In the warm season, when you really want to wear short shorts and skirts, drawing attention to the legs, the image can be spoiled by the vascular network, stars and swelling - clear signs of varicose veins. We learned from a professional phlebologist how to solve this problem quickly and permanently.
"Every man is more interested in a woman who is interested in him than in a woman who has nice legs, " said Marlene Dietrich. However, you shouldn't forget about the health and beauty of your legs. Especially if you already have vascular networks.
Expert opinion: vascular surgeon and phlebologist: "The most obvious signs of varicose veins of the lower limbs (or, more simply, varicose veins) are not many. Visible spider veins (telangiectasias), prominent veins and nodules are the most obvious. It is impossible not to notice these symptoms. . But they appear when the disease is already underway. But heaviness in the legs, restless legs syndrome and swelling are not so obvious symptoms of varicose veins. If you already have them, this is a good reason to sign up for a consultation with a phlebologist. In general, this disease is well known to adult women, although, unfortunately, girls and even men know this firsthand.
Why do varicose veins appear?
The older we get, the greater the risk of varicose veins: we sit a lot and walk little, we gain weight, the blood thickens, hormonal changes occur, the level of collagen in the blood vessel walls decreases, which means that the elasticity As a result, blood stagnation in the legs begins, the veins expand under pressure, and the valves no longer close as tightly as they should. Because of this, part of the blood flows downward, stagnates even more and exerts even greater pressure on the veins, stretching them. Blood flow slows down and lymph gradually penetrates the vessel walls. Edema occurs and we feel heaviness in the legs. If you don't start treatment at this stage, the disease will progress.
The disturbed function of the venous valves is not restored. First, a blue vascular network appears on the legs. Then nodules are formed on the veins - the blood stagnates and thickens in them, from which blood clots are then formed. This is called thrombophlebitis. It is very dangerous: a blood clot that breaks off and comes out of such a lump is at high risk of stroke or heart attack.
Most often, varicose veins are inherited. It also happens to someone who is subjected to static loads, for example when you are constantly "standing" (sales people in stores) or constantly sitting (all office workers). Also, varicose veins can appear due to injuries, chronic vitamin and mineral deficiencies, hormonal changes (pregnancy, menopause), obesity or overweight, diabetes, heavy lifting, frequent walking in high heels.
How to get rid of varicose veins
In fact, to avoid the appearance of varicose veins, sometimes it is enough to walk. According to WHO standards, that's around 10, 000 steps a day, which isn't that much. If you are at risk (that is, you have this problem in your family), then you need to consult a phlebologist, use compression stockings, try not to gain weight, limit static loads on your legs, wear comfortable shoes, take a venotonics course (only on the recommendation of a doctor), which will strengthen the walls of blood vessels and relieve inflammation.
The vascular network can be removed with the help of sclerosing injections. They are injected into small vessels, causing their artificial inflammation and causing them to "stick". The procedure is practically painless and takes no more than 10 minutes.
Large vein expansion is treated with endovascular laser coagulation (abbreviated to EVLT). This is a relatively new method that has been around for about 20 years. Thanks to him, vascular surgeons were able to abandon operations almost entirely in favor of minimally invasive interventions. A very fine laser is inserted into the vein under anesthesia and ultrasound control, often like a fishing line. The laser beam acts on the inner wall of the vein and coagulates it along its entire length, after which it simply closes over time. The whole procedure is fully automated: the laser and the ultrasonic sensor move by themselves. The procedure takes about 40 minutes. After that, a special compression stocking is applied to the leg, which must be worn without removing it for three days. After the procedure, the patient is not restricted in his movements and can go home on his own. The effect can be observed in a few days.