Varicose veins are a very insidious disease. It can hardly appear for years, because in the early stages nothing bothers a person, and mild illnesses are attributed to living conditions, but not problems with veins. And then the aggravation starts, the disease progresses and it becomes much harder to cure it. In this case, varicose veins can affect a number of body parts that have veins. But the vast majority suffer from female feet, so the symptoms of varicose veins in women should be given great attention.
Varicose veins are a very insidious disease. It can hardly appear for years, because in the early stages nothing bothers a person, and mild illnesses are attributed to living conditions, but not problems with veins. And then the aggravation starts, the disease progresses and it becomes much harder to cure it. In this case, varicose veins can affect a number of body parts that have veins. But the vast majority suffer from female feet, so the symptoms of varicose veins in women should be given great attention.
The mechanism of the disease
The main cause of varicose veins in the legs is the weakening of the walls of the veins and blood vessels, as a result of which they can no longer push the blood up with optimal force.
The blood stagnates and stretches the veins even more. By expanding, they lose their elasticity, become brittle, and finally stop ensuring normal blood flow. Due to the fact that the blood constantly stays in the veins, they swell, form nodules and blood clots, blocking the lumen in the vessels. This leads to thrombophlebitis.
Skin cells that do not receive enough oxygen begin to die, tissue necrosis develops, trophic lesions and ulcers appear. This is called varicose veins in the last stage of the lower extremities and is treated only with the help of surgery.
It is no longer possible to completely cure this stage of the disease, but it is likely to slow its course and achieve a more or less stable remission.
Important! Doctors believe that the main cause of the appearance of varicose veins of the lower extremities is an inherited predisposition, therefore, if cases of the disease are observed in the older generations of the family, special care should be taken especially for the health of the vessels.
How not to miss the onset of the disease?
It is very important to carefully monitor all diseases, even the smallest ones. If you catch stage 1 development, when the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs have just started to appear, in most cases it is possible to change the process and maintain healthy veins. So, the first signs of varicose veins of the legs are:
- increased swelling, which began to bother not only in the evening but also at other times of the day;
- feeling of heaviness and "tired legs" syndrome, already appearing in the middle of the day or even earlier;
- general weakness and a state of apathy arising from insufficient supply of oxygen to the tissues;
- spider or web veins on the legs and thighs, which are often the first sign of varicose veins that people pay attention to.
In this case, with a timely visit to the doctor, the simplest methods of treatment can help: folk remedies, medicines for the prevention of varicose veins in the legs - venotonics in tablets and capsules, ointments, creams and gels.
If it is necessary to treat varicose veins in the legs, the phlebologist may prescribe medications that dilute the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots, as well as wearing special underwear for compression or the use of an elastic bandage.
Important! Despite the fact that many medications have few side effects and are prescribed, including for disease prevention, the decision on which one to take should be made exclusively by the phlebologist, but not by the patient himself.
What is the risk of the disease?
First of all, varicose veins, reaching an advanced stage, threaten the formation of blood clots, which can block the flow of blood and oxygen to the most important arteries and veins located near the lungs and heart. Pulmonary embolism very often leads to a sad outcome.
In addition, varicose veins in the legs can be erased, affecting the vessels that pass deep into the foot. Such a condition is dangerous in that external signs begin to appear when the disease has already passed to the 2nd or even the 3rd stage, in which it cannot be done without surgery. A visit to the doctor should not be postponed if:
- feet began to swell frequently, while the kidneys are completely healthy, diabetes is not diagnosed, fluid intake is normal;
- second or sharp pains appear in the pelvic organs, groin and upper thighs;
- leg cramps periodically, especially at night;
- areas in the lower extremities along the veins began to swell after each load.
Varicose veins in the legs can seriously complicate a person's life, causing constant pain in him and leading the situation to the intervention of a surgeon.
Important! Varicose veins are common during pregnancy. Most women are sure that this is temporary and will definitely pass after giving birth, but in reality this does not always happen.
Much more often, after the load experienced by the veins during childbirth, the disease begins to progress. Therefore, in no case should the signs of varicose veins during pregnancy be ignored.
Can other parts of the body be affected?
