Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a chronic systemic disease that develops against the background of dysfunction of the valves that control blood flow.
This leads to excessive accumulation of fluid in the vessels, which gradually stretch and lose elasticity and strength.Varicose veins are characterized by the formation of large lymph nodes under the skin of the legs, but this is not the only symptom of the disease.Patients complain of pain and heaviness in the legs, burning and itching, dryness and irritation of the skin.In severe cases, non-healing purulent ulcers form on the skin, which are difficult to cure due to the progress of irreversible necrosis in it.In order to effectively treat varicose veins in the legs and help prevent recurrence, it is necessary to first find out the cause.
Causes of varicose veins in the legs
The tendency to develop such a serious vascular disease is often hereditary, and in most cases this pathology is inherited by women.Therefore, if varicose veins appear in your family, girls and women will be at risk of getting the disease.
Other common causes of the disease:
- Poor nutrition.If the diet consists mainly of fatty, heavy foods, rich in animal fats, the risk of developing varicose veins of the lower limbs will increase significantly.
- Heavy physical activity.Certain types of work, such as chefs, waiters, surgeons, office workers, hairdressers, create conditions for pressure in the veins to gradually increase.Under constant stress, blood vessels and valves become deformed;due to constant high pressure, the walls of the veins become thinner, become brittle and varicose veins develop.
- Wearing high heels is uncomfortable.Such shoes reduce the amplitude of muscle contractions and compress blood vessels, thereby contributing to impaired blood flow and the development of varicose veins.
- Sedentary lifestyle.In the absence of a minimal load on the muscles, blood begins to stagnate in the venous bed, since the vein walls do not contract on their own.Gradually, the blood vessels stretch, the function of the valves is disrupted, lymph nodes form and thickening due to varicose veins.
- Excessive weight.The more overweight a person is, the greater the load on the lower limbs and, accordingly, the blood vessels.In addition, obese people move very little and mainly eat poorly, the risk of varicose veins in the legs doubles.
- Pregnant.As the fetus grows, the amount of blood in the future mother's body increases, which creates additional stress on the veins.In addition, the growing uterus and fetus will compress the pelvic vessels, preventing normal venous flow.During pregnancy, the hormone progesterone is produced in excess, dilating the walls of blood vessels, promoting the development of varicose veins.In most cases, varicose veins during pregnancy are reversible, so after giving birth, a woman can completely get rid of this problem.
- Year old.As the body ages, the vein walls and valves no longer fully function and become weaker.Loss of elasticity and strength causes blood vessels to stretch.
Mechanism of development of varicose veins of the lower limbs
Varicose veins of the lower limbs develop according to a complex mechanism:
- In the early stages, in the presence of genetic factors and stimulating exogenous and endogenous factors, venous blood flow slows down.Long-term stagnation causes the development of inflammatory processes in the walls and valves of veins.
- When the valves do not work and the vein walls are weak, blood begins to flow through the veins in both directions.This leads to an increase in pressure in the veins, which in turn leads to excessive tension and deformation of the vessel walls.
- Further stagnation of blood and progression of the inflammatory process contribute to the spread of pathology, the development of ischemia and the formation of trophic ulcers.
Gradually, the function of the affected veins is impaired.Varicose veins cause stagnation of blood in the vessels, leading to local toxic damage, as well as increased pressure.In severe stages, blood vessels are no longer able to withstand excessive pressure and burst, leading to massive bleeding.
Symptom
The disease is silent in that in the early stages it has almost no symptoms.The first sign of the development of varicose veins is tired legs, which patients often ignore and do not become a reason to seek advice from a specialist.However, as the disease progresses, leg fatigue appears more often, especially in the evening, after a day of work.Other symptoms of vascular disease:
- Pain, feeling of pressure.Such signs begin to appear from the second stage, when the pathological process begins to progress.The pain mainly occurs in the evening after a day of work and disappears in the morning.If a person ignores the discomfort and does not seek treatment, the pain syndrome will become chronic and constantly worrying.
- Swollen veins and blood vessel networks.At first, the affected veins are stronger than usual, but later they begin to swell, bulge, forming nodules.The blood vessel network is most often concentrated in the thighs and legs.
- Cramps.A characteristic sign of varicose veins, caused by blood stagnation in the veins.Stagnant processes lead to increased pressure in the vessels, as a result of which the muscles begin to contract naturally.
In addition, vascular disease is accompanied by obvious external changes.With the development of ischemia, patients complain of constant itching.Excessive dilation and thinning of veins leads to the formation of hematomas and bruises.In severe stages, as muscle atrophy develops, the following external symptoms appear:
- red spots on the skin;
- peeling;
- formation of dark pigment spots;
- disappearance of hair.
