Every second woman in Russia has the word "varicose veins" on her tongue. When this word is played, associations immediately begin to appear in the head with swollen, swollen legs with bulging, tortuous burgundy-blue veins. Someone associates this disease with pregnancy, and someone with old age. Is it so? And can varicose veins be cured?
Physiology of veins
The blood in the veins in the systemic circulation flows towards the heart, as opposed to the lesser circulation. Since, reading this article, we are interested in the veins in the legs, many may ask an interesting question: how does blood move from bottom to top? Or what makes it move against gravity? There are several reasons for this phenomenon:
- The work of veno-muscular pumps. The mechanism itself is performed by the muscles of the lower leg. For example, when walking, the calf muscles take an active part in the movements. With their tension during repulsion from the ground, they are literallymeaning they squeeze venous blood into the deep veins of the leg. During relaxation, the blood fills the veins and venous sinuses again.
- Negative pressure in the right atrium. The atrium contains veins through which blood flows to the heart. During atrial contraction, blood enters the ventricle and negative pressure is formed in the first. With its help, the blood is "absorbed", which contributes to its advancement even from the lower extremities.
- Physiological structure of veins. On the venous walls there are valves resembling the shape of a month, with a convex part downwards. With the flow of blood upwards, they diverge, forming a passage, but there is no way back - the valves close. Thanks to this system, the blood does not have the opportunity to go lower than it is. Therefore, if the previous two systems do not work for some reason, then the blood will remain in the place where it was.
Definition
Varicosis develops due to stagnation of blood in the superficial veins of the lower extremities. In a constant excess of fluid volume, the venous wall simply stretches, forming a kind of "bags". Remembering the third mechanism of the outflow of blood upwards, we can conclude that in the expanded state, the valves of the vessel will not reach each other, the blood will stagnate in the venous system of the lower limb. As a result, the volume of fluid increases, the veins stretch more and more.
Main reasons
- Heredity. Regrettably, this disease is inherited and can begindevelop from adolescence. Therefore, if a mother/grandmother in the family has varicose veins, then the likelihood of its development is very high and it is worth following the recommendations for preventing its development.
- Overweight.
- "Standing" lifestyle. Varicose veins are sometimes called the disease of salespeople, because they are supposed to stand while working. The veno-muscular pumps do not work, it is difficult for blood to pull up without help. Thus begins stagnation.
- High-heeled shoes also put pressure on the vessels of the legs.
- Pregnancy.
- Taking COCs (combined oral contraceptives). They have the peculiarity of thickening the blood, so gynecologists do not prescribe this group of drugs to women with a predisposition or with already developed varicose veins.
Prevention
Disease is always easier to prevent than to cure. Therefore, for women with a predisposition to this disease, this topic is especially relevant:
- Motor activity. We have already discussed the importance of muscle work. Therefore, during standing work, physical activity is recommended. For example, do a couple of circles around your workplace or roll from heel to toe while standing.
- Do not sit cross-legged. There is a possibility of squeezing the vessel.
- Weight control.
- Do not take contraceptives unless prescribed for medical purposes. In the 21st century, there is a huge choice of effective contraception, which does not adversely affect the body.
- Don't wear high shoes too oftenheels.
- If there is heaviness in the legs at the end of the working day, you need to lift the legs up with a pillow or roller. This will contribute to the outflow of blood and improve the condition.
Symptoms
- The first and most informative symptom is heaviness in the legs. Everyone experienced this feeling, but this does not mean at all that everyone around suffers from varicose veins. Of course, heaviness is formed due to stagnation of blood, but if this is a rare occurrence, since it is not a symptom of pathology. This condition does not develop in 1-2 days, it is a long and constantly progressive disease that takes time.
- Swelling in the legs.
- The appearance of spider veins is the initial stage. Further, if the recommendations are not followed, you can already see dilated veins.
Complications
- Thrombophlebitis - thrombosis followed by inflammation of the vein.
- Trophic ulcers.
- Bleeding from a vein.
Can varicose veins be cured?
The listed symptoms and complications are not only unpleasant, but also frightening. It is unlikely that anyone will want to meet this disease face to face. But if it occurs, can varicose veins be cured? Consider the main methods of treatment.
