Symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the legs

One of the oldest diseases of the vascular system is varicose veins on the legs. The disease most often develops in women. The pathological process is based on the expansion of internal or deep veins, which leads to the inflammatory process of the superficial venous network. As a result, blood flow and tissue nutrition are disrupted, causing the most dangerous complication in the form of trophic ulcers.

Causes of pathology

The disease most often affects the veins of the lower extremities, because this part of the body has the greatest load. Signs of varicose veins in women often occur during pregnancy.There are many reasons that contribute to the development of varicose vein symptoms in the legs:

• Hereditary predisposition to the development of varicose veins is due to the transfer from parent to child of a special gene that mutates and contributes to the creation of a weak vascular wall.
• Hormonal disorders in the female body during pregnancy, lactation, menopause negatively affect the condition of blood vessels, lead to the formation of blood clots and other pathological conditions.
• Severe forms of obesity lead to physical inactivity, circulatory disorders, increased intra-abdominal pressure. As a result, the outflow of venous blood is disturbed, which leads to the development of varicose veins. An additional factor is the violation of lipid metabolism and the deposition of harmful cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels.
• Type 1 diabetes mellitus negatively affects the condition of the vascular system and eventually leads to complications. The second type is not so dangerous for blood vessels, so it rarely causes varicose veins.
• Sedentary lifestyle, hard physical work always lead to violations of venous outflow.
• Frequent abuse of alcohol, coffee, strong tea leads to dehydration, especially when combined with the use of a minimum amount of water. As a result, the blood thickens, blood clots form, which causes blockage of blood vessels and circulatory disorders.
• An unbalanced diet with an insufficient amount of vitamin C in the diet, which is responsible for the condition of blood vessels, their strength.
• Congenital, chronic blood anomalies characterized by excessive coagulation factor formation and blood clot formation.
• Wearing tight clothing that interferes with venous return.
• Intermittent or chronic constipation. During exertion, intra-abdominal pressure increases, impeding blood flow.
• Chronic pathologies of the heart, which negatively affect the entire vascular system.
• Use of drugs that increase blood clotting.

Another factor that causes symptoms of varicose veins of the lower extremities in women is often wearing shoes with high heels. It has been proven that men get sick 2 times less often.

Symptoms and stages of disease development

The symptoms and treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities depend on the stage of the pathological process. There are several stages in the development of the disease:

1. In the initial phasepathology in the legs and feet, spider veins appear dark blue or purple. They do not disturb the patient and do not stand out above the surface of the skin.
2. In the second phaseseveral varicose veins appear, hard and painful to the touch. Nodules are felt in the affected veins.
3. The third phasecharacterized by the appearance of a large number of deformed veins protruding above the level of the epidermis.
4. In the fourth phaseredness of the epidermis or blue spots appear at the site of the affected veins and begin to itch. The itching is so unbearable that the patient cannot be controlled. A weeping, painful surface appears at the scratch sites.
5. In the fifth or sixth phasethe spots coalesce, forming ulcers. In the absence of treatment, the process of tissue necrosis begins, which in advanced cases reaches the bone.

In the initial stages, there may be no pain in the legs with varicose veins. Symptoms appear as the pathological process progresses.Common symptoms of the disease include the following:

• Feeling of heaviness in the legs by the end of the working day, even with minimal effort.
• Swelling after physical exertion, disappears after resting in a horizontal position.
• Convulsive muscle contraction at night.
• Excessive dryness of the epidermis in the lower legs, itching and burning.
• Increased fatigue.

Furthermore, the patient begins to be bothered by constant, curved pain in the limbs. As a result, he avoids physical activity and spends a lot of time in a sitting position. In the advanced stages, when trophic ulcers turn into a necrotic form, the patient's movement is very difficult, because the pain becomes unbearable.

Possible complications of varicose veins

Lack of treatment leads to the development of severe consequences of varicose veins. Complications develop in 30% of patients. Common complications are venous bleeding, thrombophlebitis, dermatitis, eczema, which develop as a result of impaired blood supply to tissues.

Trophic ulcers most often appear, which significantly reduce the patient's quality of life. Improper and untimely treatment causes tissue necrosis. In this case, surgical treatment by excision of necrotic foci is indicated.

Methods for diagnosing diseases

When diagnosing a disease, it is very important to determine the cause that caused it. This will make treatment easier.

