Today, conditions like varicose veins are the most common.Generally speaking, a sedentary lifestyle leads to the development of diseases, and a slow response to body signals can lead to quite serious consequences that can harm health.In this article, we will discuss the topic of varicose veins in the legs, their photos, initial stages, and how to treat them.I would like to point out that varicose veins are a condition characterized by stagnation of blood in the blood vessels of the lower extremities, resulting in swelling of the peripheral veins.Swollen blood vessels appear dark blue; without proper treatment, they can turn purple, begin to form blood clots and ulcers, and cause severe pain.
Symptoms in the early stages of disease development
Varicose veins in the legs are a rather insidious condition - this is because the disease is difficult to diagnose in the initial stages of development.The symptoms of this disease are similar to many other conditions, such as osteochondrosis or flat feet.Typically, people with varicose veins seek professional medical help when they experience sufficient swelling and pain in their extremities.
However, there are several common symptoms and if you notice them you should contact a specialist immediately to find out the cause and learn what varicose veins in the legs are, their photos, initial stages and how to treat them.The first symptoms of the disease include increased venous pattern, however, usually in this case, vascular swelling, pain and swelling are not observed.
Let’s take a look at the most obvious symptoms that indicate the presence of a condition such as varicose veins:
- the appearance of pain in the legs, which can appear at any time; such symptoms are also often accompanied by itching and cramps of the limbs 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;
- bulging veins above the surface of the skin and the appearance of characteristic spider veins.
Why are varicose veins dangerous?
Note that, as mentioned above, such a topic as varicose veins on the legs, photo, initial stage, how to treat, is very relevant for many. This is because varicose veins are a rather dangerous condition and cosmetic defects in the form of swollen veins are just the tip of the iceberg.The disease can lead to quite serious complications, so treatment of dilated veins is mandatory!
As you can see in the photos of the early stages of the disease, the characteristic symptom is swollen veins, which are far from harmless; we list the ailments that can be caused by varicose veins.
- Phlebitis– this disease implies the onset of an inflammatory process in the venous walls. As a rule, patients with phlebitis constantly feel a fairly strong aching pain. In addition, painful lumps appear in the affected area.
- thrombophlebitis– the disease is characterized by the formation of blood clots in inflamed and dilated veins. Note that thrombophlebitis occurs due to the lack of adequate treatment for phlebitis. In addition to pain in the limbs, the patient feels general weakness and loses appetite.
- trophic ulcer- This is another complication of varicose veins, manifested by the lack of nutrients in the epidermis, leading to dermatitis, the consequence of which is trophic ulcers that are difficult to heal.
Medications to Treat Varicose Veins
ointment
Today, the pharmaceutical market offers a wide range of medicines for the treatment of varicose veins, among which ointments for the treatment of varicose veins deserve special attention.
Anticoagulants.These drugs are the most popular for the treatment of varicose veins. The main task of the ointment is to have a complex action that helps reduce blood viscosity, resolve existing blood clots, reduce the inflammatory process, and relieve pain symptoms.These drugs have their greatest positive effect when used in the early stages of the disease, improving blood circulation and strengthening blood vessel walls.
Ointments based on heparin sodium prevent the formation of blood clots and reduce blood clotting.
Venotonics help effectively cope with the symptoms of varicose veins, strengthening blood vessels and inhibiting inflammatory processes.
cream
Creams for treating varicose veins are as effective as ointments because they contain active ingredients that effectively combat the unwanted symptoms of the disease.
Creams based on ketoprofen actively suppress inflammatory processes in the vessels of the lower extremities. These drugs belong to the non-steroidal group, which indicates their effectiveness in relieving swelling and eliminating pain.
Cream based on natural ingredients that effectively helps eliminate varicose veins.The advantage of this cream is that it does not have any negative effects on patients with varicose veins.
Rutin-based creams effectively act at the cellular level, quickly suppressing the inflammatory process.The drug has an anti-edema effect, improves vascular tone, regulates venous pressure, and can also quickly relieve pain.
pill
The main effect of bioflavonoid-based tablets is to increase vascular properties such as elasticity and tone, thus improving blood circulation and preventing thrombosis.By taking these drugs, venous congestion and venous vascular permeability can be eliminated.
