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 must 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 occur 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 veins on the legs are practically unchanged in appearance;only spider veins can be seen or the characteristic tortuosity of certain blood vessels can appear.By the end of the day, you are sometimes worried about the slight swelling of your legs, their tiredness, fatigue and 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 phase is the most favorable for conservative treatment.
The second stage of varicose veins (subcompensation).At this stage, leg muscle cramps may occur at night, veins protrude more visibly, and the extremities periodically ache.Swelling in the ankle joints is observed almost constantly, but disappears by morning.The skin in the area of the lower leg takes on a brownish-purple hue.
This phase also lasts for years.Conservative treatment measures are no longer as effective as in the first stage, so local doctors increasingly recommend various surgical interventions.Preventive measures aim to ensure that the disease does not enter the decompensation phase as long as possible.
The third stage of varicose veins (decompensation).The veins bulge even more, the swelling may not disappear until morning, the skin in the lower leg area becomes thinner, and wounds appear that do not heal for a long time.As a rule, the most dangerous complications develop in this phase:
- thrombophlebitis (thrombosis and vein inflammation);
- trophic dermatitis, ulcer;
- pulmonary embolism (the most dangerous complication, when a blood clot breaks off in the lower extremities and is transported by blood flow to the lungs, and then leads to respiratory arrest and death in 5-8 out of 10 people);
- chronic venous insufficiency (swelling and fatigue of the legs even when the problem of varicose veins has already been solved).
In this phase, all therapeutic and preventive measures are aimed at preventing the development of complications, and if they have already appeared, minimizing their consequences.
Which doctor treats varicose veins?
Phlebologist.He is a vascular surgeon who received a narrow specialization in the treatment of vein diseases.He is the one who treats varicose veins.
However, if there is no phlebologist in your place or it is extremely problematic to get a consultation with him, then 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?
The 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 phase, the main emphasis is on lifestyle changes, giving up bad habits that worsen varicose veins and normalizing body weight.In this case, as a rule, patients are allowed to use folk remedies, undergo leech treatment and take herbal medicines.If the disease continues to progress, then drugs are prescribed that increase the tone of the veins and improve the rheological properties of the blood, as well as wearing compression garments.
In the second stage, drug therapy and compression garments become mandatory, and if necessary, surgical intervention is performed.In order to prevent complications, annual courses of planned therapy in the hospital are recommended.
In the third stage, 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?
Practice.More than anything, our veins love it when we walk a lot.Standing or sitting work contributes to the appearance 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 through the veins from the heels to the heart.Anything that squeezes or pinches the vessels and surrounding tissues hinders the natural flow of blood and contributes to the progression of varicose veins.Therefore, already in the first stage of the disease, you should say goodbye to such habits as:
- sit in the "leg over leg" position (impaired blood flow at the level of the popliteal fossa, so it is better to change it to the American "legs on legs" or "legs on the back of the chair");
- wear tight belts, socks, stockings, belts, too-tight jeans, tight underwear (partial pinching of the veins in the groin, knees or due to a tight waist do not allow breathing from the "belly", which almost excludes the diaphragm from the act of breathing, namely, facilitates the movement of blood to the heart);
- overeating (overeating is always fraught with excess weight, and each excess weight in itself can lead to varicose veins);
- Walking for a long time on high heels (in this case, the load on the legs increases, and the knee area, which facilitates the upward movement of blood, is almost impossible).