If the patient has trophic ulcers, accompanied by blackening of the limbs, this indicates the progression of irreversible necrosis.
Complications of varicose veins in the legs
If varicose veins of the lower extremities are not treated, serious complications will develop as the disease progresses, such as:
- Venous thrombosis.With this complication, pathological processes will affect the deep veins.The pathology is accompanied by blockage of blood vessels with blood clots - thrombosis.The main cause of venous thrombosis is slowed blood flow in the lower extremities.
- Pulmonary embolism.A condition in which a blood clot separates from the vessel wall along with the blood flow into the pulmonary artery, blocking the pulmonary artery.If the clot is large, death will occur immediately.Smaller blood clots do not lead to death but cause complicated respiratory and circulatory disorders.
- Thrombotic phlebitis.It is characterized by inflammation of the surface vessel wall, accompanied by the formation of blood clots.The disease is manifested by increased blood pressure, swelling along inflamed and congested veins, and pain of varying degrees.Acute thrombophlebitis is accompanied by fever and chills, in addition to the above symptoms.
- Nutritional ulcers.An inevitable complication of untreated lower extremity varicose veins, develops if not treated promptly.Violation of tissue nutrition and progression of the inflammatory process contribute to compression of the subcutaneous tissue, thinning and darkening of the skin, followed by the formation of non-healing trophic ulcers.
- Eczema varicose veins.It manifests itself as localized redness, peeling, and unbearable itching.If left untreated, complications will quickly spread and lead to the patient's condition deteriorating.
- Bleeding due to varicose veins.A dangerous complication develops against the background of rupture of varicose veins.
Bleeding can occur due to mechanical trauma, since the walls of the affected veins are very fragile and fragile.Therefore, even slight friction can cause severe venous bleeding.
Diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower limbs
If you have symptoms that indicate the development of varicose veins in the lower limbs, you must make an appointment with a phlebologist, who will diagnose, treat and prevent such vascular pathology.
The doctor will be able to make a preliminary diagnosis during the initial examination, during which a dense network of blood vessels, swollen veins protruding from the surface of the skin and venous nodes are detected on the limbs.To confirm the diagnosis, a referral will be made for additional examinations, which include the following procedures:
- Doppler ultrasound;
- duplex vascular ultrasound;
- radionuclide and contrast venous scintigraphy;
- measure blood pressure;
- volumetric measurement;
- volumetric optics.
Treatment of varicose veins in the legs
If the disease is diagnosed at the earliest stages, when there are no serious complications, conservative therapy will be prescribed, the main goals of which are:
- eliminate stagnant processes;
- normalizes pressure in the veins;
- restore blood circulation;
- Eliminates pathological symptoms.
For these purposes, drugs of the following groups are used:
- Hypertensive drugs and intravenous tonics.Helps improve vascular health, normalize blood circulation and improve lymph flow.
- Anticoagulants.Used to reduce blood viscosity and prevent blood clots.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.
- Antiplatelet drugs.Reduces the risk of thrombosis and improves tissue nutrition.
If medical treatment is ineffective and the disease progresses, the doctor will discuss surgical treatment options with the patient.Surgical methods to treat varicose veins include:
- Sclerotherapy.Introducing a sclerosing drug into the lumen of the affected vein, glues the vessel, so that it breaks down and is replaced by connective tissue.
- Laser coagulation.Indicated in cases where the diameter of the affected vein does not exceed 10 mm.The laser beam creates a sclerotic effect in the vessel, due to which it heals on its own.
- Surgery to remove veins.A surgical intervention in which the surgeon removes areas of deformed blood vessels, performing all necessary operations through microscopic punctures in the skin.
Contraindicated
For varicose veins of the legs, any actions that contribute to the development of stagnation in the vessels of the lower limbs are contraindicated:
- Staying for a long time in a static position;
- heavy physical activity, lifting heavy weights;
- sit cross-legged or cross-legged;
- Wear tight, uncomfortable shoes.
It is also necessary to quit bad habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse.Cigarette smoke and alcohol negatively affect the health of the whole body, causing veins to become fragile, thin, and less elastic, which soon leads to the development of varicose veins and other cardiovascular diseases.
Cost of treating varicose veins of the lower limbs
The cost of treating varicose veins in the legs is influenced by the following factors:
- stage of disease at diagnosis;
- related complications;
- The method of therapy is selected individually - conservative or surgical;
- the need for additional treatment techniques, such as physiotherapy.