Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a dilemma for more than 60% of the world's population. The term "varicose veins" from the Latin "varix" is interpreted as "dilation". Thus, the definition of a pathological condition - dilation of the lumen of the veins of the lower extremities and pelvic organs, which significantly impairs blood flow in the vessels and, as a result, aggravates the conditionpatient's general. In the document below, we will review the causes of varicose veins, the possible complications of the disease, and the main ways of managing the disease.
Causes and risk factors: everyone is susceptible
Important:If varicose veins overtake young people under 25 years old, here the sex distribution happens to be 50: 50. That is, boys and girls are equally affected. In more mature age, women are more likely to develop varicose veins due to pregnancy and the dramatic change in hormone levels due to age.
If we consider varicose veins from the inside, then anatomically, the dilation of the venous lumen occurs due to a malfunction of the venous valves that regulate blood flow. Malfunctioning valves do not close completely with each heartbeat. As a result, blood from the convulsive heart moves to the lower extremities due to gravity.
Normally, the valves close and allow blood to flow to the legs in sections. But, unfortunately, more blood goes into the leg, and in the opposite direction, it moves less due to the poorly functioning valve system. Spilled leg veins lose elasticity and stretch over time.
The main predisposing factors for the development of a pathological state of the blood vessels are:
- genetic component (the disease can be transmitted by female or male routes in the family);
- overweight;
- postponing pregnancy;
- passive lifestyle;
- excessive physical activity;
- smoking and drinking alcohol;
- Hormonal disorder.
Men's problems
In terms of the causes of varicose veins, depending on the sex of the patient, they are somewhat different in men and women. More precisely, each representative of different sexes is prone to certain habits, which can sooner or later cause pathology of the vessels of the lower extremities. So, for men, the risk factors are:
- strength training with lifting weights from a squatting position;
- overweight and obese;
- unbalanced diet, causing frequent constipation;
- pathological processes of the kidneys (tumors of various etiologies);
- inguinal hernia;
- sedentary work;
- smoking and drinking alcohol.
Important:Men are characterized not only by the development of varicose veins of the lower extremities, but also by varicose veins of the testicles. This condition is called varicocele. Such a condition is hereditary, that is, it is only hereditary in nature and cannot be prevented even with enhanced precautions. Only 2-4% of men have varicocele. The cause of the pathology is the asymmetrical position and anatomical structure of the male genitalia.
Because men are confused or do not have time to visit a specialist right from the onset of the disease, varicocele will be more difficult to treat than women.
Varicose veins of women have their own rules
For women, varicose veins are more "familiar" than men. More than 80% of women have vascular disease in the legs. Furthermore, the risk group includes people who have a more equal sex relationship, who enjoy this lifestyle or experience the following conditions:
- wearing tight heels;
- sedentary work or standing a lot;
- genetic predisposition;
- changes in hormone levels during pregnancy or autoimmune diseases;
- wearing underwear, jeans that are too tight;
- smoke;
- low proportion of fruits and vegetables in the diet (continuous dieting and starvation);
- likes to tan (frequently going to the tanning room or being exposed to direct sunlight);
- pronounced weight gain;
- low mobility.
Pregnancy is the place where the umbilical cord is cut
Even if the manifestations of varicose veins, the cause and treatment should only be prescribed by a vascular specialist, and the initial indication is not observed in women, in 30% of cases it becomesshould be clear during pregnancy. Here, the main pitfall lies in the developing fetus and with it the uterus, which strongly compresses the pelvic organs. As a result, blood circulation in the lower body is significantly reduced. The return of blood circulation from the legs up is difficult. This affects the deep veins of the legs resulting in the fact that the aortic vessels extend both in width and length.
In addition to the growth of the uterine organs and the pressure exerted on the vessels of the pelvic organs, varicose veins in pregnant women also develop under the influence of such factors as:
- Increased blood clotting. Therefore, nature insures a woman against the great loss of blood during childbirth. Thicker blood moves more difficult through the veins.