The first phase of the examination will be a test: the patient is placed on a couch, raises his leg perpendicular to the body and holds it for 30 seconds to ensure blood flow from the veins of the lower extremities. After that, with a special garter, the limb is pulled in the thigh area and the patient is invited to stand up. Normally, blood flow to the extremities should last at least 15 seconds. If this period is shorter, the initial phase of varicose veins is suspected.

During phlebography, the patient is injected intravenously with a special contrast agent, and the patency of deep veins is assessed on an X-ray. In order to determine the patency in a certain court, Doppler is performed.

The most informative method is ultrasound angiography, which not only allows you to assess the patency of a varicose vein, but also to see the degree of its damage.

Based on the data of the diagnostic examination, the doctor creates a treatment regimen, which is in each case individual.

Principles of conservative therapy

The initial stages of the pathological process are successfully treated in a conservative manner. Gel and ointment tablets and topical agents are used to eliminate the symptoms of the pathology.The most commonly prescribed medications are:

1. Varicose vein tablets. They have anti-inflammatory, decongestant, analgesic, tonic effect, stimulate blood circulation, strengthen the vascular wall, remove itching, tingling, restore the elasticity of blood vessels. Some of them are in the form of ointments or gels.
2. External agents act similarly to tablets. Effective in the early stages of the pathological process. The use of such means is allowed in the absence of trophic ulcers.
3. A mandatory step in treatment will be taking anticoagulants, for example, acetylsalicylic acid, which will prevent further blood clots from forming.
4. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used to relieve pain in the later stages of the disease.

Early stages of varicose veins are successfully treated with laser photocoagulation. During the procedure, the affected vessels are exposed to a laser that closes them, preventing further progression of the pathology. Most often, the manipulation is performed in order to remove the cosmetic defect, because the affected limb looks unattractive.

Methods of surgical intervention

Advanced cases of the disease are poorly susceptible to conservative therapy. When the pathological process has passed into the phase of trophic ulcers, the patient is offered an operation that will radically solve the problem.

Sclerotherapy refers to minimally invasive methods of therapy and consists of eliminating nodules. During the manipulation, a special sclerosing agent is injected into the lumen of the vein, which contributes to its gradual death. Prior to introduction, the vessel is removed from the general circulation by ligation and cutting.

Phlebectomy is the complete removal of diseased blood vessels through small incisions or punctures. It is performed to remove extensive lesions.

As a rule, the recovery period is painless. For 2-4 weeks, the patient must wear compression underwear or wrap the affected limb with an elastic bandage.

Recipes of alternative medicine

In the early stages of varicose veins, folk remedies are quite effective. Most doctors approve of a combination of conservative therapy and non-traditional recipes.The following are considered the most effective:

1. The coating of chopped green tomatoes will help relieve pain and swelling, normalize blood circulation, which is applied to the affected area and left overnight, fixed with a bandage. Many do not understand why green tomatoes, because it has fewer nutrients. But the secret of this product lies in the high content of lycopene, which eliminates congestion. It is allowed to use ripe fruit in the form of a paste.
2. To enhance the effect of the medication, it is recommended to consume freshly squeezed carrot and beetroot juices daily. Especially valuable is the juice of celery leaves, which has an extremely positive effect on blood vessels.
3. An effective remedy for pain relief is grated potatoes, which must be applied to the feet, leave for 4 hours, rinse. Repeat the procedure daily until the patient's condition is relieved.
4. Protruding veins can be treated with a special coating of 1 part ground garlic and 2 parts butter. Compression is applied at night for 2 weeks.
5. Chestnut-based tincture will help relieve weight and pain in the legs. To prepare it, you need to take 200 g of peeled fruit, grind and pour a liter of alcohol, leave for 2 weeks to soak. Use for rubbing every night for 21 days. Take a break of 10 days and repeat the course.
6. An effective remedy is chamomile oil. It is necessary to prepare it from 150 g of crushed flowers and 500 ml of olive oil. After 10 days of infusion, the composition is ready for use. It is allowed to rub sore limbs or apply compresses at night. Continue treatment until the condition subsides.

Such agents must be used with a doctor's permission. You can avoid allergic manifestations with the help of a preliminary test for individual intolerance to a certain medicine.

Disease prevention measures

People who are prone to developing varicose veins must take preventive measures. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing that does not interfere with venous outflow. One should adhere to the principles of healthy eating, walk, give up bad habits.

As a preventive measure, it is necessary to occasionally take multivitamin preparations that strengthen the vascular wall.

At the first signs of varicose veins, immediately contact a specialist who will prescribe the necessary treatment. This will help avoid serious complications.