What are varicose veins: their symptoms and treatment

Vascular diseases pose a serious threat to human health and even life. Among them are varicose veins. This pathology in the international classification of diseases (ICD 10) is defined by code number 183. The fight against this disease is a very laborious process and requires a lot of effort from the patient himself. What is varicose veins? Lower limb disease is a pathological process, during the development of which there is damage to the blood vessels of the legs, which is manifested in the form of their expansion, tortuosity, as well as the occurrence of irreversible changes in the valve apparatus (anatomical structures that prevent the non-physiological blood flow). As a result, a person can develop valvular insufficiency of the veins.

In the early stages of varicose veins, symptoms are characterized by the formation of nodules in the venous network or spider veins, increase in the size of the saphenous veins, pain and heaviness in the legs. In the event of disease progression, symptoms of chronic venous circulatory insufficiency of a chronic nature (e. g. swelling of the leg, foot, trophic ulcers, cramps in the calf muscles, thrombophlebitis and damage to altered blood vessels) are added to the overall clinical picture.

Sometimes, if a person has some congenital diseases, swelling can occur not only in the veins of the legs, but also in the vessels of certain internal organs. For example, the development of portal hypertension often causes vasodilation of the esophagus, and when a varicocele occurs, capillary varices of the spermatic cord are seen.

Regardless of the location of the pathological process, there is a hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of an increase in capillaries, the appearance of which is associated with the presence of congenital weakness of the vascular walls in humans and insufficiency of venous valves. At the same time, varicose veins in men, based on medical statistics, are formed a little less often compared to female representatives. At any stage of varicose veins, treatment has many nuances and takes a long time.

Causes that contribute to the development of the disease

A vascular disease, such as varicose veins of the lower extremities, can have many predisposing factors. The most common of them are:

1. hereditary predisposition. As a result of the lack of connective tissue in the human body, a weakening of the tone of the vascular walls may occur, which, in turn, will contribute to the expansion of the venous system of the legs.

2. The presence of excessive body weight.
3. Pregnancy. In this case, pathology may appear due to an increase in the volume of blood circulating through the body and squeezing through the uterus from the vessels located behind the abdominal cavity.
4. malnutrition. The possibility of developing the disease increases in those people whose diet does not contain raw vegetables and fruits or with a small amount of their consumption.
5. hormonal imbalance. Scientists have proved that with prolonged use of drugs with hormonal substances in their composition, they can negatively affect not only the human hormonal background, but also the state of blood vessels.
6. sedentary lifestyle. For example, a long stay of the body in the same sitting or standing position contributes to the development of congestive disorders in the bloodstream of the lower extremities. In addition, prolonged use of corsets, which cause an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, has an adverse effect on the vascular system of the legs. The same harmful effect is caused by tight clothing at the top and bottom, compressing the arteries located in the region of the inguinal folds.
7. psychosomatic factor. The constant impact on a person of strong stressful situations.

Clinical manifestations of the pathology

The symptoms and treatment of varicose veins completely depend on the stage of development of the disease. Sometimes, some patients, even before the onset of visual symptoms of varicose veins, may complain of heaviness in the legs, increased fatigue, pain in the ankle area. In addition, there is the possibility of developing telangiectasias.

The initial stage is characterized by the absence of venous flow disturbances. Often, the disease can proceed to the compensatory stage, which is expressed in the form of an asymptomatic development of the pathological process. In this case, most patients are not even aware of the presence of varicose veins, so they simply do not go to the doctor.

With the progression of the disease, a person has the first well-defined signs of varicose veins, which have the following manifestations:

1. Transient pain syndrome, swelling, which are formed mainly during prolonged stay of the body in an upright position. Such symptoms disappear immediately after the person takes a supine position.
2. Constant feeling of heaviness in the lower extremities, pain of a dull nature, fatigue of the legs and convulsions, which appear mainly at night.
3. Itchy skin. This manifestation of vascular disease becomes more pronounced at night and indicates the development of trophic disorders (deterioration in the nutrition of epidermal tissues, manifested in the form of ulcerative neoplasms that form on their surface). Pathological changes in the dermis are often located on the front and inside of the ankle.
4. When performing an external examination of the patient's legs, the doctor detects a sufficiently large swelling of the capillaries and a generalized violation of venous circulation. In some cases, varicose veins are accompanied by severe dizziness and loss of consciousness, which occur as a result of a sharp drop in blood pressure.
5. The skin in the area of deterioration of blood circulation processes becomes tight, rough and dry.

The method of treating the disease

How to deal with varicose veins? In the fight against this disease, three main treatment regimens are used:

1. Conservative therapy. How to remove varicose veins conservatively? This method of eliminating the disease includes following general recommendations, ie maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical education, wearing elastic bandages and compression stockings. In addition, the patient is given certain phlebotonic drugs. It is impossible to treat varicose veins with conservative therapy alone, as this method of eliminating the disease cannot completely restore dilated vessels;

2. compression sclerotherapy. This method of eliminating the pathology involves introducing a special drug into the dilated vein. As a result, a spasm occurs in the affected vessel, after which a compression stocking is placed on the patient's leg, which keeps it in the resulting state. After 3 days, the walls of the vein begin to stick together. The patient needs to wear this sock for 1 month - until dense adhesions form. Treatment of varicose veins without surgery is prescribed only for patients who do not have an advanced stage of the pathological process.
3. Surgery. How to treat varicose veins with surgery? To eliminate vascular pathology operatively, a large number of surgical techniques are used, including microsurgery, laser and radiofrequency coagulation of veins. How to get rid of varicose veins through the use of surgery? Surgical treatment of the disease involves the complete removal of the affected vessels.

Can varicose veins be cured without surgery? Specialists say that it is possible to do without excision of dilated veins, but only on condition that the disease is not in an advanced stage, when it is not possible to restore normal blood circulation in the lower extremities.

Its effectiveness will also depend on which therapy to use, so the patient should not neglect the course of treatment prescribed by the doctor, but fully follow all the doctor's recommendations.