WHAT IS VARICOSE?

Many people experience varicose veins in their lives.Unfortunately, this is a fairly common phenomenon that affects not only the legs, as is commonly believed, but also other organs.Fortunately, it is treatable.It is true that it is long and complex and should only be started after fully understanding the reasons for its appearance.

WHAT CAUSES VARICOSIS?WHO SHOULD BE WORRIED?

The main symptoms of the onset of the disease:

• the appearance of spider veins or even meshes;
• the veins became visible;
• the skin on the legs is uncomfortably dry;
• cramps in the muscles of the legs;
• swelling of the legs and heaviness at the end of the day;
• thickening or darkening;
• the veins became sensitive.

What are varicose veins?This question torments many middle-aged and other people.This term refers to the swelling of the veins in the lower extremities.The veins swell, form knots, become very tortuous, and create a lumpy blue surface.

This happens because the blood flow in the veins is not good enough.The blood stops moving as it should, causing the pressure inside the vein to increase.When it exceeds all normal levels, the excess blood begins to have a stretching effect on the walls of the veins.The edges of the vessels approach the upper layer of the epidermis and become visible to the naked eye.The first sign of varicose veins is the appearance of vascular networks.Vessels in the legs that are visible through the surface of the skin are diseased.

Varicose veins: what they are has been known since ancient times.Even Byzantine doctors mentioned this disease in their works.The Egyptians fought it with elastic bandages, and Hippocrates, Avicenna and Paracelsus tried to invent more effective ways to treat it.

It is very scary that this pathology is very common: approximately 25 percent of the world's population is susceptible to this disease.Phlebologists say that the main cause of varicose veins is the low level of development of connective tissue in the legs.Most often, women suffer from this disease, since constant hormonal changes create good conditions for the development of the disease.

VARICOSE VARICOSE VARICOSE PREVENTION

Good, strong veins require constant self-care.At the initial stage, varicose veins destroy the beauty of the legs and pose a slight threat to health, but as they progress they create complications and endanger life.Varicose veins of other organs are often accompanying various diseases, and to obtain a real effect, it is necessary to treat them together.Risk groups that should first remember about the prevention of varicose veins:

1. Anyone who leads a sedentary lifestyle.
2. It costs a lot during the day, for example at work.
3. Who is overweight or obese.
4. Constantly wears high heels or shoes that are too narrow.
5. You have illnesses (or recent surgery) in the pelvic area.
6. Wear tight clothing that interferes with blood flow.
7. He often sits cross-legged.
8. Pregnant women.
9. Athletes who exercise with regular overloads.
10. Take hormonal medications.

Many people do not even suspect that they are carriers of a serious disease.The advanced stage of this disease is quite difficult to treat, unlike the initial stage.Therefore, everyone, and especially those who have bad heredity, need to know what varicose veins are, their symptoms and remember that a timely visit to a phlebologist is simply necessary, as is a preventive examination at the dentist.You must take care of your health yourself, without letting things take their course.

Varicose veins, what are they?

To understand what varicose veins are, let's look at the underlying causes of this disease.As you know, our body is traversed by a dense network of blood vessels, some of which carry blood to the heart (veins), others, on the contrary, transport it in the opposite direction - arteries.As long as the system is running smoothly and the blood vessels are clean, elastic and not subject to excessive strain, everything will be fine.If regular failures begin, sooner or later they can lead to diseases, one of which is varicose veins.

It can occur anywhere on the body, but is most frequently located on the extremities.Partly because, by lifting blood through the legs, the veins withstand high loads, partly because our extremities are one of the busiest parts of our body: we are forced to lift weights, walk a lot, stand or sit, which is also bad, since it interferes with normal blood flow.

VARICES OF THE LIMBS: COMPLICATIONS

The most common form of this disease, which is basically what we mean when we talk about varicose veins, are varicose veins of the legs.Its initial symptoms were listed above, but what can lead to neglecting treatment?We list the main complications of this disease:

• thrombophlebitis;
• phlebothrombosis;
• trophic ulcers;
• Bleeding from varicose nodes.

What is thrombophlebitis?This is an inflammation of the walls of the external veins and the appearance of blood clots in them, which not only reduce the space for blood flow, but ultimately can completely block the vessel.It accompanies varicose veins of the extremities almost from the beginning.And a person who does not take care of his veins, as a result, and a bunch of complications, suffers from acute thrombophlebitis, when a blood clot not only interferes with blood circulation, but is also the center of inflammation, affecting not only the walls of the vessel, but also nearby tissues.

Phlebothrombosis– this is the name of deep vein thrombophlebitis, an equally serious and difficult to treat disease, when thrombosis interferes with blood flow and the vessels and tissues surrounding them become inflamed.What is thrombosis?This is the appearance of blood clots in the vessels, which interfere with blood flow or even completely block the lumen of the blood vessels.Even a partial reduction in the supply of fresh blood slows down tissue metabolism and leads to the accumulation of its products, and complete blockage can ultimately lead to cell death, that is, tissue necrosis.

The particular danger of these diseases is that they can ultimately lead to thromboembolism: a blood clot, breaking loose, will migrate with the bloodstream throughout the body, blocking one of the large arteries, which in turn can be fatal.

Another serious problem, varicose veins of the later stages, are trophic ulcers - open wounds that do not heal in the long term.How long?If after a month and a half the wound does not seem to heal, it is a trophic ulcer.It is being treated, but it is a long and complex treatment, in which surgical and therapeutic methods must be combined.

