Varicose veins are a disease based on the irreversible enlargement of the diameter of the veins and the loss of function of the venous valves.
Where is the second heart?
To understand the causes of varicose veins, it is necessary to turn to the peculiarities of the structure and functioning of the venous system.
Veins refer to the blood vessels that carry blood from tissues and organs. Unlike arteries, which move blood from the heart and distribute it from top to bottom, most veins in the body flow from bottom to top. The main driving force in the arteries is the energy produced by the heart's contraction. On the way to the organs, it is almost completely consumed and is unable to return a steady blood supply to the heart.
The structural features of the venous system help maintain adequate circulation. They can be divided into:
- Center;
- Peripheral.
The central blood pressure is the residual blood pressure, which is delivered to the veins after the blood has passed through the arterial system, and the suction action of the diaphragm. It is a muscular septum that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdomen. The great veins pass through the diaphragm. When you inhale, it goes down, compressing the venous vessels, and when you exhale, it rises. These movements work like a pump, helping blood flow through the veins to the heart.
Peripheral factors include:
- venous muscle pump;
- venous valves;
- venous tone.
The role of these elements in the blood is so great that they are dubbed the second heart of the body.. . . Dysfunction of any of them can be the starting point leading to the development of varicose veins.
Intravenous muscle pump
The main force that causes blood to move from the organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles surrounding the veins. This is the so-called muscle-venous pump. During walking and movement, the muscle fibers contract, leading to a narrowing of the lumen, so that blood is forced into the upper parts.
Vein valve
To prevent blood from flowing backwards when the muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. They are the outward growths on the inner surface of the vessel wall, which is a thin elastic sheet. The vanes point towards the heart.
The principle of their operation is as follows: when the muscle fibers relax and blood tends to flow back under the action of gravity, it will enter the space created by the valve leaflet and the vessel wall. The pressure created by the blood in this area causes the valves to close, preventing blood from flowing back.
Venous Melodies
Venous tone ensures maintenance and regulation of vascular capacity. It is supplied by the connective tissue and muscle fibers that make up the vein wall. Special neurons, located in the thickness of blood vessels, respond to blood pressure by sending signals to muscle cells and connective tissue fibers. The lumen of the veins is reduced, so blood moves back to the heart.
Therefore, the stable functioning of the venous system depends on the correct functioning of all its constituent parts. Understanding these mechanisms means helping to treat varicose veins most effectively.
Between cause and effect
To date, there is no single theory for the development of varicose veins. The biggest difficulty is separating the direct cause of the disease and the conditions that only contribute to its manifestation.
Varicose veins are a hereditary disease that manifests itself only when exposed to certain adverse factors.
In people prone to varicose veins, a congenital disorder of the structure of the vessel wall and a decrease in the number of valves is found. As a result, the two most important mechanisms of blood flow from the organs to the heart are affected: venous tone decreases and the valve apparatus fails to function.
The simple development of the disease in this case is as follows. Blood, pushed through the vessels by muscle contraction, tends to go down during the relaxation phase of the muscle fibers under gravity. In cases where there are few venous valves or their valves are not able to effectively block the lumen, blood will flow back into the lower segments. With insufficient elasticity and elasticity of the vein wall, the diameter of the vessel becomes markedly dilated. As a result, the valve nodes move further apart, allowing a larger volume of blood to flow down. A pathological vicious cycle develops. This is varicose veins.
However, in a healthy body, even in the presence of congenital changes in the venous vessels, the development of the disease does not occur. For this mechanism to work, one or more adverse factors must be at play. Including:
- Lifestyle;
- lower motivation;
- fat;
- hormone imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle features lead to increased pressure in the veins, which leads to increased stress on the vessel walls.
This is often observed when standing or sitting for long periods of time and during work that involves constant weight lifting. The development of varicose veins is provoked by tight underwear, jeans, which compress the large veins at the level of the inguinal folds. Diet is also important: consume refined foods, do not include fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily menu - a source of fiber. Such a diet leads to constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure.
Hypodynamia
As you know, the muscle is the second heart of the vein, due to contraction, the vessel wall is compressed and the blood moves. With a sedentary lifestyle, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The degree of muscle growth also plays an important role - the more developed the muscles, the easier the job of promoting qi. This is the reason why varicose veins rarely occur in athletes-athletes.
Fat
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. At the same time, such dependence is not revealed in men.
Hormonal imbalance
Female sex hormones - estrogen, progesterone - in quantities that exceed the physiological norm, affect the venous wall and reduce its tone. This is due to the gradual destruction of the connective fibers that provide its strength and elasticity. Hormonal contraceptives, hormonal drugs for the treatment of menopause play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
Pregnancy
An increase in circulating blood volume, compression by the uterus of the great veins that pass behind its posterior wall, and an increase in intra-abdominal pressure make pregnancy one of the main causes of dysmenorrhea. Varicose veins in women.