Today, such a disease as varicose veins is the most common.As a rule, a sedentary lifestyle leads to the development of diseases, and late response to the body's signals leads to quite serious consequences, which in turn is harmful to health.In this article, we will consider a topic such as varicose veins on the legs, photos, the initial stage and how to treat them.I would like to mention that varicose veins is a disease characterized by stagnation of blood in the blood vessels of the lower extremities, which causes swelling of the peripheral veins.Swollen veins have a dark blue color;in the absence of adequate treatment, they take on a purple hue, the formation of blood clots and ulcers begins, and severe pain appears.
Symptoms of the disease in the initial stage of development
Varicose veins of the legs are a rather insidious disease - this is explained by the fact that this disease is very difficult to diagnose in the initial stage of development.Symptoms of the disease are similar to many other diseases, such as osteochondrosis or flat feet.Often, patients with varicose veins seek professional medical help when there is sufficient swelling and pain in the limbs.
However, there are several common symptoms, if you notice them, immediately contact a specialist to find out the cause of the disease and find out what varicose veins on the legs are, photos, the initial stage and how to treat them.The initial symptoms of the disease include an increase in the venous pattern, however, as a rule, swelling, pain and swelling of blood vessels are not observed in this case.
Let's look at the most obvious symptoms that indicate the presence of a disease such as varicose veins:
- the appearance of pain in the legs, which can appear at any time;such symptoms are often accompanied by itching and limb spasms during sleep;
- the appearance of a feeling of fatigue and swelling in the legs;
- the skin changes color, the skin in problem areas acquires a bluish tint and becomes drier;
- protruding veins above the surface of the skin and the appearance of characteristic spider veins.
Why are varicose veins dangerous?
Please note that, as mentioned above, a topic such as varicose veins on the legs, photo, initial stage, how to treat, is very relevant for many.This is explained by the fact that varicose veins are quite a dangerous disease, and the cosmetic defect in the form of swollen veins is only the tip of the iceberg.The disease can lead to quite serious complications, so the treatment of varicose veins is mandatory!
As you can see in the photo of the initial stage of the disease, its characteristic symptomatology is swelling of the veins, which is far from harmless;we list the ailments that can cause varicose veins.
- Phlebitis– this disease involves the onset of an inflammatory process in the vein walls.As a rule, patients with phlebitis constantly feel quite severe pain.In addition, painful lumps appear on the affected area.
- Thrombophlebitis- the disease is characterized by the formation of blood clots in inflamed and dilated veins.Keep in mind that thrombophlebitis occurs due to lack of adequate phlebitis treatment.In addition to pain in the limbs, the patient feels general weakness and loses his appetite.
- Trophic ulcers- this is another complication of varicose veins, which is manifested by the lack of nutrition of the epidermis, which leads to the appearance of dermatitis, the consequence of which are hard-to-heal trophic ulcers.
Medicines for varicose veins
Fats
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide variety of drugs for the treatment of diseases that include varicose veins, and varicose vein ointments deserve special attention.
Anticoagulants.These drugs are the most popular for treating varicose veins.The main task of the fat is a complex effect, which helps to reduce the viscosity of the blood, resolve existing blood clots, reduce the inflammatory process and reduce pain symptoms.Medicines provide the maximum positive effect when used in the initial stage of the disease, improving blood circulation and strengthening the walls of blood vessels.
Ointments based on heparin sodium prevent the formation of blood clots and reduce blood clotting.
Venotonics help you effectively cope with the symptoms of varicose veins, strengthening blood vessels and inhibiting inflammatory processes.
Creams
Creams for varicose veins are as effective as ointments because of the active ingredients they contain, which can effectively fight against the unpleasant symptoms of the disease.
Ketoprofen-based creams actively suppress inflammatory processes in the vessels of the lower extremities.These drugs belong to the non-steroidal group, which indicates their effectiveness in reducing swelling and relieving pain.
Creams based on natural ingredients that effectively help to solve varicose veins.The advantage of the cream is that it has no negative effect on patients with varicose veins.
Creams based on rutin work effectively at the cellular level and thus quickly suppress the inflammatory process.The drug has an anti-edematous effect, improves vascular tone, regulates intravenous pressure, and also quickly relieves pain.
Pills
The main effect of tablets based on bioflavonoids is to increase vascular properties such as elasticity and tone, which in turn improves blood circulation and prevents the formation of blood clots.By taking these drugs, the phenomenon of venous congestion and permeability of venous vessels is eliminated.