No less dangerous is a complication such as bleeding from varicose nodes.It can be caused simply by thinning of blood vessels at the sites of thickening or by mechanical stress.Because it costs nothing to damage a glass that has become thin and lost its elasticity.Don't think this only applies to external veins;those located deep down are equally “delicate” and susceptible to any stress, shock or displacement.

Consequences of not treating varicose veins in the photo:

The varicose veins in the video make an even more depressing impression.To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible and strictly follow all his instructions, both in treatment and in lifestyle.

TYPES OF VARICOSE VARICOSE

As mentioned above, there are other types of varicose veins.There are many of them;These diseases arise for various reasons and, while some are quite widespread, others are a very rare phenomenon, generally associated with other diseases.

1. Reticular varicose veins are a network of blue stars on the thighs and calves.It occurs even in young, thin people and is often considered only a cosmetic defect, although this is the first bell: it is necessary to consult a phlebologist.
2. Stars and vascular networks on the face are a reason to consult an endocrinologist, as this often indicates that a person has problems in the endocrine system.Although the reason may also lie in lifestyle: alcohol abuse, fatty and unhealthy foods, tanning, the habit of squeezing acne.
3. Varicose veins of the hands - most often this problem occurs among athletes and those whose work requires a heavy and constant load on the hands.
4. A varicocele is a varicose vein that surrounds the testicles.It is a very common pathology and, therefore, men, especially adolescents, should consult a doctor at the first symptoms, because if it is not treated it often leads to infertility.
5. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins of the rectum.It can be caused not only by a sedentary lifestyle, but also by lifting heavy objects, pregnancy, constipation and many other reasons.
6. Varicose veins in the legs have several stages and if not treated at the initial stage, they can lead to serious vascular pathologies and disability.
7. Varicose veins of internal organs usually appear as a complication of other diseases or in the postoperative period.They could be varicose veins of the pelvic organs, stomach, esophagus, etc.

This is a short list of the main types of this serious disease.You can learn about how to treat varicose veins of each type in the detailed articles published on our website.We try to periodically talk about traditional and more modern methods of treating it.

CHRONIC VENOUS INSUFFICIENCY

The source of this problem is bipedalism, which means we are the only species on Earth susceptible to it.We will not consider pseudoscientific hypotheses explaining why this happened, although some of them are quite funny.One, for example, assumes that humanity came to Earth from Mars, where the force of gravity is much lower and therefore our body is not adapted to terrestrial loads, the other, that humans were created by aliens and were underdeveloped somewhere.Be that as it may, walking upright requires blood vessels to lift blood to a significant height, which means it puts them under serious stress.

Usually this system works harmoniously, blood supplies oxygen and necessary substances to all parts of the body quickly and evenly.But if some kind of failure occurs (injury, for example) or the body is constantly affected by some unfavorable factors (hard work, excessive weight, hormonal deficiency, etc.), CVI develops - chronic venous insufficiency.In recent decades, this disease has become noticeably younger and now occurs not only in the older generation, but also in adolescents, so everyone should know its symptoms:

• telangiectasia - dilation of small superficial vessels;
• swelling of the legs, which worsens at night;
• cramps, goosebumps and other painful sensations in the calf muscles;
• cold feet;
• pigmentation of the skin of the legs;
• general malaise and fatigue throughout the day.

As you can see, they largely coincide with the symptoms of varicose veins that were listed at the beginning of the article, because this is the beginning of the same disease - varicose veins.Therefore, if you have at least some of these signs, you should immediately contact a phlebologist who will prescribe treatment and help you decide on your diet and lifestyle.Varicose veins are not a disease that can be cured with pills, it is actually a way of life that must be followed constantly to avoid more serious stages of its development.

Modern science offers many treatment methods that to some extent compensate for CVI, eliminating its external manifestations and generally positively influencing the state of blood vessels.For example, read about spider veins on the legs, their causes and treatment.Medicine now offers a set of measures to combat this "cosmetic" defect, including:

• conservative therapy - ointments and tablets to strengthen the walls of blood vessels and stimulate blood flow;
• compression therapy – special medical underwear;
• Invasive therapy: microthermocoagulation, microsclerotherapy.

Also effective methods that help eliminate telangiectasia and its causes include therapeutic exercises and lymphatic drainage massages.

The treatment of varicose veins with complications is much more complicated, but also in this case an integrated approach does its job.What do you mean?This is what modern medicine offers:

1. Therapeutic methods: medications, special underwear, massage, physiotherapy.
2. Surgical methods (phlebectomy, miniphlebectomy, short stripping, endoscopic venous dissection, etc.).This is the most radical method of treating varicose veins, and requires not only preparation for the operation, its professional implementation, but also qualified postoperative observation.

The pharmacological treatment of varicose veins involves the use of medications both for oral administration, such as drops, tablets and capsules, and for application to the skin;These are various ointments that are used to rub sore legs.Some medications narrow and strengthen blood vessels, others relieve inflammation, and others reduce blood clotting, so they can only be used with a doctor's prescription.External agents, that is, various creams, ointments and jellies, usually have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.They are often supplemented with components that affect blood clotting.These drugs act mainly on superficial vessels, but have fewer contraindications.

When discovering chronic venous insufficiency, if possible, it is necessary to exclude the causes of venous disease.That is, changing a job that requires standing all day or lifting weights, losing weight, giving up spicy food, etc.It is clear that, for example, a hereditary predisposition cannot be eliminated, but knowing it, you can choose a suitable profession and monitor the condition of your veins, including a visit to the phlebologist once a year for prevention.Despite all the advances in medicine, our health is still in our hands.