Effective folk remedies for treating varicose veins
cabbage.Our ancestors also used various folk remedies to treat conditions such as varicose veins.One of them is treated with cabbage leaves.The benefit of this vegetable is that cabbage contains vitamins and trace elements that quickly relieve inflammatory processes.Typically, cabbage leaves are used in the form of a dressing to treat varicose veins.To make a medicinal compress, you will need a cabbage leaf, which must first be beaten thoroughly.After that, apply vegetable oil to one side of the sheet and leave it on the inflamed area for a day (secure it with a bandage).The course of treatment is 1 month.
ginger.The plant is used in cooking and as a topical or internal medicine to treat varicose veins.Ginger tea can help you deal with almost any disease in its advanced stages, including varicose veins.You can also make a ginger compress.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.
Karina.Like ginger, viburnum can be used to treat varicose veins, both as a fortifying drink and as an effective dressing.To prepare a compress, the berries should be ground into a paste, placed on a prepared bandage or gauze and applied to the problem area.It is best to do this compression at night.
The early stages of varicose veins – the first symptoms
Today, varicose veins are one of the most common dangerous diseases among women and men.According to the World Health Organization, varicose veins in the lower extremities can lead to thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcers and related cancer and tumor deaths.
Every patient needs to understand the causes, symptoms and stages of development of the disease in order to prevent the serious consequences of this pathology.
Causes and stages of development
Varicose veins occur due to lesions in the vein walls and dysfunction of the venous valves, which are tasked with transporting carbon dioxide-rich blood from the lower limbs to the lungs for gas exchange.
Due to abnormal blood flow and valve dysfunction, blood accumulates in the blood vessels, increasing pressure on the leg veins and causing the fragile vein walls to bulge.This is how varicose veins develop.
There are many factors that can cause this disease.These include:
- genetics.
- obesity.
- Have bad habits.
- Pregnant.
- Taking hormonal drugs for a long time.
- Cardiovascular disease causes the blood to become thicker.
- A sedentary lifestyle can cause blood stagnation.
- Occupations that require standing for long periods of time.
- Walking in high heels.
Under the influence of these factors, leg diseases occur, which occur in several stages.Each disease has specific clinical manifestations.Generally speaking, in medical practice, varicose veins are divided into 4 stages:
- varicose veins at the initial stage, shown in the photo above, passesalmost no symptoms.The patient mainly experiences heaviness, mild swelling, and pain in the legs.Tiny spider veins begin to appear on the skin of the thighs and calves;
- 1st degree varicose veinsThis symptom, also shown in the photo, is characterized by frequent cramping of the calf muscles, a burning sensation that spreads from the calf to the sole of the foot, and swelling at the ankle;
- for second degreeIt is characterized by abundant spider veins, severe swelling, persistent pain in the legs, and an increase in the area of bulging veins;
- Level threeIndicative of skin involvement in the disease process: The skin around the ankles becomes flaky, thin, and often hyperpigmented.The risk of thrombosis is very high because the veins are greatly enlarged and dilated.In addition to pain, patients suffer from persistent burning sensation, eczema and dermatitis on the skin of the lower limbs; when the skin is injured, deep ulcers can form.
Important!If treatment is not started early, the disease will be difficult to treat conservatively in the future and will bring fatal danger to the patient!
first symptoms of varicose veins
The first symptoms of varicose veins in the legs are difficult to diagnose.For a time, patients confused them with fatigue and muscle strains.If you feel like this, especially if your legs have not been under severe pressure before, you should contact a specialist, as the disease can be treated in its early stages,without resorting to surgery and grueling procedures.Phlebologists and surgeons treat varicose veins.
The first signs of varicose veins are indicated by the following symptoms:
- Persistent heaviness 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 lower limbs.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 over it, we may be talking about developing thrombophlebitis - an extremely dangerous complication of varicose veins.
- Increase calf circumferenceup to 1 cm in the evening is associated with edema.
- painful feelingworsened with exercise and go away by the next morning.
- The appearance of spider veinsOn legs and thighs.Some patients consider this a cosmetic defect.Their appearance indicates the pathology of a large varicose vein that feeds them. Only ultrasound diagnostics can confirm or refute this.
- Presence of prominent veins.
At first, the first signs of varicose veins in the legs will disappear quickly if you keep your legs in a comfortable position.HoweverThis should alert the patient as it is a definite symptom of incipient disease.
