Probably everyone has seen people with prominent veins in their arms. Some consider this to be the norm or an individual characteristic of a person. In fact, the veins should be hidden under the skin, and any changes are a 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 of the upper limbs?
Varicose veins are a vascular disease. It can affect any vessel and occur anywhere on the body. Considering that excessive load is the provoking factor, very often varicose veins affect the limbs of the body. The disease occurs mainly on the legs, but varicose veins on the hands also occur. According to the international classification (MKB-10), it corresponds to the code I86.
Varicose veins of the upper limbs are easy to recognize: the veins in the hand and forearm swell and resemble blue snakes. The disease most often affects women after 50, as well as male athletes and bodybuilders.
Bulging and swollen veins: is the risk of varicose veins great?
Under the action of excessive loads, the venous walls stretch and the venous valves cannot fully perform their functions. If your veins looked normal before but are now swollen, you should see your doctor for a detailed examination. The sooner a problem is detected, the easier it is to treat it.
If changes occur in the veins, the danger of varicose veins is really great.
In addition to external unaesthetic manifestations, varicose veins affect the patient's well-being, causing pain and provoking some complexes.
Characteristics of varicose veins on the upper limbs
The first changes in varicose veins on the hands appear as blue nodules. After a while, they may disappear and then reappear.
This suggests that the veins cannot cope with the increased load, but quickly recover when the provoking factor is eliminated.
In the absence of timely treatment, nodules in the veins of the arms will be constantly observed and therefore expansion will affect the longest section of the vessel. In this case, the vessel swells noticeably, which often attracts the patient's attention and forces him to consult a doctor.
Other reasons
Not only excessive load negatively affects the vessels. Other reasons for the extension could be:
- Stress.
- Taking oral contraceptives or hormonal imbalance in a woman.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Intensive exercise.
- Unbalanced diet. Read here the correct diet for varicose veins.
- Inheritance.
The hormonal background greatly affects the state of blood vessels. As you know, it is less stable in women than in men.
Symptoms of the violation: be careful!
Even if a person is not aware of the existence of a problem such as varicose veins, they should be warned by the following changes:
- Swelling.
- Burning and discomfort.
- Rapid fatigue and weakness.
- Numbness or soreness.
- The contrast between the veins and the skin color is clearly visible.
- Raising the arms upward 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 feature of the body.
If this symptom is observed from birth and is not accompanied by other symptoms, do not worry.
Looking at a photo of varicose veins in the arms and a healthy limb, you will immediately notice the difference and know what to look for.
Treatment methods
The tactics of treating varicose veins in the hands depends on the stage of development of the disease. In the initial stages, conservative methods of treatment are used, in the later stages - surgical ones.
People at risk are advised to engage in the prevention of varicose veins to avoid dangerous complications.
Conservative treatment includes the use of special compression stockings, the appointment of special drugs, diet and physiotherapy. All this is aimed at increasing the tone of the veins, strengthening blood vessels and reducing their permeability.
The medical shirt is represented by special gloves or sleeves made of special materials. Underwear must 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 advanced stages of varicose veins on the hands
When deep veins are affected, limb function can be impaired. 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 safe methods are laser correction and sclerotherapy. Their advantages are as follows:
- Painless.
- No scars or scars.
- Rapid tissue repair.
- Good aesthetic result.
With sclerotherapy, a positive effect can appear several weeks after the procedure. It only takes a few minutes. The patient is injected into a protruding vein to inject a sclerosing agent.
The process is absolutely painless. Gluing of the veins occurs under the action of the drug and does not require the surgeon to cut the tissue. To prevent relapse, the patient should wear compression garments.
The advantage of modern methods is that they do not have a negative effect on surrounding tissues, eliminate incisions in the skin and 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 compliance with some rules. It is not recommended to put leeches alone. Only healthy worms are suitable for this procedure, which are used only once.
The medicinal secret secreted by the leeches helps strengthen blood vessels and thin the blood. Helps reduce edema, eliminate blood stasis, normalize microcirculation and restore the structure of the vein.
Home care
Many patients try to cure varicose veins on their hands with folk remedies. As monotherapy, they are suitable only in the very 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. For this, chestnut fruits are crushed and mixed with melted pork fat. The agent is used externally, with the help of a light rubbing on the affected area.
Tablets based on cabbage leaves or wormwood have a positive effect in the treatment of varicose veins. They are ground 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 soaked with gauze and applied to the dilated areas of the veins.
One of the popular methods of getting rid of any disease is the bathroom.
Prevention of varicose veins on the hands
To prevent varicose veins in the arms, doctors recommend:
- Limits physical activity to the upper limbs. Girls shouldn't lift weights and male athletes should use compression garments during training.
- Change the type of activity. People with sedentary keyboard work need to take breaks during which to raise their hands and stretch their joints.
- Eat well. Antioxidants and vitamins are useful for strengthening blood vessels, especially C and PP. In the daily diet, it is necessary to include more fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as at least 1. 5 liters of clean water.
- When taking a contrast shower, don't forget your hands. Fresh water trains the blood vessels, prevents the formation of nodules and allows you to achieve the desired tone of the veins.
- Check your weight. Excess body weight creates a constant load on the vessels and, over time, their strength decreases.
- 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 is formed in the enlarged areas, which leads 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 obstruction of the vascular lumen by a thrombus.
The formation of a blood clot is facilitated by a slowdown in blood circulation in the expansion area, increased coagulability and a disturbed structure of the vascular wall. Thrombosis most often occurs in the lower limbs, however, prolonged hand grasping or an uncomfortable position can cause venous arms and a thrombus to form.
Thrombophlebitis may be suspected if the patient complains of pain and swelling in the hand and the cyanosis increases with closing the fist. A severe disruption of blood flow to a certain area causes necrosis of adjacent tissues and leads to the need for limb amputation.
Male varicose veins are less common due to the stronger sex being more emotionally stable. However, in addition to stress, other triggers can also cause venous dilation in young men.
A feeling of heaviness in the hand, evening fatigue and the appearance of nodules are some of the first symptoms of varicose veins in the upper limbs. Taking care of your health and having regular doctor visits will help you keep your health and looking good.