Varicose veins in the legs are a chronic disease. The causes of varicose veins can be hereditary factors, a passive lifestyle, high loads on the legs and blood vessels. Varicose veins are common during pregnancy.
In pregnant women, the load on the legs increases, edema is common, and against this background there may be blood clots and other problems with blood vessels that lead to varicose veins.
At the first symptoms of varicose veins (swollen veins, venous network on the legs, severe swelling of the legs, pain in the legs and feet), you should consult a phlebologist. A thorough examination is needed to establish the diagnosis and grade of varicose veins. After receiving the necessary data, the doctor will explain how to treat varicose veins on the legs and prescribe the necessary drugs and procedures.
Which specialist treats varicose veins?
When varicose veins occur, many patients do not know which doctor treats varicose veins? All vascular diseases are treated by a phlebologist. The phlebologist is a narrow medical specialization that includes the diagnosis and treatment of pathological venous diseases.
Of course, a phlebologist should not be consulted if varicose veins are in an advanced stage. It is advisable to have a personal phlebologist who can identify the development of venous disease early on and prescribe treatment.
If you have varicose veins, it is advisable to contact a vein specialist - phlebologist
Methods of treating varicose veins
Varicose veins belong to the number of unpleasant and dangerous diseases, for the effective healing of which various means are used. How To Treat Varicose Veins? Varicose veins can be treated by choosing one of several methods.
The choice of treatment for varicose veins depends on the degree of complexity of the disease and the individual characteristics of the human body. The procedure for treating varicose veins needs to be agreed with your doctor. Among the methods of combating venous diseases in the legs, the following effective methods can be distinguished:
Sclerotherapy
The essence of this technique is that a special substance (sclerosant) is injected into the diseased veins with a thin needle.
Sclerosant that gets into a vein causes its walls to stick and the removal of the affected vessel from the general network of blood ducts on the legs.
Sclerotherapy helps remove small varicose veins in 3-5 weeks, and after three months, large varicose veins and bumps go away.
Surgical removal of veins (phlebectomy)
This technique is used for severe neglect of varicose veins. Surgical operation is performed when varicose veins lead to the appearance of large lumps and seals in the vessels and provoke the appearance of huge blood clots. A major disadvantage of surgery for varicose veins is scars and scars on the skin.
Laser therapy for varicose veins is used as a convenient and absolutely painless method for dealing with varicose veins. The laser acts on the affected vessel on the same principle as sclerotherapy. The walls of blood vessels under the influence of laser beams are soldered, but it will take a long time before varicose veins are effectively treated. A positive aspect of laser therapy for varicose veins is the lack of scars on the skin.
Hirudotherapy or treatment of varicose veins with leeches. Leeches for varicose veins are widely used by followers of natural medicine. This does not mean that the hirudotherapy technique is effective, it has many disadvantages. To get a noticeable effect of hirudotherapy, you need to go through several courses, each of which includes 8 sessions. Treatment of varicose veins with leeches can be effective only in the initial stages of vascular disease.
Prevention of varicose veins
Varicose veins begin to manifest themselves in the form of severe or episodic pain in the legs, the appearance of a network of vessels on the skin of the legs and protruding veins with a blue tinge.
It is advisable to warn varicose veins in advance rather than looking for different healing modalities. Here are some precautions you can take to prevent varicose veins from developing.
- Avoid tight and uncomfortable shoes with high heels. Uncomfortable shoes in the vessels of the legs increase pressure, which leads to the formation of blood clots and the development of varicose veins.
- Regular exercise can help you avoid varicose veins. It is advisable to set aside time for hiking, running, dancing, and swimming each day. Varicose veins most commonly develop in salespeople, hairdressers, and flight attendants. Why is this trend being observed? During the day, the legs of people in such professions are subject to heavy static loads from standing for long periods of time. As a result, the development of varicose veins.
- It is necessary to constantly monitor body weight, since it is the extra pounds that increase the load on the vessels of the legs and increase blood pressure on the walls.
- It is advisable to regularly walk barefoot on various rough surfaces (pebbles, sand, dry grass). In this way, effective tightening of the veins in the legs is achieved, while at the same time the muscles of the legs relax and have a good rest.
- Do not often consume salty and spicy foods, alcoholic drinks. All spicy and salty foods contribute to the formation of blood clots in the vessels and the development of varicose veins. You can dilute thick blood with plain water or unsalted tomato juice.
