Varicose veins (VV) is one of the most common diseases.The cunning 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 should take care of your veins without waiting for the serious symptoms of the disease to appear.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins are a dilation of the lumen of a vein that is larger than expected in a certain area.As a result, it stretches and becomes twisted.The blood flow in such a vessel becomes cloudy, 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 flow of blood.
Varicose veins in the legs: stages of the disease
The first stage of varicose veins (compensation).Veins in the legs are practically unchanged in appearance;only spider veins may be observed or the characteristic tortuosity of individual vessels may appear.By the end of the day, you sometimes worry about the slight swelling of the 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 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 and the extremities ache periodically.Swelling in the ankle joints is observed almost constantly, but disappears in the morning.The skin in the leg area 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 doctors here are increasingly recommending 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 swell even more, the swelling may not disappear until the morning, the skin in the leg 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 veins);
- trophic dermatitis, ulcer;
- pulmonary embolism (the most dangerous complication, when a blood clot breaks off in the lower extremities and enters the lungs from the bloodstream, 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 with varicose veins has already been resolved).
At this stage, all therapeutic and preventive measures are aimed at preventing the development of complications, and if they have already appeared, then minimize their consequences.
Which doctor treats varicose veins?
Phlebologist.This is a vascular surgeon who has taken a narrow specialization in the treatment of vein diseases.It is the one that treats varicose veins.
However, if there is no phlebologist in your locality or it is extremely problematic to consult him, then you can turn to a vascular surgeon for help, or, in his absence, simply to a general surgeon who offers outpatient visits.This is much better than just letting the disease take 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 lifestyle changes, giving up bad habits that worsen varicose veins and normalizing body weight.In this case, patients, as a rule, are allowed to use folk remedies, undergo treatment with leeches and take herbal medicines.If the disease continues to progress, then medications 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.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?
Exercise.More than anything else, our veins love it when we walk a lot.Standing or sitting 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 through the veins from the heels to the heart.Anything that squeezes or tightens the vessels and surrounding tissue impedes 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 "legs on legs" 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");
- wear tight belts, socks, stockings, belts, very tight jeans, tight underwear (partially squeezing the veins in the groin, knee, or because of the narrow waist, they do not allow breathing from the "belly", which almost excludes the diaphragm from the act of breathing, that is, facilitates the movement of the heart);
- overeating (overeating is always filled with extra pounds, and any excess weight in 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 facilitates the upward movement of blood, is almost unable).