is such a complication as bleeding from varicose veins.It can be caused either simply by thinning of blood vessels in places of thickening, or by mechanical stress.Because it costs nothing to damage a vessel that has become thin and has lost its elasticity.Don't think this only applies to external veins;those located at depth are just as “delicate” and sensitive to any stress, shock or movement.

Consequences of not treating varicose veins in the photo:

The varicose veins in the video make an even more depressing impression.To prevent this from happening, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible and strictly follow all his instructions, both in terms of treatment and lifestyle.

TYPES OF VARICOSIS

As mentioned above, there are other types of varicose veins.There are many;these diseases occur for a variety of reasons and, while some are quite common, others are a very rare phenomenon, usually associated with other diseases.

1. Reticular varicose veins are a network of blue stars on the thighs and calves.This occurs even in young and thin people and is often considered a cosmetic defect, although this is the first bell - you need to consult a phlebologist.
2. Stars and vascular networks on the face are a reason to consult an endocrinologist, as this often indicates that a person has problems in the endocrine system.Although the reason may also be related to lifestyle - alcohol abuse, fatty and unhealthy foods, tanning, the habit of squeezing acne.
3. Hand varicose veins - this problem most often occurs in athletes and those whose work requires constant and heavy load on the hands.
4. A varicocele is a varicose vein that surrounds the testicles.It is a very common pathology and that is why men, especially adolescents, should consult a doctor at the first symptoms, because if left untreated it often leads to infertility.
5. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum.This can be caused not only by a sedentary lifestyle but also by lifting heavy objects, pregnancy, constipation and many other reasons.
6. Varicose veins of the legs have several stages and if treatment is not taken at the initial stage, it can lead to serious vascular pathologies and disability.
7. Varicose veins of internal organs usually occur as a complication of other diseases or in the postoperative period.These can be varicose veins of the pelvic organs, stomach, esophagus, etc.

This is a short list of the main types of this serious illness.You can learn more about how to treat varicose veins of each type from detailed articles published on our website.We try to talk regularly about traditional methods and the most modern methods of treatment.

CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY

The source of this problem is bipedalism, meaning we are the only species on Earth that is susceptible to it.We won't look at pseudo-scientific hypotheses as to why this happened, although some of them are quite amusing.One, for example, assumes that humanity came to Earth from Mars, where the force of gravity is much less, and therefore our body is not adapted to earthly loads, the other, that humans were created by aliens and were underdeveloped somewhere.Regardless, standing walking requires blood vessels to raise blood to a significant height, putting them under significant stress.

Usually this system works harmoniously, the blood quickly and evenly supplies all parts of the body with the necessary oxygen and substances.But if some kind of failure occurs (an injury, for example) or the body is constantly affected by adverse factors (hard work, high weight, hormonal deficiency, etc.), CVI develops - chronic venous insufficiency.Over the past decades, this disease has become noticeably younger and now occurs not only in the older generation, but also in adolescents, and therefore everyone should know its symptoms:

• telangiectasia - dilation of small superficial vessels;
• swelling of the legs, worse in the evening;
• cramps, goosebumps and other painful sensations in the calf muscles;
• cold feet;
• pigmentation of the skin of the legs;
• general discomfort and fatigue throughout the day.

As you can see, they largely coincide with the symptoms of varicose veins listed at the beginning of the article, because this is the beginning of the same disease - varicose veins.Therefore, if you have at least some of these signs, you should immediately contact a phlebologist who will prescribe treatment and help you decide on your diet and lifestyle.Varicose veins are not a disease that can be cured with pills, in fact it is a lifestyle that must be followed constantly so as not to encounter more serious stages of its development.

Modern science offers many treatment methods that to some extent compensate for IVC, both suppressing its external manifestations and generally positively influencing the condition of blood vessels.For example, discover spider veins on the legs, their causes and their treatment.Medicine now offers a set of measures to combat this “aesthetic” defect, including:

• conservative therapy - ointments and tablets to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and stimulate blood circulation;
• compression therapy – special medical underwear;
• invasive therapy – microthermocoagulation, microsclerotherapy.

Effective methods that help get rid of telangiectasia and its causes also include therapeutic exercises and lymphatic drainage massage.

Treatment of varicose veins with complications is much more difficult, but here too an integrated approach does its job.What do you mean?Here is what modern medicine offers:

1. Therapeutic methods - medications, special underwear, massage, physiotherapy.
2. Surgical methods (phlebectomy, miniphlebectomy, short stripping, endoscopic vein dissection, etc.).This is the most radical method of treating varicose veins, requiring not only preparation for the operation, its professional implementation, but also qualified postoperative observation.

Drug treatment of varicose veins involves the use of drugs both for oral administration - such as drops, tablets and capsules, and for application to the skin - these are various ointments used for rubbing sore legs.Some medications narrow and strengthen blood vessels, others relieve inflammation, and still others reduce blood clotting, so they can only be used after a doctor's prescription.External agents, that is, various creams, ointments and jellies, usually have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.They are often supplemented with components that affect blood clotting.These drugs mainly act on superficial vessels, but have fewer contraindications.

After discovering chronic venous insufficiency, it is possible to exclude the causes of venous disease.That is, change jobs that require you to stand all day or lift weights, lose weight, give up spicy foods, etc.It is clear that, for example, you cannot remove a hereditary predisposition, but knowing this, you can choose a suitable profession and monitor the condition of your veins, including visiting a phlebologist once a year for preventive purposes.Despite all the advances in medicine, our health is still in our hands.