Effective folk remedies for varicose veins
Cabbage.Our ancestors also used various folk remedies to treat such diseases as varicose veins.One of them is the treatment with cabbage leaves.The effectiveness of this vegetable lies in the fact that cabbage can quickly alleviate inflammatory processes thanks to the vitamins and microelements it contains.As a rule, white cabbage leaves are used in the form of poultices for the treatment of varicose veins.To make a healing poultice, you will need a cabbage leaf, which must first be beaten well.After that, one side of the leaf is smeared with vegetable oil and applied to the sore spot for a day (secured with a bandage).The course of treatment is 1 month.
Ginger.This herb, which is used in cooking, can be used to treat varicose veins as an external or internal medicine.Ginger tea will help you cope with almost any disease at any stage of its development, including varicose veins.You can also make ginger poultices.To do this, you need to grate a piece of ginger root, mix it with natural honey and apply it to the painful area for 3-4 hours.
Kalina.Like ginger, viburnum can be used to treat varicose veins, both as a fortified drink and as an effective poultice.To prepare the poultice, the berries should be ground into a pulp, placed on a prepared bandage or gauze and applied to the problem area.This wrap is best done at night.
The initial stage of varicose veins - the first symptoms
Today, varicose veins are one of the most common dangerous diseases in both women and men.According to WHO statistics, varicose veins of the lower extremities can lead to death from thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcers and cancer tumors associated with them.
Every patient must know about the causes, symptoms and stages of disease development in order to prevent serious consequences of this pathology.
Causes and stages of development
Varicose veins occur as a result of pathologies of the venous walls and failure of the venous valves, whose task is to transport blood enriched with carbon dioxide from the lower extremities to the lungs for gas exchange.
As a result of irregular blood flow and valve dysfunction, blood accumulates in the vessels, increasing the pressure in the veins of the legs, which leads to bulging of the weak vein wall.This is how varicose veins are formed.
There are many factors that can cause the disease.This includes:
- Heredity.
- obesity.
- Having bad habits.
- Pregnancy.
- Long-term use of hormonal drugs.
- Cardiovascular diseases that lead to blood clotting.
- Sedentary lifestyle, which causes blood stagnation.
- Professions that require long periods of standing.
- Walking in high heels.
Under the influence of these factors, leg disease develops, which occurs in several stages.Each of them is characterized by special clinical manifestations.In total, in medical practice there are 4 stages of varicose veins:
- varicose veins in the initial stage, shown in the photo above, passes bypractically without symptoms.The person has only a predominant feeling of heaviness in the legs, slight swelling and pain.Small spider veins begin to appear on the skin of the thighs and legs;
- 1st degree varicose veins, which is also shown in the photo, is characterized by frequent spasms of the calf muscles, a burning sensation that spreads from the lower leg to the sole of the foot, as well as swelling of the ankles;
- for the second degreecharacterized by an abundance of spider veins, severe swelling, constant pain in the legs, the area of bulging veins increases;
- third degreeindicates the involvement of the skin in the disease process: it becomes scaly, thin, often pigmented around the ankle joint.The risk of thrombosis is very high, because the veins are very dilated and dilated.Apart from pain, the patient is also haunted by a constant burning sensation, eczema and dermatitis on the skin of the lower extremities;when the skin is injured, deep ulcers form.
IMPORTANT!If the treatment is not started in the early stages, then the disease in the future is very difficult to treat conservatively and represents a mortal danger for the patient!
The first symptoms of varicose veins
The first symptoms of varicose veins on the legs are difficult to diagnose.For some time, the patient confuses them with fatigue and muscle strain.If you experience such sensations, especially if there was no serious stress on the legs before, contact a specialist, because the disease can be cured at an early stage,without resorting to surgery and exhausting procedures.Phlebologists and surgeons treat varicose veins.
The first signs of varicose veins are indicated by the following symptoms:
- Constant weight in the legs.This is due to poor circulation in the legs due to dysfunction of the venous valves.Because of this, the pressure in the vein increases sharply, it stretches even more and causes pain.
- Swelling of the lower extremities.The symptom manifests itself as a result of a heavy load on the venous system.If the swelling is accompanied by pain in the area of the vein and redness of the skin above it, we may be talking about the onset of thrombophlebitis - an extremely dangerous complication of varicose veins.
- Increasing the girth of the calvesup to 1 cm in the evening is associated with edema.
- Painful sensationsworsen with exercise and disappear the next morning.
- Appearance of spider veinson the legs and thighs.Some patients consider them a cosmetic defect.Their appearance indicates the pathology of the large varicose vein that feeds them.Only ultrasound diagnostics can confirm or deny this.
