Varicose veins (VV) are one of the most common diseases.The insidiousness of this disease lies in the fact that for many years all pathological changes in the vessels are practically not felt, but then they can quickly lead to the development of venous insufficiency, thrombophlebitis or the formation of trophic ulcers.To avoid this, you need to take care of your veins without waiting for serious symptoms of the disease to appear.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are an expansion of the lumen of a vein that is larger than expected in a certain area.As a result, it stretches and becomes tortuous.The blood flow in such a vessel becomes turbulent, which leads to stagnation, inflammation and the formation of blood clots.
Varicose veins can appear in almost any part of the body where these vessels have valves that prevent the backflow of blood.
Varicose veins on the legs: stages of the disease
The first stage of varicose veins (compensation).The leg veins are virtually unchanged in appearance;only varicose veins may be observed or the characteristic tortuosity of the individual vessels may appear.At the end of the day, you are sometimes worried about a slight swelling of the legs, their tiredness, fatigue and a feeling of discomfort.
The duration of this phase is many years.If you start treatment at this time, you can significantly delay or completely prevent the progression of the disease.This stage is more favorable for conservative treatment.
The second stage of varicose veins (undercompensation).At this stage, cramps in the calf muscles may appear at night, the veins protrude more noticeably, and the extremities periodically ache.Swelling in the ankle joints is observed almost constantly, but disappears in the morning.The skin in the shin area takes on a brownish-purple hue.
This phase also lasts years.Conservative treatment measures are no longer as effective as in the first stage, so doctors are increasingly recommending various surgical interventions.Preventive measures are aimed at ensuring that the disease does not enter the decompensation phase for as long as possible.
The third stage of varicose veins (decompensation).The veins swell even more, the swelling may not go away in the morning, the skin in the shin area becomes thinner, and wounds appear that do not heal for a long time.As a rule, it is at this stage that the most dangerous complications develop:
- thrombophlebitis (thrombosis and inflammation of the veins);
- trophic dermatitis, ulcer;
- pulmonary embolism (the most dangerous complication, when a blood clot breaks off in the lower extremities and is carried into the lungs by the bloodstream, and then leads to respiratory arrest and death in 5-8 out of 10 people);
- chronic venous insufficiency (swelling and fatigue in the legs even when the varicose vein problem is already resolved).
At this stage, all therapeutic and preventive measures are aimed at preventing the development of complications and, if they have already appeared, at minimizing their consequences.
Which doctor treats varicose veins?
Phlebologist.This is a vascular surgeon who has received a narrow specialization in the treatment of venous diseases.It is he who cures varicose veins.
However, if there is no phlebologist in your area or it is extremely problematic to get a consultation with him, you can turn for help to a vascular surgeon or, in his absence, simply to a general surgeon who provides outpatient visits.This is much better than simply letting the disease run its course.
How to treat varicose veins?
Treatment of varicose veins largely depends on the stage of the disease, the presence of complications and the specific clinical picture of the disease.
In the first stage, the main emphasis is on changing lifestyle, abandoning bad habits that aggravate varicose veins, and normalizing body weight.In this case, patients, as a rule, can use folk remedies, undergo treatment with leeches and take herbal remedies.If the disease continues to progress, drugs that increase the tone of the veins and improve the rheological properties of the blood are prescribed, as well as wearing compression clothing.
In the second stage, drug therapy and compression garments become mandatory, and if necessary, surgery is performed.To prevent complications, annual cycles of scheduled therapy in hospital are recommended.
In the third phase, the choice of method is dictated by the presence of complications and the general clinical picture of the disease.If serious complications occur, the patient must be hospitalized in the surgical department.
Treatment of varicose veins: what should be changed in your lifestyle?
Exercise.More than anything, our veins love it when we walk a lot.Standing or sedentary work contributes to the development of varicose veins.Therefore, if you are forced to stand or sit for a long time, you should perform special exercises every 40-50 minutes.
Habits.As you know, blood flows in the veins from the heels towards the heart.Anything that compresses or pinches the vessels and surrounding tissues prevents the natural flow of blood and contributes to the progression of varicose veins.Therefore, already at the first stage of the disease, you should say goodbye to habits such as:
- sit in the “leg on leg” position (impaired blood flow at the level of the popliteal fossa, so it is better to change it to the American pose “legs on legs” or “legs on the back of a chair”);
- wearing tight belts, stockings, hold-ups, belts, too tight jeans, tight underwear (partially pinching the veins of the groin, knee or, due to the narrow waist, do not allow breathing from the “belly”, which almost excludes the diaphragm from the respiratory act, that is, facilitates the movement of blood to the heart);
- overeating (overeating is always fraught with extra pounds, and any excess weight in itself can lead to varicose veins);
- Walking for a long time in high heels (in this case, the load on the legs increases and the knee area, which facilitates the movement of blood upwards, is almost disabled).