Symptoms of varicose veins can affect a variety of organs. In particular, varicose veins in the arms occur much less frequently than varicose veins in the lower extremities, but they cause just as much anxiety and grief. If you notice symptoms on your hands similar to the manifestation of this disease, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible:
- veins become very visible, darken and swell;
- swelling appears on the hands, including the fingers;
- often has a burning sensation and pain;
- doing the same actions for a long time becomes problematic due to the heaviness in the hands;
Varicose veins on the hands appear, in both women and men, with approximately the same frequency, but nevertheless, this disease affects the stronger sex 1, 5-2 times less often.
This is due to the fact that representatives of the beautiful half of humanity are more sensitive to fluctuations in the hormonal system, which is one of the main factors that provokes varicose veins in the arms.
Important! The first signs of varicose veins of the upper and lower extremities are very similar, but varicose veins of the feet have symptoms that are considered as a consequence of flat feet, long walking or wearing heeled shoes, osteochondrosis and varicose veins of the hands. symptoms that many take for a physical feature of the structure of the veins.
Intestinal lesion
With almost the same frequency as varicose veins of the legs, there are varicose veins of the rectum and its prolapse.
Familiar hemorrhoids are hidden under this name. Those who are unlucky enough to be affected by this disease can tell you how unpleasant the signs of varicose veins appear in such a delicate area:
- sudden attacks of sharp pain while walking;
- severe pain when sitting up to inability to sit up;
- the appearance of blood from cracks in the anal passage and its pronounced swelling, itching and burning;
- the act of defecation is also accompanied by pain, especially if combined with constipation, which often appears with varicose veins in this area.
The symptoms of internal varicose veins are not as difficult to notice as external ones because there is normally no discomfort in the anus.
However, when referring to a proctologist, he usually puts in 2nd degree varicose veins. It is not as easy to cure it as the first stage of the disease, but it is quite possible without the use of radical measures.
If varicose veins in the arms and legs are more common in women, then varicose veins of the rectum affect the male body more. The main reasons for this are strenuous physical exertion, serious sports, drinking alcohol and large amount of unwanted foods, as well as prostate diseases that contribute to narrowing of the urethra.
Important! Once you find the first symptoms of varicose veins of the rectum, you should start treating it as soon as possible, as the risk of disease in this particular area lies in the fact that the intestines may suffer and the work of the tractgastrointestinal can be disrupted. .
The disease develops gradually, without sudden jumps, but can lead to intestinal neoplasms, benign and oncogenic.
male problem
If varicose veins in the legs in men are quite rare, then varicocele is a purely male disease. It consists in the fact that the dilation of the veins of the spermatic cord and testicles becomes one of the causes of infertility due to the male factor.
The venous canal with varicocele is filled with blood, which the vessels cannot move further into the renal or small vena cava. In most cases, this problem occurs in the left testicle, as two veins are connected in that area: renal and seminal.
The symptoms of testicular varicose veins do not appear in any way until the couple has a problem with conception. Then both partners go to the doctors, the wife - to the gynecologist, the husband - to the andrologist. And first of all, an experienced doctor will examine the varicocele.
This disease can be detected with the help of ultrasound and dopplerography, as well as by probing the veins during the patient's press tension. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the man is ordered to do a spermogram to determine how far the disease has gone from the sperm condition.
Important! It is possible to cure varicocele only with surgery, and it is performed, as a rule, to eliminate infertility in a man.
By itself, this phenomenon is not dangerous and usually does not cause discomfort, but sometimes the veins dilate so much that they cause discomfort or pain. In this case, surgery is also indicated.
Conclusion
Varicose veins are caused by many factors, most of which can be corrected. And since this disease belongs to the dangerous category and often provokes serious complications, as a result of which a person may become disabled, it will be much easier to take timely preventive measures to avoid the development of the disease:
- normalization of nutrition, eliminating the abundance of fatty, spicy, salty and fried foods;
- give up smoking and alcohol;
- after consulting a doctor, take venotonic medication, use ointments that strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- do not spend too much time in the same position, sitting for a long time is just as dangerous as standing;
- allocate enough time for sports;
- control weight, preventing the appearance of excess pounds, this is especially true for women during the period of childbirth and breastfeeding;
- choose comfortable shoes with wide low heels that do not tighten the feet and leave high heels for emergencies;
- take a contrast shower every day, paying special attention to the legs, arms and pelvic organs;
- stay as little as possible in hot rooms, saunas and hot baths;
- with an hereditary factor, it will be helpful to wear compression stockings, sweater or golf.
Once you have found the first signs of varicose veins, it is imperative to contact a phlebologist and, together with him, describe a treatment plan.