Phlebectomy
This is a classic old method that removes diseased veins that are no longer amenable to another method of treatment. Promotes normalization of outflow of blood and external cosmetic effect. The operation is completely painless and safe, but for each surgical intervention there are general andindividual contraindications, which the phlebologist warns about at the consultation. Is it possible to completely cure varicose veins with this method? Unfortunately, no, because you cannot cut off all the affected veins and you will have to use a different method of treatment. Can varicose veins be cured without surgery? Consider further.
Sclerotherapy
This is an advanced and highly effective treatment method. It is carried out by introducing special preparations into the cavity of an enlarged vein using a fine game. The drugs have a sclerosing effect, that is, when they are injected into a vein, it "sticks together".
This procedure is very common in the world of cosmetology. More often it is used not as a method of treatment, but as a way to get rid of external imperfections - spider veins, which can especially confuse the female half of the population. During the doctor's work, the vessels "melt" right before our eyes, which indicates high efficiency. But, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that the stars will not appear again. An unpleasant complication can be age spots at the site of sclerosis.
Endovenous laser photocoagulation
Minimally invasive and effective treatment method. The effect of this method is almost the same as sclerotherapy, but only with the help of a laser. The operation is carried out by puncture (puncture) of the vein and the introduction of a light guide into it. After that, the stage of anesthesia takes place, an anesthetic is injected into the vein itself.
Further, the light guide is stretched and the radiation energy is converted into heat and the vessel is simply "soldered". After treatmentspider veins or small superficial veins called microvarices may appear. You can easily get rid of them by the previous described method.
Radiofrequency ablation
The treatment method is almost the same as the previous one. The difference lies in the subject of exposure: if a laser is used during coagulation, then radio frequency radiation is used during ablation. There are no advantages over laser coagulation, but the price will "bite" compared to the previous method, because waveguides are much more expensive.
Treatment with folk methods
This phrase most often causes two reactions: some people think that it is a myth and completely ineffective, while others do not hide the belief in the positive effect of traditional medicine on the body. For example, is it possible to cure varicose veins with laundry soap? It would seem - funny, but no such luck.
Laundry soap
It, like any soap, has its own characteristics: an alkaline environment and animal / vegetable fats in the composition. Vegetable acids contribute to the thinning of blood in the veins, and koalin, which is a type of white clay, helps to strengthen the vascular wall and the skin as a whole. Is it possible to cure varicose veins on the legs using only soap? And how to use it?
There are many recipes for using soap, but alas, not all of them are effective. The simplest and most effective option is a foot massage with soap suds. Before starting the procedure itself, you need to help your legs a little: lie down withraised legs for the outflow of stagnant venous blood from the lower extremities. The most comfortable option would be to lie down on the bed and throw your legs up against the wall.
Then they are lathered with laundry soap, moving from bottom to top. After that, the massage itself begins: slowly moving up, with stroking and squeezing movements, we begin to push out the blood. If desired, the soap solution can be diluted with essential oils to taste or bought ready-made in the center of vertebrology.
Hirudotherapy
This branch of medicine was practiced in ancient Egypt and is still used today. The main object of treatment is a leech. It releases many biologically active substances into the human bloodstream. The most famous of them is hirudin, which has the ability to thin the blood. Other substances have anti-inflammatory, analgesic and anticoagulant effects. An ideal combination for the treatment of vein pathologies. But can leeches cure varicose veins?
This procedure is more suitable as an additional to the main course of treatment. It can be used at any stage of the development of the disease. On the topic "can varicose veins be cured?" customer reviews of different clinics are about the same: using only this method of treatment, the symptoms are significantly weakened, the pain goes away, but for a short time and you still have to turn to specialists for more serious help.
Opinions of phlebologists are divided about this procedure. Half of the doctors consider hirudotherapy ineffective, arguing thatthat the main reason for the development of pathology is the weakening of the venous valves and no leech can affect it. The other half argue that it will not be superfluous as a complex therapy, since the substances secreted by the leech are able to thin blood clots, which is a common complication of varicose veins.
When deciding to conduct a course of hirudotherapy, it should be borne in mind that its results are completely dependent on the specialist who conducted it. Similar to acupuncture, leeches are applied to specific points around the affected vein. The course of treatment is about 10 visits with a session duration of up to 40 minutes. As a preparation for the procedure, do not use flavored products, smoke, take alcohol or hot baths and eat fatty foods immediately before the appointment.
Coming to the end, the question remains: is it possible to cure varicose veins forever? It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism and on the degree of development of this disease. But, as has been said many times, this is a disease that damages the valves, not the veins themselves. Therefore, in most cases, you can only slow down the stage of development of this pathology.