- An increase in the level of the hormone progesterone, leads to the relaxation of the muscles and blood vessels of the uterus, so it can rise freely and not be stretched as the fetus grows. But at the same time, the walls of the remaining vessels also dilate. The veins become less elastic, and the thick blood even stretches the walls that are already weakened by progesterone.
- Increase blood pressure to better supply oxygen to the fetus. As a result, the body tries to quickly conduct thick blood through the relaxed vessels. Its mass in the legs increases due to this.
- Pregnant women have low mobility with belly development. This leads to blood pooling in the legs and pelvic organs.
Complications of varicose veins
If varicocele is not treated and paid attention, over time, the patient can develop very serious complications, even requiring comprehensive surgical intervention. In the worst case scenario, the patient may have to have the affected limb amputated. Below we will look at the most common and dangerous complications of varicose veins.
Chronic venous insufficiency
With the development of such a complication, a functional failure of the venous valves occurs. Moreover, the pathological process is divided into four stages:
- Zero. Patients feel mild swelling and infrequent pain in their legs after a hard day's work.
- Firstly. On the surface of the skin it is possible to visualize the venous network of dilated vessels.
- Monday. The veins are swollen with blood clots and the nodes in them are clearly visible. There is redness in the areas of the skin at the sites of phlebitis, itching, sores.
- The third day. Nutritional sores form on the legs with inflamed veins.
Important:Signs of chronic venous insufficiency are leg itching, pain, burning when sitting for a long time, swelling, and night cramps.
Superficial thrombophlebitis
In this case, the patient has a tendency to form blood clots. Active blood clots block the lumen of the vessel, making it difficult for blood to flow. In most cases, blood clots and clots are localized in the vessels of the lower third of the thigh or the upper third of the leg. Symptoms of thrombophlebitis are:
- redness of the skin of the legs in places where blood clots form;
- pain in the legs;
- on palpation - stiffness in the veins.
Important:with thrombophlebitis, it is necessary to wear compression knitwear. Compression formulations should be selected by a specialist - a vascular surgeon or a phlebologist.
Nutritional ulcers
This complication manifests itself in the later stages of venous insufficiency. First, the patient has increased vascular permeability. On the surface of the skin there is a white stain with a varnish-like surface. Under it formed an ulcer. At the slightest injury to the inflamed area, the sore will open and begin to release secretions. The oozing wound can become infected a second time, leading to purulent inflammatory processes.
Important:in this condition, complete wound healing is required first, and only then comprehensive surgical intervention is performed to remove the affected vessels.
Pulmonary embolism
An equally dangerous complication, in which a blood clot separates from an inflamed vein and travels towards the pulmonary artery. This artery is directly involved in the organization of blood flow in a small circle, affecting the right ventricle of the heart. If the diameter of the dissected thrombus is smaller than the arterial lumen, the clot will travel to the branches of the pulmonary artery, causing pulmonary edema or infarction. In this case, the patient will feel significant chest pain. A dry cough with blood in it, an increase in body temperature, and weakness will also appear. If the diameter of the clot is equal to the diameter of the lumen of the pulmonary artery, it will cause immediate blockage and death of the patient.
Clot separation can be triggered by the following conditions:
- perform surgical interventions;
- cancer;
- heart failure;
- long bed rest.
Conservative treatment and surgery
Varicose veins can be managed conservatively and curatively, depending on the stage of the disease and the patient's condition. With conservative treatment, the use of hemolytic agents is indicated. Externally, venotonic gels and ointments based on horse chestnut are used. It should be understood that conservative treatment is effective only in the early stages of varicose veins.
As additional measures in the conservative treatment of varicose veins, physical activity (walking) and wearing compression hosiery are indicated.
