Beauty is, first of all, health. This applies primarily to the beauty of our body. In winter, many imperfections hide under warm clothes, and we ourselves often turn a blind eye to them. But spring comes again, and we want to quickly change the warm clothes that have bothered us during the winter for summer dresses, short skirts and shorts. In order to get in shape before the start of the short northern summer, in the spring we prudently enroll in fitness clubs, go on a diet and visit a beautician. But what if even perfectly slender legs spoil the veins and spider veins that suddenly appeared during the winter?
Dreadful statistics say that varicose veins are familiar firsthand to every second girl over 20 years old! And by the age of 40, 70-80% of people already suffer from varicose veins and its complications! Why is this disease so widespread? First of all, this is due to the spread of causes that cause varicose veins.
Why do legs hurt?
The mechanism that causes varicose veins is quite simple. Through the veins of the legs, which most often suffer from varicose veins, blood flows from the bottom up, overcoming the force of gravity. This is due to the fact that man in the process of evolution took a vertical position. What makes blood flow contrary to the laws of gravity?
First, the most important factor is the contraction of the muscles of the legs. As they walk, they push blood up through the veins that smart nature has placed deep in the muscles.
Secondly, the pressure difference in the heart chambers and veins of the legs that occurs during heart contractions and the negative pressure in the abdominal cavity created by the movement of the diaphragm during inspiration.
Thirdly, the backflow of blood is prevented by venous valves, dividing the vein into segments and passing blood in only one direction – to the heart.
However, if at least one of these factors does not work, blood stagnation occurs in the veins, when overflowing with blood, the vein begins to stretch and shine through the skin. Here are your characteristic symptoms of varicose veins.
Who is at risk?
It is not difficult to guess that the most “sore” question is how to ensure sufficient contraction of the leg muscles? Representatives of “standing” professions – hairdressers, surgeons, sellers consider varicose veins to be their professional disease, because they have to stand in one place for a long time without moving. But even with a sedentary profession, varicose veins, most likely, will not bypass you – prolonged sitting also contributes to venous stasis. So, if you work in an office, in addition, you prefer driving a car to walking, and you stay up late at home in front of a computer, you definitely need to visit at least once a year phlebologist.
The second fact, which is not very happy for us, is that varicose veins are predominantly a female disease. This is due to the fact that one of the strongest factors of venous circulation disorders is pregnancy. An increase in body weight, an increased load on the legs, squeezing of the veins by the pregnant uterus, hormonal and hypodynamic causes of circulatory disorders lead to the fact that most women develop varicose veins during pregnancy.
Overweight, cardiovascular disease affect the second factor – the role of the heart and diaphragm in venous circulation and are also prerequisites for varicose veins.
There are also optimistic facts: a hereditary predisposition to varicose veins, the role of endocrine diseases in its development has not been scientifically proven. Most likely, the connection lies in a similar lifestyle among members of the same family and in obesity, which is characteristic of endocrine disorders.
Good news
So, the causes of varicose veins are more than enough. And the more reasons to take care of prevention and timely treatment of varicose veins. But in the methods of treatment, pleasant surprises await us. Even 10 years ago, there was no worthy alternative to surgical intervention in the treatment of varicose veins. Moreover, often not very neglected patients were not operated on, but they were sent to “ripen”, that is, to wait until all veins were transformed into varicose veins. The only prevention of varicose veins was bandaging the legs with an elastic bandage, which is quite effective, but aesthetically unacceptable for a modern young girl. Now the situation has changed radically.
Surgery is used only in severe cases of varicose veins. Minimally invasive techniques such as sclerotherapy are becoming more common.
I’m not afraid of injections!
Briefly, the essence of this method is as follows: a sclerosant is injected into a vein using a syringe and a needle – a substance that causes the vein to “stick together” – closing its lumen. The drug loses its activity immediately after injection and is able to act on the vein wall only for a few centimeters from the injection site, which protects healthy veins from interference. The duration of one procedure is on average 5-10 minutes, and the process itself is really almost painless, since the needles used are the thinnest and specially sharpened.
After the end of the session, it is necessary to wear compression stockings for 4-6 weeks, whose squeezing effect is an indispensable component of sclerotherapy, on which, in the end, the final result depends. Modern compression hosiery is virtually invisible under clothes and looks no different from ordinary elastic tights. Therefore, sclerotherapy sessions will not change your usual lifestyle and remain invisible to others. Compression hosiery is an excellent alternative to bandages and the only option for the prevention of varicose veins for pregnant women who are contraindicated in medical and surgical treatment.
If we are talking about surgical treatment, then in this case, there is no reason for fear. The modern operation to eliminate varicose veins is called miniphlebectomy, is performed under local anesthesia, and complies with all the principles of microsurgical intervention: cosmetic, outpatient and painless. Varicose veins are removed through small skin punctures, which are then sutured with a cosmetic suture. You can walk by the evening after the operation, and after 2 months the scars become almost invisible. It requires wearing compression stockings for 2-4 weeks and observation by a phlebologist for 1 year.
Aware means armed
As for the medical treatment of varicose veins, we will only say that Of decisive importance in the treatment of varicose veins, none of the existing phlebotropic drugs, whether it be an ointment, cream or oral preparation, has. What then is the prevention of varicose veins?
After all, as you know, the disease is easier to prevent than to cure. Again, prevention consists in eliminating the causes of impaired venous outflow. According to the above reasons, we can add that the elevated position of the legs at the time of rest, regular warm-up of the legs during prolonged static loads, the fight against excess weight and the normalization of hormonal levels have not harmed anyone yet.
The key to successful treatment is a correct and timely diagnosis. Therefore, if you notice dilated veins and spider veins, you are worried about heaviness and pain in your legs, you need to visit a phlebologist. You can get advice from experienced doctors – phlebologists, diagnose varicose veins and other vascular pathologies, cure the disease with the most benign modern methods by visiting Medical Center Academy.
Our coordinates: m. Dobryninskaya, st. Valovaya, 15, tel. (495) 258-95-25, from 9-00 to 21-00, seven days a week.
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