The patient may then experience a burning sensation in the vein.If you do not pay proper attention to these symptoms, the patient may experience cramps in the calf muscles at night and fatigue in the legs below the knees.
attention!The symptoms of early varicose veins are similar to those of other diseases - flat feet and lumbar osteochondrosis.That’s why it’s so important to consult a phlebologist to rule out other diagnoses and start treatment promptly!
Diagnosis and treatment
Generally speaking, varicose veins are in the early stages, as shown in the picture,painless.A patient, and according to statistics, women suffer from varicose veins twice as often as men, seeks help from a doctor regarding vascular network. The doctor performs examinations and conducts necessary studies to assess the degree of venous circulation disorder.
For this purpose, general blood tests may be performed., which will show the presence or absence of thrombocytopenia, a biochemical blood test to detect liver problems, as well as vascular ultrasound.
It shows the pathology of the blood vessel wall.If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient will be sent for an X-ray venogram, which will determine the location of the venous lesion.
After research, the doctor will prescribe treatments that can prevent the transition from the initial stages of varicose veins to subsequent stages.
To do this, treat the underlying disease– Endocrine, cardiovascular, etc.The risk factors are then eliminated before the patient is advised to change his lifestyle, diet, and give up his bad habits.
Early drug treatment of varicose veinsnot provided. Experts believe that using it is enoughCompression garments - Special stockings and tights, or elastic bandages, that must be strapped to the legs upon waking and worn throughout the day.This therapy evenly distributes the load on the legs and improves blood circulation.
Forms of the disease
The type of vascular insufficiency depends on the veins affected by the disease, the extent of the disease, and its location.Have varicose veins:
- Reticular (tiny blood vessels);
- segmental (focal);
- perforation (damage to connecting veins);
- Primary (pathology of small or large veins under the skin).
Each type of varicose veins has its own characteristics 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 simplest.This disease mainly affects the legs of women; men are rarely affected by this pathology.
In photographs of early stages of varicose veins, the network shape can only be determined by the intensification of the blood vessel pattern.This is a blue mesh-like structure composed of fragments of small veins no larger than 3 mm in diameter.More commonly, it is located in the lateral area of the thigh.First, a few asterisk-like fragments appear, then larger areas are affected.
This form of varicose veins is often called cosmetic varicose veins.It is not dangerous to blood flow but can cause aesthetic discomfort in women.Reticular varicose veins in the legs can cause:
This form is the easiest to treat.One of the most effective treatments for this type of varicose veins is microsclerotherapy.It's not dangerous and painless.But patients often don't consider the appearance of spider veins to be an important reason to see a phlebologist.In this case, the disease becomes a chronic pathology.It may cause bleeding from superficial blood vessels.
Reticular varicose veins require mandatory medical attention.This will prevent complications from occurring.
segmented form
This type of varicose veins may appear in the early stages of the disease.In the segmental form, larger blood vessels 3 mm or more in diameter are affected.However, the disease is focal, with only one or a few branches losing tone.A characteristic feature of this type of pathology is the absence of reverse blood flow, which facilitates treatment.
If you view a photo of varicose veins in the legs in segmented form, you can see the swollen branches of the main veins in the lower legs.These are tributary vessels.
Treatment of this disease is conservative.If the disease presents later and forms tributary lymph nodes, venous resection may be performed.Segmental varicose veins are located on the anteromedial and posterior surfaces of the legs and in the popliteal fossa.
Sheriff
This pathology affects both large and small cardinal veins.The older ones suffer several times more than the younger ones.In photos of varicose veins in the legs, the major protrusions of blood vessels in the calves, outer thighs, and feet are clearly visible.The blood vessel walls of the legs are tense and nodules are formed obviously.
The disease occurs with characteristic symptoms of chronic circulatory failure.Regurgitation occurs due to damage to the blood vessel valves.Normally, blood flows in one direction.If there are not enough valves, they will not close completely and the container will be overloaded.As a result, the veins stretch and lose their elasticity.
Major varicose veins require serious treatment.Minor surgical intervention and conservative approaches are more commonly used.
Without adequate treatment, major varicose veins in the legs can be complicated by thrombophlebitis and thrombosis.
perforated form
There are deep veins and saphenous veins in the legs.They are connected to each other by blood vessels called perforators.
