Lymphovenous insufficiency (a photo of the manifestation of the pathology is presented below) of the lower extremity system is a serious disease that, if symptoms are ignored, leads to disability. Every day this disease is getting younger and more and more often it is found in people over the age of twenty. In this article, we will consider this pathology in detail, find out what factors lead to its appearance, and see what symptoms it is accompanied by. We will also find out how her treatment is currently being carried out.
Causes of pathology
Specialists highlight a list of the main factors that cause lymphovenous insufficiency:
- Presence of limb injuries along with failed surgery.
- Loss of vascular elasticity.
- The presence of blood clots and varicose veins.
- Appearance of valve dysfunction.
- Presence of congenital anomalies.
- Being obese.
- Using uncomfortable shoes, especially high heels.
The essence of the development of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities is as follows. Ninety percent of the outflow of blood is carried out through the deep veins upwards. Normal blood circulation directly depends on muscle contraction, and, in addition, on the performance of venous valves.
Muscular pressure and valves prevent blood from flowing backwards. In case of violation of any of the two conditions, venous pressure increases, the vessels are deformed and dilated, reflux occurs along with blood reflux in the opposite direction. As a result of all this, venous congestion is formed. Next, let's talk about the symptoms of this disease.
Symptomatology and features of pathology
Many people in their thirties begin to experience foot problems. Knowing the symptoms will help to recognize lymphovenous insufficiency at an early stage and allow you to take action in time. Seeing a doctor is the best way out in this situation. Only a specialist can correctly diagnose the pathology and prescribe therapy. In lymphovenous insufficiency, the symptoms are as follows:
- The presence of evening fatigue, differentiated in the legs. The occurrence of heaviness and slight swelling.
- Sudden seizures for no apparent reason.
- The occurrence of soreness in the calves.
- Presence of spider veins.
At this stage, it is enough to simply eliminate all risk factors, and the doctor can prescribedrug with a therapeutic effect. If the symptoms are ignored, their manifestation will intensify over time. Against this background, may appear:
- Puffiness, which will become a constant companion of the patient.
- The occurrence of permanent pain.
- The appearance of dry skin, often covered with age spots.
- Pathological growth in the size and number of spider veins.
As the lymphovenous insufficiency of the legs develops, the symptoms begin to appear constantly, regardless of the load and time of day. The pain can increase significantly, and swelling will spread to the entire leg. Intoxication will begin, so headaches, weakness and nausea will occur. This pathology differs in types depending on which vessels it manifests itself in.
Forms of pathology
Acute form of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities affects deep veins in patients. It is rare and does not act as an independent disease. It often develops due to the appearance of trauma, thrombosis and operations. In the presence of valvular problems, the disease affects the communicative veins due to poor functioning of the vessels. Lymphatic venous insufficiency of chronic type is the most common type of disease. It develops independently and affects the functioning of superficial veins.
Risk groups
This vascular disease is congenital due to disorders that occur during pregnancy. But often itturns out to be acquired. There are several following causes of lymphovenous insufficiency:
- Development of phlebopathy, in which there is a complex dysfunction of the veins.
- The occurrence of an injury or tumor that deforms the shape of the veins.
- Development of phlebothrombosis or varicose veins.
- The appearance of excess weight, loading the limbs.
- Presence of excessive physical activity.
- Constipation and the effects of hormonal contraception.
- Appearance of age-related changes.
First of all, as a rule, those people who lead a sedentary lifestyle suffer. Prolonged stay in an upright position, sitting or standing, without physical activity of the legs, significantly inhibits the outflow of lymph and blood circulation.
When Pregnant
Pregnant women often have a chronic form of lymphovenous insufficiency (a photo of the manifestation of the disease is presented above). The phenomena that accompany this pathology are preeclampsia along with fetal hypoxia, disruption of labor and bleeding during childbirth. Against the background of a chronic form of lymphovenous insufficiency of the limbs, pregnant women may experience complications in the form of thrombophlebitis and venous thromboembolism.
There is also the danger of death. As a rule, with this pathology, pregnant women complain of the presence of painful sensations and excessive fatigue. There are also complaints about the appearance of heaviness in the limbs,night cramps and increased edema. During pregnancy, the process of pathology therapy falls, as a rule, on the shoulders of a gynecologist. The basis of treatment is:
- Performing compression therapy.
- Using medication.
- Using local topic forms.
The biggest danger of the disease is the occurrence of trophic ulcers, in normal situations requiring mandatory surgical intervention. Conservative therapy can help improve tissue blood flow and avoid surgery. Pregnant women who are at risk need to take care of the he alth of their limbs in advance. The goal of treatment and prevention is regression and stabilization of negative changes.
Diagnosis
First of all, as part of the diagnosis, laboratory tests of blood and urine are carried out. The ease with which the red biomaterial flows through the vessels largely depends on the degree of blood viscosity. There are many research methods for determining the disease:
- Doppler technique shows the general condition of the valves along with the patency of the veins.
- Performing an ultrasound. As part of this, the diameter of the vessels is calculated, the presence of reflux is detected, and the nature of the venous flow in the blood is determined.
- In extreme cases, phlebography is performed. A special substance is injected into the bloodstream, and the doctor monitors the degree of its passage through the veins.
Symptoms of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities depend on the stage of the disease.
Stages of pathology
Signsare not the same for different stages of its development:
- At the initial stage, no pain is observed. Diagnosis at this stage is almost impossible.
