Probably everyone has seen people with prominent veins on their arms. Some consider this to be the norm or an individual characteristic of a person. In fact, the veins must be hidden under the skin and any change is reason to think about your health. In addition to swollen veins, discomfort or a change in skin tone can be a warning sign.
Are there varicose veins in the upper extremities?
Varicose veins are a vascular disease. It can affect any vessel and occur anywhere in the body. Considering that excessive load is the provoking factor, most of the time varicose veins affect the extremities of the body. The disease occurs mainly in the legs, but varicose veins also occur in the hands. According to the international classification (MKB-10), it corresponds to the I86 code.
Varicose veins in the upper extremities are easy to recognize: the veins in the hand and forearm swell up and look like blue snakes. The disease most often affects women after age 50, as well as male athletes and bodybuilders.
Swollen and bulging veins: is the risk of varicose veins great?
Under the action of excessive loads, the venous walls are stretched and the valves of the veins cannot fully perform their functions. If your veins seemed normal before but are now swollen, you should see your doctor for a detailed examination. The earlier a problem is found, the easier it is to treat.
If changes occur in the veins, the danger of varicose veins is really great.
In addition to the unsightly external manifestations, varicose veins affect the patient's well-being, causing pain and causing some complexes.
Characteristics of varicose veins in the upper extremities
The first changes in the varicose veins of the hands appear as blue nodules. After a while, they can disappear and then reappear.
This suggests that the veins cannot cope with the increased load, but recover quickly when the provoking factor is removed.
In the absence of timely treatment, nodules in the veins of the arms will be constantly observed, and then the expansion will affect the longest section of the vessel. In this case, the vessel is noticeably swollen, which often attracts the attention of the patient and forces him to consult a doctor.
Other reasons
It's not just excessive loading that negatively affects vessels. Other reasons for the extension can be:
- Stress.
- Taking oral contraceptives or hormonal imbalance in a woman.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Intensive exercise.
- Unbalanced diet. Read here about the correct diet for varicose veins.
- Inheritance.
The hormonal background greatly affects the condition of the blood vessels. As you know, it is less stable in women than in men.
Symptoms of Violation - Pay Attention!
Even if a person does not know about the existence of a problem such as varicose veins, they should be alerted by the following changes:
- Swelling.
- Burning and discomfort.
- Rapid fatigue and weakness.
- Numbness or pain.
- The contrast between the vein and the skin color is clearly visible.
- Raising the arms upwards decreases the size of the veins.
In thin people with thin skin, the veins may appear swollen. However, this is not a pathology, but a characteristic of the body.
If this symptom is seen from birth and is not accompanied by other symptoms, don't worry.
When looking at a photo of varicose veins on the arms and a healthy limb, you will immediately notice the difference and know what to look for.
Treatment methods
Tactics for treating varicose veins on the hands depend on the stage of development of the disease. In the initial stages, conservative treatment methods are used, in later stages - surgical.
People at risk are advised to get involved in varicose vein prevention to avoid dangerous complications.
Conservative treatment includes the use of special compression stockings, the appointment of special medications, diet and physical therapy. All this is aimed at increasing the tone of the veins, strengthening the blood vessels and reducing their permeability.
The medical t-shirt is represented by special gloves or sleeves that are made of special materials. Undergarments should be worn at all times to provide mechanical support to the vessels and prevent their expansion. The degree of compression is selected by the doctor, taking into account the neglect of the pathology.
Treatment of the last stages of varicose veins in the hands
When deep veins are affected, limb function can be affected. The person feels heaviness, pain, discomfort, becomes unable to perform usual work.
Surgical intervention is used in the later stages. Some of the most effective and safest methods are laser correction and sclerotherapy. Its advantages are the following:
- Painless.
- No scars or scars.
- Rapid tissue repair.
- Good cosmetic result.
With sclerotherapy, the beneficial effect may appear several weeks after the procedure. It only takes a few minutes. The patient is injected into a bulging vein to inject a sclerosing agent.
The process is absolutely painless. Vein sticking occurs under the action of the drug and does not require the surgeon to cut the tissue. To avoid relapse, the patient should wear a compression garment.
The advantage of modern methods is that they do not have a negative effect on the surrounding tissues, they eliminate the incision in the skin, and they almost never cause complications.
Hirudotherapy
For many vascular diseases, hirudotherapy is popular. Despite the fact that this is an unconventional method of treatment, it requires adherence to some rules. It is not recommended to put leeches on your own. For this procedure, only healthy worms are suitable, which are used only once.
The medicinal secret secreted by leeches helps to strengthen blood vessels and thin the blood. Helps reduce edema, eliminate blood stasis, normalize microcirculation, and restore vein structure.
Home Treatment
Many patients try to cure varicose veins on their hands with home remedies. As monotherapy, they are suitable only in the first stage of the disease.
If varicose veins are severe enough, folk recipes can only be used in addition to the basic scheme prescribed by the doctor.
Chestnut-based remedies help well against varicose veins. The healing properties of this plant are also recognized by official medicine, since chestnut is part of many venotonic ointments.
You can make your own cream at home. To do this, the chestnut fruits are crushed and mixed with melted pork fat. The remedy is used externally, with the help of a light rubbing on the affected area.
Compresses made from cabbage leaves or wormwood give a positive effect in the treatment of varicose veins. They are crushed in a blender with the addition of a small amount of oil or kefir so that the beneficial substances penetrate deeper into the skin. The mixture is impregnated with gauze and applied to the enlarged areas of the veins.
One of the popular methods of getting rid of any illness is bathing.
Prevention of varicose veins in the hands
To prevent varicose veins on the arms, doctors recommend:
- Limit physical activity in the upper extremities. Girls should not lift weights and male athletes should wear compression garments during training.
- Change the type of activity. People with sedentary office work at the keyboard need to take breaks to lift their hands and stretch their joints.
- Eat well. Antioxidants and vitamins are helpful in strengthening blood vessels, especially C and PP. In the daily diet, you should include more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as at least 1, 5 liters of clean water.
- Taking a contrast shower, don't forget your hands. The cold water trains the blood vessels, prevents the formation of nodules and allows you to achieve the desired tone of the veins.
- Watch your weight. Excess body weight creates a constant load on the vessels, and their strength decreases over time.
- Minimize negative factors. Alcohol, smoking, stress - all this has a negative effect on the elasticity of blood vessels and their tone.
Possible complications
Hand veins are not only a cosmetic defect, but also a dangerous medical condition.
Blood stasis forms in areas of enlargement, leading to insufficient nutrition of adjacent tissues.
An area with poor microcirculation eventually becomes the focus of an inflammatory and even infectious process.
In the future, this can lead to thrombophlebitis or blockage of the vascular lumen by a thrombus.
The formation of a blood clot is facilitated by a slowdown of blood circulation in the expansion area, increased coagulability, and an altered structure of the vascular wall. Most often, thrombosis occurs in the lower extremities, however, prolonged pressure from the hand or an awkward position can lead to the formation of venous arms and a thrombus.
Thrombophlebitis can be suspected if the patient complains of pain and swelling of the hand, while cyanosis increases with fist clenching. Severe interruption of blood flow to a certain area causes necrosis of the adjacent tissues and leads to the need to amputate a limb.
Male varicose veins are less common due to the fact that the stronger sex is more emotionally stable. However, in addition to stress, other triggers can cause venous dilation even in young men.
The feeling of heaviness in the hand, evening fatigue and the appearance of nodules are some of the first symptoms of varicose veins of the upper limbs. Taking care of your health and regular medical examinations will help you maintain your health and a beautiful appearance.