These veins are no less important than the cardinal veins.Their failure can lead to circulatory failure in the legs.The blood does not fully enter the bloodstream.This can lead to stagnation and thrombosis.
- Pictures of varicose veins in the legs with damaged perforating veins clearly show the presence of vascular swelling;
- Visible bumps and bruises in some places; darkening of skin;
- Rashes and scratches may occur.
The localization of this form is variable and depends on the location of the affected vein.These are the legs, thighs and ankles.Sometimes, even the blood vessels in the Achilles tendon area and under the knee can bulge.Treatment is usually surgical, but for individual lesions, minimally invasive approaches may be used.
Stages of varicose veins in legs
Phlebologists around the world hold annual forums and seminars dedicated to varicose veins.Types and forms of disease are constantly changing.Experts describe the various stages of varicose veins in the legs differently.Their numbers are constantly changing.The latest approved classification contains seven degrees:
- First or zero.Shows no external signs.The patient complained only of heaviness, fatigue, and swelling.Sometimes, epileptic seizures that occur occasionally can be bothersome.
- second.In the second stage photos, the network of blood vessels in the popliteal and thigh areas can be clearly seen.Symptoms have not changed.
- third.The protrusions of blood vessels are clearly visible, especially during exercise or sitting.In addition to veins, blue nodules can be seen on the legs.The patient experiences pain and tension.
- fourth.Swollen veins add to the appearance of edema.By night, your feet will be fuller and in the morning everything will be back to normal.The swelling may cause numbness or tingling in the legs.
- fifth.Metabolic processes are disrupted.Without enough nutrients to the tissues, nutritional changes will occur in the skin.They can appear as dry patches, redness, and scratching.Darkening of the skin around the veins.Thrombophlebitis may occur.
- sixth.The photos of this stage are different from the others.It shows obvious trophic ulcers in the venous areas of the lower extremities.After extensive treatment, the wound healed naturally.
- seventh.terminal period.In other classifications it is called decompensation.The most negative outcome of the disease.Ulcers form on the legs that do not heal.They may become wet and ulcerate.This level requires emergency hospitalization.Sepsis and thromboembolism may complicate this.
The type of varicose veins in the legs, combined with the violation of skin integrity and secondary infection, can be life-threatening for the patient.
There is another classification, which specifies three stages of varicose veins:
- compensate.It presents only with local symptoms (pain, cramping, heaviness).No external changes in blood vessels were observed.
- sub-compensation.Moderate external symptoms of varicose veins are present.Spider veins and signs of segmental disease are present.
- Decompensation.Serious consequences of chronic venous insufficiency.Trophic lesions, ulcers, and thrombosis.
General characteristics and causes of varicose veins
In healthy people, venous blood rises from the legs to the heart under the influence of pressure that is sufficient to overcome gravity under normal conditions.When this mechanism is disrupted, the body is forced to increase pressure to push blood upward.
The result of this process is valvular insufficiency, which is characterized by the flow of blood from deep to superficial veins.As intravascular pressure increases, the vessel walls lose elasticity, stretch, and wear out, resulting in the formation of visible blue subcutaneous nodules.
Causes of varicose veins in lower limbs:
- Progesterone levels increase in women.This hormone has a negative impact on the condition of vein walls and valves, making them fragile and unprotected.
- Congenital lesions of valves or vein walls, lack of connective tissue, poor deep vein patency, and genetic predisposition.
- The tumors are located in the legs and abdomen.
- Lower limb injuries.
- Endocrine system diseases.
- Thrombophlebitis.
- Joint diseases - osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
- Long-term use of hormonal contraceptives.
- A sedentary lifestyle often leads to congestion in the legs.
- Increased intra-abdominal pressure.It is often associated with lung disease or frequent constipation.
- overweight.
- Wear tight clothing and shoes.
- The diet is rich in high-calorie and high-fat foods and lacks fiber from plant sources.
- Smoking and frequent drinking.
ARVNK occurs particularly frequently during pregnancy because during this period there areGlobal changes in hormone levels and weight gain.
Men who have this diseaseLifestyle associated with heavy manual laboror standing for long periods of time - machine operators, loaders, etc.Certain physical activities can also cause varicose veins in the legs.
Varicose veins require immediate treatment, otherwise serious consequences may occur: thrombophlebitis, venous nodule bleeding, and trophic ulcers that may lead to leg amputation.