During the birth of a child, a woman's body goes through a whole series of changes.Changes affect all systems of the body.Such changes are due to changes in hormone levels.More than 50% of pregnant women notice the appearance of spider veins and enlarged veins: pregnancy and varicose veins are common companions.
The reason for this trend is the pressure that the pregnant uterus puts on the pelvic veins.Venous congestion increases, intravenous pressure increases, and the tone of the vascular walls decreases.
Varicose veins are not only an aesthetic defect, but also a disease that can lead to serious complications.That is why it is so important to start preventing and treating the disease in a timely manner.
What are varicose veins?
This pathological condition is characterized by lengthening and dilatation of the veins in the lower extremities.It occurs against the background of increased load on the vascular wall.
Pathology occurs in 45-50% of the adult population.The first symptoms of the disease appear between the ages of 25 and 32.
People whose professional activities involve sitting and standing for long periods of time have a special predisposition.A hereditary predisposition to the disease, particularly in the female line, can increase the risk of developing varicose veins.
Other risk factors include:
- drinking alcohol and smoking;
- obesity;
- physical monotony and sedentary lifestyle;
- indigestion (constipation);
- strength training;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- chronic diseases of internal organs and systems.
Features of varicose veins during pregnancy
Varicose veins of the lower extremities during pregnancy can occur at any stage.The danger of varicose veins during pregnancy is that the disease can be complicated by the development of thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.
The formation of blood clots during pregnancy can pose a threat to the health and life of the mother and child.Unfortunately, statistics show that pregnant women are particularly susceptible to this disease.
During the birth of a child, the expectant mother may experience varicose veins of the uterus during pregnancy, which pose a serious danger to both mother and child.
Women with this diagnosis often have placental insufficiency.It occurs due to blockage of the veins in the placental tissue.Only timely diagnosis and treatment of placental insufficiency can help prevent fetal developmental disorders.
Stages of disease development
If a pregnant woman has visible signs of varicose veins, this indicates existing venous insufficiency that worsened with the onset of pregnancy.
Varicose veins have several stages of development:
- Compensation phase.It is characterized by the appearance of small spider veins that are clearly visible on the surface of the skin.As the evening approaches, a pregnant woman may experience discomfort and heaviness in the legs.
- Partial compensatory phase.In addition to the existing symptoms, there is swelling of the lower extremities.In addition, women complain of pain in the knees, which disappears after lying horizontally.Varicose veins in the genital organs often develop during pregnancy, which indicates progression of the disease.
- Stage of decompensation.This stage represents the greatest danger to the health of a pregnant woman. Swelling of the lower extremities does not go away even after a night's rest.Enlarged veins take on a bluish-burgundy hue.Blood circulation is impaired, leading to an increased risk of trophic ulcers.Very often, varicose veins of the perineum occur during pregnancy, which are accompanied by characteristic symptoms.
Symptoms
The early stages of varicose veins during pregnancy are asymptomatic, which makes it difficult to diagnose the disease in a timely manner.Individual spider veins may appear on the surface of the skin.
The second half of pregnancy is characterized by the development of the following symptoms:
- discomfort and feeling of heaviness in the calf muscles;
- rapid onset of fatigue when walking;
- Pain in the knee joints that worsens after walking;
- From time to time you may experience cramps in the calf muscles;
- Annoying itching may occur in the area of enlarged veins;
- tingling and burning in the calf muscles;
- Due to the development of varicose veins during pregnancy in an intimate place, a woman may complain of discomfort and pain.
After a night's sleep, the characteristic symptoms of the disease return to zero.When the first signs of the disease appear, a woman is recommended to consult a specialist, as varicose veins tend to progress rapidly.
Causes of varicose veins in pregnant women
There are many causes of varicose veins during pregnancy:
- Increased load on the lower extremities due to increased weight of a pregnant woman.The enlargement of the pregnant uterus leads to compression of some major veins.
- Increased venous blood pressure due to increased blood supply to the fetus.
- Low physical activity of a pregnant woman.Physical inactivity contributes to stagnation of venous blood.
- Changes in hormone levels.During pregnancy, the content of progesterone in the female body increases, as a result of which the tone of the venous walls decreases.
- The process of natural thrombus formation, necessary to prevent bleeding during placental abruption.
How dangerous is the disease?
The danger of this condition during pregnancy is that the progression of varicose veins leads to blood clots.
This process has an equally negative impact on the health of the woman and the fetus.Obstruction of the placental veins leads to disruption of fetal development.The development of thrombophlebitis and thrombosis can endanger the life of the expectant mother.
Some women may develop varicose veins after pregnancy, although the development of the pathology occurred while carrying a child.
diagnosis
The standard diagnosis of varicose veins in pregnant women includes consultation with a vascular surgeon and a gynecologist.If a visual examination is not enough, the expectant mother is prescribed several examinations:
- angioscanning;
- Ultrasound examination of veins;
- Dopplerometry.
Treatment
The problem of varicose veins on the legs during pregnancy is acute.A pregnant woman is unable to use standard medications to treat varicose veins.
Therefore, the question arises: how to treat varicose veins during pregnancy with such a list of restrictions?
Conservative treatment of the disease includes the following measures:
- Tights for varicose veins are used in pregnant women.Compression stockings should be put on when you wake up, without having to get out of bed.Compression stockings reduce the diameter of the vein lumen.
- Therapeutic exercises are performed, including daily 5-minute exercises.
- A therapeutic diet is followed, which involves increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables consumed.Particular attention is paid to the consumption of fish, cottage cheese and eggs.
Medicines for varicose veins during pregnancy are divided into preparations for external and internal use.Gels and ointments are used for local therapy.
To treat progressive severe varicose veins during pregnancy, women are prescribed medications that improve tissue nutrition and eliminate edema and spasms.
For this purpose, special tablets prescribed by a specialist are used.In addition, the woman is recommended to take vitamins C and PP.
Prevention of varicose veins
To prevent varicose veins during pregnancy, a woman needs to reduce the load on the lower extremities and improve blood circulation.In a horizontal position, you need to put your feet on a hill.
To improve blood circulation, it is useful to include foods such as grapes, cranberries, sea buckthorn, tomato juice, garlic and lemon in the diet.To prevent groin varicose veins during pregnancy, it is recommended to perform exercises with an exercise ball.
Every woman wonders how to avoid varicose veins during pregnancy if she is prone to them.So that the birth of a child does not become a real stress test for a woman, you need to pay more attention to your health.
By adhering to preventive measures, you can avoid varicose veins at any stage of pregnancy.Despite the development of pathology, cases have been recorded when varicose veins disappeared after pregnancy, provided that appropriate treatment was provided.