Varicose veins (VV) are one of the most common diseases.The insidious thing about this disease is that for many years all pathological changes in the blood vessels go virtually unnoticed, but soon lead to the formation of venous insufficiency, thrombophlebitis or trophic ulcers.To avoid this, you need to take care of your veins instead of waiting for serious symptoms of the disease to appear.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are when the lumen of a vein expands more than expected in a certain area.As a result, it stretches and becomes zigzag.Blood flow in such vessels becomes turbulent, leading to stagnation, inflammation, and thrombosis.
Varicose veins can appear almost anywhere in the body where blood vessels have valves that prevent blood from flowing back.
Varicose veins in the legs: stages of the disease
The first stage of varicose veins (compensation stage).The veins of the legs show little change in appearance; only spider veins may be observed, or the characteristic curvature of individual vessels may appear.At the end of the day, you may sometimes be concerned about the feeling of slight swelling in your legs, tiredness, fatigue, and discomfort.
The duration of this phase is many years.If treatment is started at this time, the progression of the disease can be significantly slowed or completely stopped.This stage is most conducive to conservative treatment.
The second stage of varicose veins (subcompensatory).During this stage, calf muscles may experience cramping at night, veins may become more prominent, and periodic pain may occur in the extremities.Swelling of the ankle joint is almost always observed, but disappears by morning.The skin of the calf area is brownish-purple.
This phase also lasts for many years.Conservative treatment measures are no longer as effective as in the first stage, so doctors here increasingly recommend various surgical interventions.The purpose of preventive measures is to ensure that the disease does not enter the decompensation phase for as long as possible.
The third stage of varicose veins (decompensation).The veins become more bulging, the swelling may not go away by morning, the skin on the shin becomes thinner, and wounds appear that do not heal for a long time.Generally speaking, the most dangerous complications occur during this stage:
- Thrombophlebitis (venous blood clots and inflammation);
- Nutritional dermatitis, ulcer;
- Pulmonary embolism (the most dangerous complication, when a blood clot breaks off in the lower limbs and is carried by the bloodstream into the lungs, where it stops breathing and kills eight out of 10 people);
- Chronic venous insufficiency (leg swelling and fatigue even after varicose veins have resolved).
At this stage, the aim of all treatment and preventive measures is to prevent complications from occurring and, if they have already occurred, to minimize their consequences.
Which doctor treats varicose veins?
Phlebologist.This is a vascular surgeon who has gained expertise in the treatment of venous disease.He is the man who treats varicose veins.
However, if there is no phlebologist in your area or consulting him is very difficult, then you can seek help from a vascular surgeon or, in his absence, simply from 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 depends largely on the stage of the disease, the presence of complications, and the specific clinical manifestations of the disease.
The first phase focuses on changing your lifestyle, getting rid of bad habits that aggravate varicose veins, and normalizing your weight.In this case, the patient is usually allowed to use folk remedies, be treated with leeches, and take herbal medicines.If the disease continues to progress, medications that increase venous tone and improve blood rheological properties, as well as the wearing of compression garments, will be required.
In the second stage, medical treatment and pressure garments become mandatory, and if necessary, surgical intervention.To prevent complications, planned treatment in the hospital is recommended every year.
In the third stage, the choice of method depends on the presence of complications and the general clinical picture of the disease.If serious complications occur, the patient must be hospitalized for surgery.
Treatment of Varicose Veins: What Should You Change in Your Lifestyle?
exercise.Best of all, our blood vessels love when we walk regularly.Standing or sitting for long periods of time at work can lead to the development of varicose veins.Therefore, if you are forced to stand or sit for long periods of time, you should perform specialized exercises every 40-50 minutes.
Habit.As you know, blood flows from the heels to the heart through veins.Anything that squeezes or squeezes the blood vessels and surrounding tissue can impede the natural flow of blood and lead to the progression of varicose veins.Therefore, in the first stage of the disease you should say goodbye to the following habits:
- Adopt a "legs on legs" position (blood flow at the level of the popliteal fossa is impaired, so it is better to change to the American "legs on legs" or "legs on the back of a chair" position);
- Wearing tight belts, stockings, stockings, girdle, jeans that are too tight, tight underwear (partial compression of the veins in the groin, knees, or because the waist is too tight and does not allow breathing from the "belly", which almost excludes the respiratory function of the diaphragm, that is, it facilitates the flow of blood to the heart);
- Overeating (overeating always leads to weight gain, and any excess weight itself can lead to varicose veins);
- Walking in high heels for a long time (in this case, the load on the legs increases, and the knee area, which promotes the upward flow of blood, almost loses its function).