What is varicose veins: its symptoms and treatment

Vascular diseases pose a serious threat to human health and even life. Among them are varicose veins. This pathology in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10) is defined by code number 183. The fight against such a disease is a rather laborious process and requires a lot of effort from the patient himself. What are varicose veins? The disease of the lower extremities is a pathological process, during which damage to the blood vessels of the legs occurs, which is manifested by their expansion, tortuosity, as well as the appearance of irreversible changes in the valvular apparatus (anatomical structures thatimpede non-physiological blood flow). As a result, a person can develop valvular insufficiency of the veins.

In the initial stages of varicose veins, the symptoms are characterized by the formation of knots in the venous network or varicosities, an increase in the size of the saphenous veins, their pain and a feeling of heaviness in the legs. With disease progression, symptoms of chronic venous circulatory failure of a chronic nature (for example, swelling of the lower leg, foot, trophic ulcers, cramps in the calf muscles, thrombophlebitis andlesions of impaired blood vessels) are added to the overall clinical picture.

Sometimes, if a person suffers from congenital diseases, swelling can occur not only in the veins of the legs, but also in the vessels of some internal organs. For example, the development of portal hypertension often causes vasodilation of the esophagus, and when a varicocele occurs, capillary varices of the spermatic cord are observed.

Regardless of the localization of the pathological process, there is a hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of an increase in capillaries, the appearance of which is associated with the presence of congenital weakness of the vascular walls in men and an insufficiency ofvenous valves. At the same time, varicose veins in men, based on medical statistics, are formed somewhat less frequently than in women. At any stage of varicose veins, treatment has many nuances and is very time-consuming.

Causes contributing to the development of the disease

A vascular disease such as varicose veins of the lower limbs can have many predisposing factors. The most common of them are:

1. hereditary predisposition. Due to a lack of connective tissue in the human body, a weakening of the tone of the vascular walls may occur, which, in turn, will contribute to the expansion of the venous system of the legs.

2. The presence of excessive body weight.
3. Pregnancy. In this case, the pathology may appear due to an increase in the volume of blood circulating in the body and compression by the uterus of the vessels located behind the abdominal cavity.
4. Malnutrition. The possibility of developing the disease increases in people whose diet does not contain raw vegetables and fruits or with a small amount of their consumption.
5. Hormonal imbalance. Scientists have proven that with long-term use of drugs containing hormonal substances in their composition, they can negatively affect not only the human hormonal background, but also the state of blood vessels.
6. Sedentary lifestyle. For example, a long stay of the body in the same sitting or standing position contributes to the development of congestive disorders in the blood circulation of the lower extremities. In addition, prolonged wearing of corsets, which causes an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, has a detrimental effect on the vascular system of the legs. The same detrimental effect is caused by tight upper and lower clothing, squeezing the arteries located in the region of the inguinal folds.
7. Psychosomatic factor. The constant impact on a person of strong stressful situations.

Clinical manifestations of pathology

Symptoms and treatment of varicose veins entirely depend on the stage of development of the disease. Sometimes, some patients, even before the appearance of visual symptoms of varicose veins, may complain of a feeling of heaviness in the legs, increased fatigue, pain in the ankle area. In addition, there is a possibility of developing telangiectasias.

The initial stage is characterized by the absence of venous outflow disorders. Very often, the disease can progress to the compensatory stage, which manifests itself in the form of asymptomatic development of the pathological process. In this case, most patients are not even aware of the presence of varicose veins, so they simply do not go to the doctor.

With the progression of the disease, a person has well-defined first signs of varicose veins, which manifest as follows:

1. Transient pain syndrome, swelling, which is formed mainly during a prolonged stay of the body in an upright position. These symptoms disappear immediately after the person takes a lying position.
2. Constant feeling of heaviness in the lower extremities, pains of a dull nature, fatigue in the legs and convulsions, which appear especially at night.
3. Itchy skin. This manifestation of vascular disease is accentuated in the evening and indicates the development of trophic disorders (deterioration of the nutrition of epidermal tissues, manifested in the form of ulcerative neoplasms that form on its surface). Pathological changes in the dermis are often localized in front and inside the ankle.
4. During an external examination of the patient's legs, the doctor detects a sufficiently large swelling of the capillaries and a generalized violation of venous circulation. In some cases, varicose veins are accompanied by severe dizziness and loss of consciousness, which occurs as a result of a sharp drop in blood pressure.
5. The skin in the area of deterioration of blood circulation processes becomes tense, rough and dry.

The method of treating the disease

How to treat varicose veins? In the fight against this disease, three main treatment regimens are used:

1. Conservative therapy. How to remove varicose veins conservatively? This method of eliminating the disease includes the following general recommendations, that is, maintaining an active lifestyle, regular physical education, the use of elastic bandages and compression stockings. In addition, the patient is prescribed certain phlebotonic drugs. It is impossible to treat varicose veins only with conservative treatment, since this method of eliminating the disease cannot completely restore the dilated vessels;

2. Compression sclerotherapy. This method of eliminating pathology involves the introduction of a special drug into the enlarged vein. As a result, a spasm occurs in the affected vessel, after which a compression stocking is put on the patient's leg, which keeps him in the resulting state. After 3 days, the walls of the vein begin to stick together. The patient should wear such stockings for 1 month - until dense adhesions form. Treatment of varicose veins without surgery is prescribed only for patients who do not have an advanced state of the pathological process.
3. Operation. How to treat varicose veins with surgery? To eliminate vascular pathology operatively, a large number of surgical techniques are used, including microsurgery, coagulation of veins with laser and radiofrequency. How to get rid of varicose veins through surgery? Surgical treatment of the disease involves the complete removal of the affected vessels.

Can varicose veins be cured without surgery? Experts say that it is possible to do without the excision of dilated veins, but only if the disease is not at an advanced stage, when it is not possible to restore normal blood circulation in the veins. legs.

Its effectiveness will also depend on the treatment to be used. Therefore, the patient should not neglect the treatment prescribed by the doctor, but fully comply with all the doctor's recommendations.