- Presence of prominent veins.
At first, the first signs of varicose veins on the legs disappear quickly if you let your legs rest in a comfortable position.Howeverthis should alert the patient, as it is a sure symptom of an incipient disease.
Then the patient may feel a burning sensation in the veins.If you do not pay proper attention to these symptoms, the patient may feel cramps in the calf muscles at night and fatigue in the legs below the knees.
ATTENTION!Symptoms of early varicose veins are similar to other diseases - flat feet and lumbar osteochondrosis.That is why it is so important to consult a phlebologist in order to rule out other diagnoses and start treatment on time!
Diagnosis and treatment
As a rule, varicose veins in the initial stage, which is illustrated in the photo,is painless.The patient, and according to statistics, women suffer from varicose veins twice as often as men, asks the doctor for help regarding the vascular network.The doctor performs an examination and prescribes the necessary studies to assess the degree of damage to the venous circulation.
For this purpose, a general blood test may be prescribed., which will show the presence or absence of thrombocytopenia, a biochemical blood test to detect liver problems, as well as a vascular ultrasound.
It shows pathologies of the vascular wall.If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient is sent for X-ray venography, with the help of which the location of the vein lesion is determined.
After the examination, the doctor prescribes treatment that can prevent the transition from the initial stage of varicose veins to the next.
For this purpose, the underlying disease is treated– endocrine, cardiovascular, etc.Then the risk factors are eliminated, only then the patient is offered to change his lifestyle, diet and give up bad habits.
Drug treatment in the early stage of varicose veinsnot provided.Experts believe that it is enough to usecompression garments - or special socks and tights, or elastic bandages, which must be put on the legs when you wake up and worn during the day.This therapy can evenly distribute the load on the legs and improve blood circulation.
Forms of the disease
The type of vascular insufficiency depends on the veins affected by the disease, the extent of the process and its location.There are varicose veins:
- reticular (fine vascular);
- segmental (focal);
- perforation (damage of connecting veins);
- main (pathology of a small or large vein under the skin).
Each type of varicose veins has characteristic features in terms of external manifestations.The presence of complications depends on the stage of the disease.
Reticular form
Of all the known types of varicose veins, this is the easiest.The disease mainly affects women's legs;men are rarely affected by this pathology.
In the photograph of varicose veins in the initial stage, the reticular form can be determined only by strengthening the vascular pattern.This is a bluish network of small vein fragments no more than 3 mm in diameter.It is more often localized on the thighs in the area of the side surfaces.A few star-like fragments appear first, and then larger areas are affected.
This form of varicose veins is often called cosmetic;it is not dangerous for the blood flow, but causes aesthetic discomfort in women.Reticular varicose veins of the legs can cause:
This form is the most curable.One of the most effective methods of treating such varicose veins is microscopic sclerotherapy.It is not dangerous and painless.But often patients do not consider the manifestations of spider veins a serious reason to visit a phlebologist.In this case, the disease becomes a chronic pathology.May cause bleeding from superficial blood vessels.
The reticular form of varicose veins requires a mandatory medical consultation.This will prevent complications.
Segmental form
This type of varicose veins can appear in the early stages of the disease.In the segmental form, larger vessels with a diameter of 3 mm or more are affected.But the disease is focal in nature, only one or several tributary veins lose their tone.This type of pathology is characterized by the absence of reverse blood flow, which facilitates therapy.
If you look at a photo of varicose veins on the legs in segmental form, you can see swollen branches from the main vein on the lower leg.These are tributary vessels.
Treatment of the disease is conservative.In case of late presentation and formation of tributary nodes, miniphlebectomy can be used.Segmental varicose veins are localized in the anteromedial and posterior surface of the leg and in the popliteal fossa.
Magistralnaya
This pathology affects large and small main veins.Large ones suffer several times more often than small ones.In the photo of varicose veins on the legs, the protrusion of the main veins in the lower leg, side thighs and feet is clearly visible.The vascular wall of the legs is tense and nodular formations are visible.
The disease occurs with characteristic symptoms of chronic circulatory failure.Due to damage to the vascular valves, reflux occurs.Normally, blood moves in one direction.If the valves are insufficient, they do not close completely and the vessels are overloaded.For this reason, the veins stretch and lose elasticity.
Major varicose veins require serious treatment.Minor surgical interventions and conservative methods are used more often.
In the absence of adequate therapy, the main varicose veins on the legs are complicated by thrombophlebitis and thrombosis.
