Varicose veins are popularly called varicose veins – a disease characterized by the deformation of the veins, reducing their elasticity and impaired blood flow.
Causes of varicose veins
The disease occurs in approximately 10% of the world's population, and in most women after 30 years.
Women are more prone to varicose veins than men, as hormonal balance often changing in a natural way. The most dangerous periods: puberty, pregnancy and the postpartum period, menopause.
Mainly affects the lower limbs, namely, the rear surface of the knee joints, calf muscles.
The causes of the swelling veins on the legs can be the following:
- Obesity (most often). This is due to the pressure of excess weight on the blood vessels of the lower extremities;
- Pregnancy. Excessive load in this period can lead to illness;
- Long stay on his feet. For this reason, the disease develops in those who are forced to stand for long periods, for example, sellers, hairdressers, etc.;
- Tumors of the pelvic organs. They can compress the iliac veins, than to impede the flow of blood;
- Disease of the venous wall It is accompanied by a growth of connective tissue, seal the walls, deterioration of blood flow and formation of blood clots;
- Congenital insufficiency of venous valves, the reverse flow of blood in the legs.
Symptoms of varicose veins of the lower extremities
This disease can develop very long, up to decades. The initial stages are asymptomatic. Sometimes the person may feel heaviness after long standing, aching and cramps of the calves.
Later stages appear symptomatic:
- A bluish, bulging through the skin, knotted veins;
- Swelling of the calf in the evening;
- Pain, burning, heat in the course of the affected vessels;
- Seizures at night;
- Hyperpigmentation and thinning of the skin;
- Itching.
How to cure varicose veins the legs?
The earlier you begin treatment, the more successful the result. Approach to the treatment of disease comprehensive: treatment includes physiotherapy, medications, and diet.
Massage
This procedure effectively improves blood circulation in the veins. To perform the massage should only be a specialist, because improper conduct can only worsen the disease.
To get rid of knots helps the following exercise: stand on your toes lifting off the floor one inch, and then sharply down on the heels. Repeat it up to 50 times and perform up to 5 times a day. Exercise strengthens blood vessels, purifies them. When executed, tense muscles of the lower leg, respectively, the blood is squeezed through the veins above.
Bandaging
The affected varicose veins of the limbs are wrapped in special bandages. This allows you to stop the progress of disease, reduce the symptoms. With the same purpose, there are special elastic stockings.
Drug therapies
The complex therapy includes painkillers, anti-inflammatory, blood-thinning drugs, and vitamins. Medication may be prescribed only by a doctor. Haphazard use of drugs can harm the body.
Phlebotonics is venotonic remedies. They restore the tone of veins, thereby increasing blood circulation; relieve burning, swelling, heaviness, cramping. They can be used for prevention, but tablets is prohibited during pregnancy and lactation.
Blood thinners reduce the risk of blood clots.
Varicose veins requires the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory.
Special ointments
Without a prescription in virtually every pharmacy you can buy products for external use: ointments, gels, creams veins. These complement the complex treatment. It should be noted that such never is the mainstay of therapy.
Surgery
In severe cases, when the disease has gone too far, resorting to surgical procedures: varicose vein excised.
Treatment diet
Patients shown to eat foods that are rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals and low in cholesterol. Useful substances strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase their elasticity. It is recommended to enter in the menu more seafood (shrimp, squid, sea fish, seaweed), fermented milk, fresh fruit. To limit or eliminate from the diet should be broths, marinades, meats, alcohol and coffee.
Weight control
Obesity – the most common cause deformation of the veins. If you don't reduce weight, then the treatment will not give long term result.
The correct alternation of work and rest
Patients it is helpful to lie with a pillow under your feet. When the lower limbs above the trunk, they are easier blood pours. Of course, you can't abuse the rest as a sedentary lifestyle also affects the body not the best way.
How to treat varicose veins: folk remedies
The use of herbs
At home you can use many recipes. For example, a very effective herbal baths: they improve blood circulation, tone the blood vessels. It is best to use for these purposes, the oak bark, chamomile, series, St. John's wort, plantain.
If the disease is complicated with eczema or venous ulcers, we can make compresses with olive oil and sea-buckthorn, honey, aloe Vera juice. Compresses do heals.
Horse chestnut varicose veins
The infusion of horse chestnut is probably the most well-known folk remedy for varicose veins in the legs. It easy to prepare it at home: pour 50 grams of the flowers ½ liter of alcohol and leave for 14 days, shaking daily. Then the infusion is filtered and taken orally thrice a day after meals. The course of therapy is 7 days, then a break for 2 weeks.
The benefits of green tomato
Before bedtime to the affected areas of veins make green tomato slices and fix them with a bandage. In the morning they are removed. If you make such packs throughout the year, venous lump will become softer, and then completely disappear.
Secret green tomatoes hiding in lycopene – a powerful antioxidant that reduces the risk of stroke / heart attack, improves elasticity of blood vessels and protects them from free radicals. Lycopene prevents atherosclerotic plaque, clogged arteries.
Treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities nutmeg
Nuts ground into a powder. One little spoonful is dissolved in 200 ml of hot water, add a little honey and leave for 30 minutes. Drink a glass one hour before Breakfast and the same amount in 2 hours.
First results visible already after a month. Nutmeg has analgesic properties, prevents stagnation and improves the healing of venous ulcers.
As a complication can cause varicose veins of the legs
Although the disease progresses slowly and responds well to early treatment, it can become a challenge. Stagnation of blood leads to malnutrition of the skin, resulting in pathologically changed: appears eczema, trophic ulcers, necrosis.
If not treated varicose veins of the lower extremities, the eczema becomes chronic, the legs will be covered with healing wounds; the vessels are greatly bulge will become knotted, a "public stones" — calcification of the thrombus.
Nodes can rupture, causing bleeding. Swelling of the legs is able to grow and lead to "elephantiasis".
Prevention of varicose veins
Prevention is a whole complex of methods. This helps to prevent the development of disease.
- The alternation of work and rest. It is especially important to those who have a hereditary predisposition to pathology;
- If you want to sit a lot, is to frequently change the body position;
- Can't sit up, laying one leg over the other;
- Closet should exclude things that compress the legs, groin area, waist;
- Shows a long slow walk in comfortable shoes. The heel is allowed to wear the most rarely;
- To avoid constipation, as they increase the pressure of blood in the pelvis;
- Cycling improves heart function and blood vessels;
- Swimming;
- Morning or evening exercise;
- Hirudotherapy, if necessary;
- Normalization and weight control;
- Balanced diet;
- Avoiding harmful habits;
- Contrast shower;
- Adherence drink about 1 ½ liters of water per day;
- Exercises that promote blood flow;
- Increased tone of the venous wall. In these purposes, using traditional recipes and medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Do not ignore the first, while more subtle symptoms of the disease. It is better to appeal to phlebologist and therapy. Otherwise the disease will cause a lot of trouble.
The materials on this page are for informational purposes only and is intended for educational purposes. Website visitors should not use them as medical advice. Definition diagnosis and choice of treatment remains the exclusive prerogative of your doctor.