Varicose veins of the lower extremities is a chronic disease, which is accompanied by cluster vasodilation of the legs. The main causes of varicose veins are hereditary predisposition, excessive exercise or a sedentary lifestyle. Women are more prone to this disease, especially after childbirth. In males, varicose veins in the legs may be due to the presence of arteriovenous messages.
When the first signs of varicose veins appear, which include visible nodular changes in the blood vessels, pain and swelling of the legs and feet, it is advisable to consult a doctor. After the examination and the correct diagnosis, the doctor will determine how to treat varicose veins in the legs in each case.
Conservative therapy
Conservative therapy of varicose veins is quite diverse and can only reduce the manifestations of this disease, but not cure the cause.
Diet and compression
Special exercises for varicose veins that anyone can do at home. They are aimed at strengthening the leg muscles, which helps keep the veins in good shape. Among the most effective are:
- Bicycle: lying on your back, alternately move your legs in a circular motion.
- Throw a tennis or baseball on the floor with your feet. If you use a special massage ball, you can improve microcirculation.
- When standing on tiptoes, the calf muscle is well trained, which compresses varicose veins.
- Swimming with a board will help keep all the leg muscles in excellent physical shape with minimal stress.
Being overweight, rich in fiber and limiting the intake of animal fats and carbohydrates, reduces stress on the legs and can be successfully used to treat varicose veins at home.
Knitwear (knee socks, stockings) for the treatment of varicose veins differs in the degree of compression. To install it properly at home, you often need to use special devices. It is necessary to wear underwear during the day, removing it only at night. The principle of action is based on external compression of varicose veins of the legs and improvement of blood flow. Instead of a medical jersey, you can use a regular elastic bandage to treat varicose veins, which is spirally wound from the fingertips to the middle of the thigh with a heel grip. It is important that the new bend overlaps the previous one by at least half.
A pneumatic massager, which is a cuff into which air is supplied under pressure, can be effective in treating varicose veins in the early stages of the disease. In this case, the compression method is used, which improves blood circulation and reduces edema. You can use this device at home.
Medications
It is desirable to treat varicose veins on the legs with ointments and tablets only at the beginning of the disease or with the development of complications.
The main classes of drugs include:
- Verotonics increases the tone of the veins, relieves edema and improves the outflow of peripheral blood.
- Drugs that improve microcirculation are effective when taken orally or in the form of drops.
- Antiplatelet agents that prevent the formation of blood clots.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and swelling in varicose veins.
The use of all medications must be agreed with the doctor, as there is a possibility of side effects.
It is impossible to cure varicose veins with traditional methods, you can only slow down the process and delay the appearance of serious complications, for example, thrombophlebitis.
When surgery is indicated
Surgical treatment of varicose veins does not always involve open surgery. Thanks to modern advances, there is the possibility of outpatient removal of varicose veins on the legs. The most commonly used methods of radical treatment are:
- Sclerotherapy is based on the introduction of a substance into the lumen of the affected vein, which is beautiful and excludes it from the systemic circulation. This method is suitable for vessels of small diameter in the initial stages of the disease. The recurrence rate reaches 30%.
- Radiofrequency ablation and laser ablation are modern and effective treatments that destroy the inner lining of the vein. It is performed under local anesthesia and leaves no marks on the skin.
- Phlebectomy - direct removal of a vein, performed through small incisions. This method allows you to cure varicose veins, but gradually it disappears in the background, because the operation is quite traumatic, and the rehabilitation period is long.
How traditional medicine can help
Varicose veins on the legs are a fairly common problem, including for pregnant women, for whom conventional treatment is contraindicated. That is why so many recipes for folk remedies have been created that alleviate the manifestations of this disease at home:
- Decoction of ordinary hops is taken in a glass three times a day. To prepare it, you need to take a tablespoon of crushed cones and pour boiling water over it.
- When treating with apple cider vinegar, you should rub your feet with them every day for a month and drink one teaspoon dissolved in water at the same time.
- You can apply sliced green tomatoes or grated raw potatoes on the hardened buds overnight.
- The substances that make up horse chestnut have a tonic effect on the veins. To prepare a liter of tincture, you need to pour vodka 50 g of inflorescences for two weeks. Drink 2 tablespoons three times a day.
- To make an effective ointment, you need to take a teaspoon of dried St. John's wort, coltsfoot, chamomile, meadow and chicory, pour with 100 ml of water, boil and mix with badger fat. Apply three times a day a week under a plastic bandage.
Our grandmothers ’recipes are not always effective, but they allow to treat varicose veins at home, when there is no other option. Do not abuse it, it is better to contact a vascular surgeon for examination and treatment.
Hereditary factors, improper lifestyle and excessive stress on the legs play an important role in the development of varicose veins. Exercise and diet can reduce the likelihood of this condition and slow the onset of symptoms. But varicose veins can only be cured by surgery after a complete examination.