Perforated form
There are deep and saphenous veins on the legs.They are interconnected by vessels called perforators.
These are no less important veins than the main ones.Their defeat leads to failure of circulation in the legs.The blood is not directed into the bloodstream completely.This contributes to stagnation and thrombus formation.
- the image of varicose veins on the legs with damage to the perforating veins clearly shows the presence of swollen vessels;
- lumps and bruises are noticeable in places;the skin becomes darker;
- Rashes and scratches may occur.
The localization of this form is varied and depends on the location of the affected vein.These are the legs, thighs and ankles.Sometimes veins protrude even in the area of the Achilles tendon and below the knee.Treatment is often surgical, but minimally invasive methods are possible for individual lesions.
Stages of varicose veins of the legs
Phlebologists around the world hold forums and seminars dedicated to varicose veins every year.The types and forms of diseases are constantly changing.Experts describe the stages of varicose veins on the legs differently.Their number is constantly changing.The latest approved classification contains seven degrees:
- First or zero.It shows no outward signs.Patients only complain of weight, fatigue and swelling.Sometimes the occasional seizure can be uncomfortable.
- Second.In the photo of the second stage, you can clearly see the vascular network in the area of the popliteal cups and thighs.The symptoms do not change.
- Third.Bulging blood vessels are clearly visible, especially during exercise or in a sitting position.In addition to veins, blue nodules can be seen on the legs.Patients feel pain and tension.
- Fourth.The appearance of edema is added to swollen veins.By the evening your feet are full and in the morning everything is back to normal.Swelling can cause numbness or tingling in the legs.
- Fifth.Metabolic processes are disturbed.The tissues do not have enough nutrition, and the skin undergoes trophic changes.They can be in the form of dry plaques, redness and scratches.The skin around the veins becomes darker.Thrombophlebitis may develop.
- Sixth.The photo of this stage is different from the others.It shows pronounced trophic ulcers in the area of the veins of the lower extremities.As a result of mass treatment, wounds heal by primary intention.
- Seventh.The last stage.In other classifications it is called decompensatory.The most negative outcome of the disease.Ulcers form on the legs that do not heal.They can get wet and fester.This degree requires urgent hospital treatment.It can be complicated by sepsis and thromboembolism.
Types of varicose veins on the legs, complicated by a violation of the integrity of the skin and the addition of a secondary infection, can threaten the patient's life.
There is another classification that predicts three stages of varicose veins:
- Compensatory.It is manifested only by local symptoms (pain, cramps, heaviness).No external changes are observed on the blood vessels.
- Subcompensatory.External signs of moderate varicose veins develop.Spider veins and signs of segmental lesions appear.
- Decompensation.Severe consequences of chronic venous insufficiency.Trophic lesions, ulcers and thrombosis.
General characteristics and causes of varicose veins
In a healthy person, venous blood rises from the legs to the heart under the influence of pressure, which in a normal state is quite sufficient to overcome gravity.When this mechanism is disrupted, the body is forced to increase pressure to push the blood upwards.
As a result of this process, valvular insufficiency occurs, which is characterized by the flow of blood into the superficial veins from the deep ones.As the pressure inside the blood vessels increases, their walls lose elasticity, stretch and fatigue, leading to the formation of visible bluish subcutaneous nodules.
Causes of the development of varicose veins of the lower extremities:
- Increased level of progesterone in the female body.This hormone negatively affects the condition of the vein walls and valves, making them weak and unprotected.
- Congenital pathologies of valves or vein walls, lack of connective tissue, poor patency of deep veins, genetic predisposition.
- Neoplasms located on the legs, in the abdomen.
- Injuries of the lower extremities.
- Diseases of the endocrine system.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Joint diseases - osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
- Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives.
- A sedentary lifestyle, which often leads to congestion in the legs.
- Increased intra-abdominal pressure.It usually occurs with lung diseases or frequent constipation.
- Excessive weight.
- Wearing tight clothing and shoes.
- The presence in the diet of a large amount of high-calorie and fatty food, lack of fiber of vegetable origin.
- Smoking, frequent alcohol consumption.
During pregnancy, ARVNK occurs especially often, because they exist during this periodglobal changes in hormonal levels, as well as increased body weight.
Men suffer from this disease iflifestyle associated with hard physical work, or long-term standing - machine operators, loaders, etc.Varicose veins of the legs can also occur as a result of certain sports activities.
Varicose veins require urgent treatment, the lack of which can lead to serious consequences: the development of thrombophlebitis, bleeding from venous nodes and trophic ulcers that can cause leg amputation.