Varicose veins (or varicose veins) on the legs are quite common. Mostly women in their 30s to 60s become its victims, especially if they suffer from diabetes mellitus or are overweight and have posture problems. In addition, those people are sick with varicose veins, whose work requires them to stand or sit for a long time. Unfortunately, the number of cases increases every year. That is why it is important to know not only how to cure varicose veins in the legs, but also how to avoid them.
Reasons
The treatment of varicose veins, in the first place, should be to eliminate the immediate cause of its appearance. Here are the most common ones in everyday life:
- Being in an upright or sitting position for a long time;
- Overweight (obesity);
- Increased pressure in the veins of the lower extremities due to high loads with constipation, weight lifting and pregnancy;
- Congenital or post-traumatic absence of venous valves in the vessels of the lower extremities.
It is possible to cure varicose veins on the legs only after getting rid of all the above factors. Otherwise, relapses of the disease cannot be avoided.
Symptoms
One of the most important signs of varicose veins is the appearance of nodular bumps and swellings along the veins of the lower extremities. Often this is accompanied by severe pain and heaviness in the legs, an unpleasant burning sensation can be added. In severe cases, episodic leg cramps and edema can occur, which, as a rule, appear in the late afternoon. A characteristic feature of varicose veins is the gradual thickening and darkening of the skin on the lower leg.
If left untreated, the affected vessel walls become inflamed and clogged with multiple blood clots. Over time, ulcers may appear on the skin. In the vast majority of cases, such a development of events leads to rather formidable diseases, for example, thrombophlebitis or thrombosis.
In which situation should I consult a doctor?
Varicose veins develop gradually, but sometimes progress quite quickly; In such cases, you cannot hesitate to consult a doctor. For the acute course of the disease, the following symptoms are characteristic:
- Acute pain that reaches such intensity that a person cannot move independently. This is accompanied by a feeling of warmth and tightening of the skin on the legs;
- Shortness of breath, feeling weak and short of breath;
- Localized bleeding in the immediate vicinity of the affected venous vessels or themselves.
Diagnosis
When the first signs of varicose veins appear, you should seek help from your doctor. As a rule, after performing standard examinations (examination, anamnesis, OAC, OAM), refer such patients to a specialist who deals with vascular diseases (phlebologist) or immediately to a vascular surgeon.
In addition to basic diagnostic measures, they can be assigned:
- Vein ultrasound (duplex scan);
- Contrast venography.
Treatment
Today there is no remedy for varicose veins, which would give a 100% result. Treatment should be carried out comprehensively using surgical and therapeutic techniques.
Conservative treatment
Fighting varicose veins on the legs with the help of conservative methods is possible only in cases where the symptoms are just beginning to appear and it is not necessary to talk about possible complications. The main components of this treatment are:
- Diet;
- A set of special exercises;
- Compression therapy;
- Drug therapy.
Diet
As mentioned above, varicose veins mainly affect people who are overweight. In this sense, one of the conditions for a successful treatment, without a doubt, is the observance of a correct diet, aimed at destroying the extra kilos. There are many variations on how to compose your daily diet, but none of them should be followed without first consulting with your dietitian.
As a general rule, these diets involve avoiding sweets, as well as foods that contain a large amount of plant fiber.
Physical fitness
An excellent cure for varicose veins in the legs are physical therapy exercises. There are a number of special exercises that can be performed to significantly slow down the progression of the disease and sometimes completely eliminate it. Also, don't forget about walks in the fresh air (morning and afternoon) and swimming.
Important!With varicose veins, you should refrain from going to the sauna, bathing, not taking too hot a bath, and not raising your feet. This is due to the fact that with these procedures, blood flow to the extremities increases significantly, where, with varicose veins, their stagnation is already observed.
Compression therapy
Treating varicose veins at home involves the use of special golf-shaped shirts, stockings and tights, as well as elastic bandages of various lengths. As a general rule, doctors recommend wearing them all day and taking them off only before going to bed.
Therefore, it is possible to significantly increase the tone of the veins and improve the blood flow in the legs. And this, in turn, helps to eliminate the symptoms of the disease. It is also a very useful foot massage for varicose veins, which must be performed by a specialist.
Drug therapy
Today, drugs for the treatment of this disease are widely represented in the pharmaceutical market. Also, along with tablets, gel and ointment and foot cream are used for varicose veins. All of them can significantly reduce the rate of progression of the disease and even prevent the development of some complications.
However, we must not forget that any medication should only be used as directed by a doctor. In fact, almost each of them has quite a few contraindications, and improper use can lead to unforeseen situations.
Most often, for varicose veins of the lower extremities, doctors prescribe drugs from the following groups:
- Anti-inflammatory drugs;
- Venotonics: drugs that help increase the tone of the veins and improve venous flow;
- Preparations intended to reduce the viscosity of the blood and prevent the formation of clots.
Surgical treatment
Surgery is the most radical method used in situations where all alternative methods of struggle do not give any positive results.
The most widespread operation consists of making small incisions in the skin and removing the affected veins through them. After the operation, the legs are tightly bound. After a few hours, the patients can move independently.
Nowadays, a technique in which pathologically altered veins are removed by laser is more and more widespread. Such an operation is less traumatic, but after it, relapses of the disease are often observed.
Prevention
Without a doubt, like most modern diseases, varicose veins are easier to prevent than to cure. That is why doctors recommend starting the prevention of this disease from the first years. To do this, do the following:
- Actively practices sports;
- During standing work, you need to take regular breaks (walk on your toes, then on your heels);
- After exercise, you should take a cold shower;
- During pregnancy, especially in the later stages, special shirts should be worn.