Varicose veins is a disease of the vessels of the body, in which protrusions form in the walls of the venous channels due to a malfunction of the valvular apparatus. In places of protrusion, there is an increased adhesion of blood elements to the vascular wall and the formation of a thrombus.
In the summer, problems with veins become the most relevant. Not only direct sunlight, but also high air temperature negatively affects the condition of the veins.
Signs of varicose veins:
- Heaviness in the legs
- Pain in the legs during normal activities
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Swelling of the legs in the evening
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Rapid fatigue of the lower extremities
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The appearance of spider veins
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Swollen veins in the evening
- Cramps and loss of sensation in the legs
- The appearance of small hemorrhages or bruises for no apparent reason
Risk factors:
- standing or sedentary sedentary work
- genetic predisposition
- pregnancy, menstruation
- sitting with one leg crossed over the other
Many more factors can be attributed to this list: smoking, frequent alcohol intake, injuries, systemic and endocrine diseases, liver damage, frequent constipation, frequent visits to the steam room, obesity, oral contraceptives.
Prevention:
Try to get rid of risk factors (bad habits, obesity, baths, etc.) if you have a predisposition to varicose veins.
Avoid prolonged exposure to the sun.
Don’t wear high heels all day long, change your shoes at work.
Upon returning home after work or a long walk, especially in the hot season, pour cold water on your legs, grabbing the foot, lower leg, and lower third of the thigh. Pay special attention to the inner (medial) surfaces of the knees.
Stretch your legs while working or standing still for a long time. Do special leg exercises. Read more about exercises for the prevention of varicose veins in the article: “Legs, be healthy! How to defeat varicose veins.”
During pregnancy or at work with a risk of developing varicose veins, wear special elastic knitwear (knee socks, stockings).
Treatment
There are also medications that you can start taking on your own before going to the doctor: these are local venotonics, anticoagulants and angioprotectors – such as Lyoton-gel, Troxevasin gel.
It is recommended to apply them 2-3 times a day on clean skin, rubbing until completely absorbed. Do not use these drugs for more than a week without consulting a doctor!
And in no case should you start using these drugs without the recommendation of a doctor for people suffering from any blood diseases! These products should not be applied to areas of skin with open wounds.
Another method is the removal of the affected veins. Indications for it are: thrombophlebitis (especially deep veins of the thigh), a decrease in the quality of life due to severe pain and swelling, the progression of the process, despite the ongoing treatment.
A separate option for the treatment of a cosmetic defect from varicose veins is sclerotherapy, in which a special sclerosing agent is injected into the superficial varicose veins, which is distributed along the vein with affected valves, without spreading to healthy areas where the valve apparatus is preserved.
One of the methods of treatment for VP is the CHIVA method, which does not require medical or surgical intervention and gives good results (certain parts of the vessel are pulled to normalize pressure and blood flow in another part of it). However, it is effective only in the early stages of the disease.