Minimally invasive and surgical treatments
If the course of varicose veins and venous insufficiency has gone far, then they must resort to minimally invasive or comprehensive surgical intervention to improve the patient's condition. Minimally invasive interventions include:
- Therapy therapy. In this case, a special sclerotherapy drug is injected into the patient's vein using a thin insulin needle. The injected substance first causes inflammation, followed by hardening of the diseased vein. The lumen of the diseased vessel simply grows. This technique has a cosmetic effect but does not solve the problem (cause) of the disease. Recurrence may occur after sclerotherapy. Contraindications to such intervention are pregnancy, lactation and intolerance to the components of the drug.
- Stripped. Using this method, the diseased vein is removed with the thinnest probe. The peculiarity of surgical intervention is that it is possible to remove only the diseased part of the vessel, leaving its healthy parts. The surgery was performed through two endoscopic holes located on either side of the inflamed vessel site. That is, the scars and scars after such an intervention will not be visible.
- Cut into piecs. The removal of the diseased vein is also done through several small incisions in the skin.
- Laser coagulation. Shine a laser beam into the diseased vessel lumen. As a result, the lumen is completely developed.
A formal surgical intervention (abdominoplasty) is called varicose veinectomy. With this method, the surgeon makes an entire incision in the skin of the leg to remove the entire superficial vein. The signs for such an operation are:
- a large volume of varicose veins;
- large cavity (luminal) of the diseased vessel (more than 10 mm);
- thrombophlebitis;
- the presence of large varicose veins;
- the formation of trophic ulcers in patients;
- ineffectiveness of minimally invasive surgery.
Traditional methods of treatment
In the early stages of the pathology, you can also resort to folk remedies for varicose veins. In particular, in combination with drug treatment, you can use the following folk remedies:
- Tomatoes are green. Thin slices of the vegetable are placed on the inflamed veins and fixed with a bandage. You need to change such applications every 2-3 hours. The course of treatment is until the condition clearly improves.
- Potatoes. Bandages in fresh potato juice are applied to the legs. Cover the top with cling film. Such applications are best done at night until the patient's condition improves.
- Apple cider vinegar. Better to do it yourself. Vinegar is diluted in water (1 glass of water and 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar). A bandage is moistened in the solution and applied to the affected vein area. The tape is fixed at night. You can also simply lubricate your feet with this solution at night. It is shown to take vinegar and clear water. Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and one teaspoon of honey to a glass of water so as not to burn the esophagus from the vinegar (the wall of the esophagus is very acidic). Drink the mixture in the morning on an empty stomach. The course of treatment with vinegar is 30 days.
- Horse chestnut. Flowers of the plant in the amount of 50 gr. pour 0. 5 liters of alcohol and press for two weeks in a dark place, periodically shaking the mixture. The finished product is filtered through a mesh and taken three times a day, one tablespoon each time. The mixture is washed off with water. The course of treatment is 7 days. Then a 14-day break and again a seven-day course. Treatment according to this program is carried out until the end of the infusion. It can then be re-prepared and the regimen repeated.
- Burdock. In this case, the fresh leaves of the plant are used to cure the disease. At night, painful feet are smeared with Vishnevsky's ointment and wrapped on top with a burdock leaf. Everyone is fixed with bandages and wears knitwear. The bandage is worn for three days, after which it is removed and everything is washed. This treatment can be done during the summer, when fresh burdock grows.
Important:Such treatment is contraindicated in patients with high acidity of gastric juice.
conclude
It is worth realizing that varicose veins are an irreversible pathology in most cases. Therefore, taking care of the health of your feet is extremely important. Especially if there is a genetic predisposition to varicose veins. Just give up bad habits, balance your daily diet, walk more and drink enough clean water every day. At the appearance of the slightest signs of varicose veins, it is advisable to immediately contact a qualified vascular specialist to prevent complications of the disease. Remember, your health and the health of the inside of your feet is entirely up to you. And modern medicine and the hands of an expert can do wonders.