- In the first stage, swelling occurs after a long walk. Conservative therapy can completely rid the patient of the disease.
- In the second stage, the swelling increases in patients and at this time it becomes much harder to get rid of it. There may be pain, cramps and heaviness in the limbs.
- At the third stage, a complete cure is no longer possible. The symptomatology that manifested itself before begins to actively progress. The functions of the legs are impaired. The processes of deformation of the joints are launched, arthrosis with arthritis occurs. Treatment at this stage is almost ineffective.
Complex of medical measures
If there are symptoms of lymphovenous insufficiency, treatment is aimed at improving blood circulation, stabilizing blood outflow, stopping pain and eliminating edema. Standard therapy typically consists of the following treatments:
- Medication use. The specialist prescribes drugs that eliminate puffiness, improve lymph circulation and increase the strength of blood vessels.
- Using compression garments. Stockings with bandages eliminate the feeling of heaviness in the legs. What else does the treatment of lymphovenous insufficiency involve?
- Physiotherapy aims to improve overall skin condition.
- Performing therapeutic massage,due to which the lymphatic outflow is normalized.
- Therapeutic exercise improves blood circulation and vascular condition.
At the last stage, the doctor may prescribe surgery.
Medicated treatment
His goals are as follows:
- Elimination of inflammatory processes.
- Improving blood circulation and microcirculation in the legs.
- Increasing the density of vessel walls.
- Improve lymph drainage.
Phlebotonics are required for a full cure in the early stages. In case of ulcers, a treatment course of antibiotics is indicated in combination with anti-inflammatory drugs and enzymes:
- Venous tone restores Detralex and Antistax.
- Non-steroidal drug "Diclofenac" eliminates the inflammatory process.
- "Aspirin" prevents the development of blood clots, as it thins the blood.
- Clemastine is a reliable antihistamine.
- The drug "Emoxipin" eliminates signs of intoxication, contributing to the speedy cleansing of the body.
All medicines and treatment regimen are prescribed by a doctor. It is permissible to use these funds at any stage of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities. Photos of the manifestation of symptoms in patients are presented in the article.
Compression therapy
During compression treatment, wearing special knitwear in the form of golf, stockings, bandages and socks is indicated. They are positiveaffect the state because:
- Due to the compression, the further progression of the disease is stopped by squeezing the superficial and perforating veins. At the same time, a large volume of blood can pass into deep veins, thereby removing the load from others.
- The trophic changes in the skin slow down.
- Improves lymphatic drainage, which prevents further edema.
But even the constant wearing of special stockings, unfortunately, does not cure the disease, but only prevents the disease from moving to a new stage. This is especially true for chronic lymphovenous insufficiency.
Methods of traditional medicine
Folk remedies support the he alth of the legs, but this does not cancel the medication. The most popular recipes are the following recommendations:
- Infuse a mixture of twisted garlic and honey for a week. The ingredients are taken in equal proportions. Take the remedy for two months three times, one spoonful before meals.
- Brew rose hips with currant leaves in equal proportions. One spoonful of the product is brewed with boiling water, and it is drunk as a tea three times before meals. Thus, a diuretic effect is produced.
- Crushed Kalanchoe leaves mixed with vodka. The medicine is insisted for seven days and used as a compress.
Treatment of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities should be comprehensive and timely.
Consequencesdiseases
Pathology is a serious and rapidly progressive disease, treatable only in the early stages. In the absence of medical control and against the background of self-treatment, this disease can easily affect the leg vein system and disrupt motor functions.
The presence of pain and cramps can also interfere with normal living. Trophic ulcers, which are characteristic of the final stage, quickly turn into erysipelas, which is practically untreatable. The result is amputation of the legs. Thrombosis can cause the development of pulmonary embolism. In addition to the physiological change, starting from the second stage, the disease affects the aesthetic appearance.
Prophylaxis
Most patients are initially predisposed to lymphovenous insufficiency of the veins of the lower extremities due to a sedentary lifestyle. In order to prevent the occurrence of this disease or slow down the negative process, you need to follow some rules:
- Moderate gymnastics is the key to leg he alth. Running perfectly improves blood circulation, saturating the entire human body with oxygen and developing endurance. Swimming can involve all the muscles in the body. Even ten-minute morning exercises have a positive effect on the overall tone.
- Hiking should become a must-have daily exercise.
- Eating wisely, people not only provide themselves with a full supply of the necessary components, but also do not overload their vessels with harmfulsubstances. You can not eat s alty and spicy. It makes sense to take vitamins regularly.
- People at risk should wear compression stockings.
- Prolonged sunbathing is strictly prohibited.
- Different foot massages, including anti-cellulite, should not be carried out without the consent of the attending physician. The active effect of massage can trigger the formation of blood clots and activate varicose veins.
In case of lymphovenous symptoms, you should immediately contact a qualified specialist. The above set of preventive measures will not be enough if the disease has already made itself known.
It is worth noting that lymphovenous insufficiency is a common disease that affects the mobility of the limbs. Severe symptoms disrupt the usual course of life, and the later stages, unfortunately, cannot be treated. The result may be amputation of the legs. A timely appeal to a specialist will certainly help not only to avoid disability, but also to fully restore the he alth of the limbs. In medicine, a whole range of effective measures is provided to improve blood circulation, and, in addition, to strengthen the vascular walls. Homemade recipes usually help, but do not eliminate the need for medication and compression stockings.
We reviewed the symptoms and treatment of lymphovenous insufficiency of the lower extremities.
