Symptoms and treatment of varicose veins in the legs

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

Causes of pathology

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

• Hereditary predisposition to the development of varicose veins is due to the transfer from parents to the child of a special gene that mutates and contributes to the formation of a weak vascular wall.
• Hormonal disorders in the female body during pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause negatively affect the state 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 adversely affects the state of the vascular system and eventually leads to complications. The second type is not so dangerous for blood vessels, so it rarely provokes varicose veins.
• A sedentary lifestyle, hard physical labor invariably lead to a violation of the 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, provoking 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 the vessels, their strength.
• Congenital, chronic blood anomalies characterized by excessive formation of clotting factors and the formation of blood clots.
• Wearing tight clothing that obstructs venous return.
• Intermittent or chronic constipation. During straining, intra-abdominal pressure rises, disrupting blood flow.
• Chronic pathologies of the heart, negatively affecting the entire vascular system.
• The use of drugs that increase blood clotting.

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

Symptoms and stages of development of the disease

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. At the initial stagepathologies in the area of the legs and feet, spider veins of a dark blue or purple color appear. They do not disturb the patient and do not stand out above the surface of the skin.
2. At the second stageseveral enlarged veins appear, hard and painful to the touch. Nodules are felt in the affected veins.
3. Third stagecharacterized by the appearance of a large number of deformed veins protruding above the level of the epidermis.
4. At the fourth stagein the place of the affected veins, reddening of the epidermis or blue spots appear, which begin to itch. The itching is so unbearable that the patient cannot control himself. At the places of scratching, a weeping, painful surface appears.
5. At the fifth or sixth stagespots merge, forming ulcers. In the absence of treatment, the process of tissue necrosis begins, reaching the bone in advanced cases.

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 exertion.
• Puffiness after physical exertion, disappearing after resting in a horizontal position.
• Convulsive contraction of the muscles at night.
• Excessive dryness of the epidermis in the shins, itching and burning.
• Increased fatigue.

Further, the patient begins to be disturbed by constant, arching pains in the limbs. As a result, he avoids physical activity, 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, as 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.

Most often, trophic ulcers appear, which significantly reduce the quality of life of the patient. Incorrect and untimely treatment provokes tissue necrosis. In this case, surgical treatment is indicated by excision of necrotic foci.

Methods for diagnosing a disease

During the diagnosis of the disease, it is very important to determine the cause that caused it. This will make the treatment easier.

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

During phlebography, a special contrast agent is injected intravenously into the patient and the patency of deep veins is assessed on an x-ray. To determine the patency in a particular vessel, Dopplerography is performed.

The most informative method is ultrasonic angiography, which not only allows you to assess the patency in the dilated vessel, but also to see the degree of its damage.

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

Principles of conservative therapy

The initial stages of the pathological process are successfully treated in a conservative way. To eliminate the symptoms of pathology, tablet preparations and agents for external application in the form of gels and ointments are used.The most commonly prescribed medications are:

1. Tablets against varicose veins. They have anti-inflammatory, decongestant, analgesic, tonic properties, stimulate blood circulation, strengthen the vascular wall, eliminate itching, burning, restore elasticity to the vessels. Some of them are in the form of ointments or gels.
2. External agents act similarly to tablet preparations. Effective at an early stage of the pathological process. The use of such funds is allowed in the absence of trophic ulcers.
3. An obligatory step in the treatment will be taking anticoagulants, for example, acetylsalicylic acid, which will help prevent further blood clots.
4. Non-steroidal 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 seals them, preventing further progression of the pathology. Most often, manipulation is carried out in order to eliminate a cosmetic defect, since the affected limb looks unattractive.

Surgical intervention methods

Advanced cases of the disease are poorly amenable to conservative therapy. When the pathological process has moved to the stage of trophic ulcers, the patient is offered to undergo an operation that will radically solve the problem.

Sclerotherapy refers to minimally invasive methods of therapy and consists in the elimination of nodes. During manipulation, a special sclerosing drug is injected into the lumen of the vein, which contributes to its gradual death. Before the introduction, the vessel is removed from the general circulation by ligation and cutting off.

Phlebectomy is the complete removal of diseased vessels through small incisions or punctures. It is carried out to eliminate extensive lesions.

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

Alternative Medicine Recipes

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

1. A compress of chopped green tomatoes will help relieve pain and swelling, normalize blood circulation, which are applied to the affected area and left overnight, secured with a bandage. Many do not understand why green tomatoes, because they have fewer nutrients. But the secret of this product lies in the high content of lycopene, which eliminates congestion. It is allowed to use ripe fruits in the form of a paste.
2. To enhance the effect of medications, it is recommended to consume freshly squeezed vegetable juices from carrots and beets daily. Especially valuable is the juice from 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 legs, left for 4 hours, washed off. Repeat the procedure daily until the patient's condition is relieved.
4. Protruding veins can be treated with a special compress of 1 part minced garlic and 2 parts butter. The compress is applied at night for 2 weeks.
5. Chestnut-based tincture will help relieve heaviness and pain in the legs. To prepare it, you need to take 200 g of peeled fruits, grind and pour a liter of alcohol, leave for 2 weeks to infuse. Use for rubbing every evening for 21 days. Take a break for 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. Carry out treatment until the condition is relieved.

Such funds must be used with the permission of a doctor. You can avoid allergic manifestations with the help of a preliminary test for individual intolerance to a particular drug.

Disease prevention measures

People who are prone to developing varicose veins need to take preventive measures. It is recommended to wear comfortable shoes and loose clothing that does not obstruct the venous outflow. You should adhere to the principles of a healthy diet, take walks, give up bad habits.

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

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