- Varicose veins often provoke the development of such an unpleasant phenomenon as cellulite. How to treat cellulite with varicose veinsFor a patient with varicose veins, a number of procedures are contraindicated to effectively combat cellulite. Therefore, the doctor must choose an individual treatment plan for varicose veins that will indicate the method of dealing with the resulting cellulite. For varicose veins, it is permissible to use a limited number of procedures to get rid of the signs of cellulite. These treatments include blue clay foot wraps, contrast water treatments, swimming, and brisk walking. With varicose veins, exposure to high temperatures on the affected areas of the legs is extremely undesirable. For this reason, it is necessary to avoid heat packs in the fight against cellulite. With varicose veins, you can not visit the bathhouse and sauna, go to the solarium and massage the affected areas of the legs with swollen veins. Exercise loads are contraindicated for varicose veins. Therefore, people suffering from varicose veins cannot get rid of cellulite through strenuous exercise.
Varicose veins - when to see a doctor?
The first symptoms of early varicose veins should be a signal to see a doctor. The main signs of the development of varicose veins are:
- Heaviness and fatigue in the legs, swelling of the legs.
- Night cramps in the calf muscles.
- Burning and pain in the legs.
- Vein distension
- The appearance of small spider veins or large swollen vessels on the surface of the skin.
Varicose veins cannot only appear on the lower limbs. Also known are varicose veins of the pelvis, varicose veins of the uterus, varicose veins of the esophagus or genitals. The symptoms of developing any of these types of varicose veins include:
- Severe pain in the lower abdomen
- Bloated inguinal veins
- Uncomfortable discharge from the genitals
- Pain during intercourse
- Pain in the sacrum and lower back that increase with the onset of menstruation
- Disorders in the menstrual cycle, prolonged menstruation with smeared discharge.
The symptoms listed are not specific, they can indicate other diseases. In any case, if varicose veins are suspected, it is better to visit a competent specialist who will make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the necessary procedures.
Diagnosis of varicose veins
Diagnostic measures to determine the degree of varicose veins are carried out by the doctor from the time the patient is used. If the initial stage of varicose veins is diagnosed, treatment is conservative. Therefore, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed if varicose veins are suspected.
For an accurate diagnosis of varicose veins and the degree of their complication, a comprehensive examination is carried out using laboratory and hardware techniques. The patient must pass the tests required to perform clinical and laboratory tests and undergo a number of procedures.
In particular, it is necessary to carry out a triplex ultrasound, an ultrasound dopplerography of blood vessels, and to carry out a minimally invasive assessment of the venous blood flow. For an accurate diagnosis, you will need to take an x-ray of the veins (a special procedure that involves injecting a radiopaque contrast agent into the diseased vein) to look at the pressure in the veins over time.
Based on the results obtained, the phlebologist can draw a comprehensive conclusion about the presence of varicose veins to varying degrees.
Traditional medicine for varicose veins
Varicose veins are a common disease that, in most cases, cannot be treated with conventional medicines.
Varicose veins are common in pregnant women who shouldn't be taking strong medication.
That is why the treatment of varicose veins at home with proven traditional medicine is increasingly being practiced.
- With varicose veins, it helps to boil hop cones, which should be drunk three times a day with one glass each. Chopped hop cones (1 tablespoon) need to pour boiling water and insist a little.
- Apple cider vinegar for the treatment of varicose veins is used both externally and internally. Drink apple cider vinegar diluted with water, one tablespoon a day. The areas of the legs affected by varicose veins are rubbed with pure apple cider vinegar, if there are no lesions and ulcers on the skin.
- Before bedtime, grated raw potatoes or finely chopped green tomatoes can be applied to swollen veins and bumps.
- For the treatment of varicose veins with folk remedies, you can prepare a special ointment from the collection of herbs. You need to take a teaspoon of dried herbs made from chamomile, St. John's wort, chicory, coltsfoot, and meadowsweet. The entire collection of herbs is poured with water in an amount of 1 ml and put on fire until boiling. After cooking, you need to add badger fat to the composition. For a week, the ointment should be applied to areas of the legs with swollen veins, wrapping the legs with plastic wrap.
Treatment with folk remedies does not always have a lasting effect on varicose veins, but effectively strengthens the veins and vessels of the legs. Alternative treatment for varicose veins can be used when drug options are not available.
You can reduce the risk of developing varicose veins by following proper diet and exercising regularly. Varicose veins can be completely cured by surgical interventions that are performed after a full examination by a phlebologist.