What are varicose veins on the legs?

Varicose veins on the legs are one of the most common diseases worldwide and occur in most cases in women (up to three times more often than in men).

The causes of the disease are directly related to the anatomical structure of the veins in the lower extremities of a person.

The diagnosis and prescription of therapy is carried out only by a specialist after a thorough examination of the patient.

anatomy

Varicose veins are a serious condition that can affect absolutely anyone, especially those over the age of 30.

The causes of the disease include hemorrhoids, pregnancy, taking hormone preparations, increased venous pressure due to a sedentary lifestyle, frequent and prolonged standing or problems with being overweight.

To better understand the disease, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the anatomical structure of the veins of the lower extremities of humans.There are three groups of veins in the leg area:

Superficial	They are located directly in the subcutaneous fatty tissue.
Deep	They lie even deeper and are accompanied by arteries.
Perforate	Combine both groups described above.

If the disease is severe and treatment is lacking, the deep veins are the last to be affected.Deep veins include:

• popliteal;
• anterior and posterior tibialis;
• femoral

Superficial veins, in turn, are divided into two parts:

Small subcutaneous	It has flaps and is located on the outside of the legs.It includes smaller veins on the back and side of the lower leg that are connected to each other via connecting veins.
Larger subcutaneously	They are located on the inside of the legs and also have flaps.Many more blood-collecting veins flow into them from the front of the thighs.

The vein wall is made of collagen and elastic fibers and consists of three layers:

Intimacy, otherwise internal	Endothelium, consisting of longitudinally arranged smooth muscle cells and forming valves - opposing folds designed to maintain muscle tone.
Media, otherwise average	Consists of smooth muscle cells arranged in a circular pattern.
Adventitia, otherwise external	It consists of loose connective tissue and smooth muscle cells arranged longitudinally and surrounded by nerves and small vessels that are responsible for tissue nutrition.

Because of their location, the valves ensure directed and rapid blood flow from the superficial veins to the deep veins and from the legs to the heart.

With their help, the backflow of blood and an increase in intravenous pressure are prevented, and small vessels and capillaries are protected.

With varicose veins of the lower extremities, there is a loss of elasticity and tone of the walls of blood vessels and their valves, which in turn disrupts blood circulation in the problem area and can ultimately lead to the formation of blood clots.

That is why the disease develops after damage to the inner, middle or both layers of the vein walls.

Causes of varicose veins on the legs

Although the exact causes of the disease are difficult to determine, there are prerequisites for the development of varicose veins, which are presented below:

Hormonal imbalances	Occurs in connection with pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, menopause;A large amount of hormones in the body increases blood clotting and reduces vascular tone, which ultimately leads to deformation of the veins and the formation of blood clots.
Diabetes mellitus	High blood sugar levels damage valves and vein walls.
Hereditary predisposition	If a family or relatives have varicose veins in the legs, a mutation occurs in the genes responsible for the strength of the veins and blood vessels, which is later passed on to children.
Physical overload on the body	It occurs in people who have jobs that require heavy physical labor, for example as a loader.
Long walking and standing upright	They reduce muscle tone and increase intra-abdominal pressure, which becomes the basis for impaired blood circulation and the development of varicose veins.
obesity	It causes illness for the same reasons as physical overload on the body and is also the basis for reduced mobility.
Congenital bleeding disorder	Reduces the passage of blood through the veins and vessels, leading to the formation of blood clots.
Alcohol consumption	Dehydration of the body causes blood to thicken and impairs its outflow, leading to blockage of blood vessels and the formation of blood clots.
Chronic constipation	Squeezing increases intra-abdominal and venous pressure, impairing blood circulation in the legs.
Poor nutrition and non-compliance with the diet	To strengthen the vein walls, some vitamins are needed, namely E, ascorbic acid, P, etc.
Dehydration	Significantly thickens the blood and leads to the formation of blood clots;occurs for many reasons, for example, thirst in the hot season.
Wear tight clothing	Obstruction of blood flow is associated with prolonged compression of the lower extremities.
Wear high heels	Insufficient activity of the lower leg muscles leads to blood stagnation.
Compression of blood vessels	Due to an uncomfortable position on the operating table or blood loss during surgery.
Taking or overdosing on medications that increase blood clotting	Significantly increase the risk of vascular blockage.
Kidney or heart disease	For example, a birth defect.

The reasons described above most often lead to the appearance of varicose veins in a person.In most cases, health problems occur in people after the age of 30 or 40, as well as in old age, when the normal functioning of the venous system is disrupted.

diagnosis

When the first signs of varicose veins appear on the legs, you should go to the hospital as soon as possible, since the disease is faster and easier to treat at the initial stage of development.

The symptoms of the disease are primarily expressed in the following symptoms:

• Feeling of heaviness and fatigue in the legs;
• burning in the problem area;
• Swelling;
• swelling of the veins;
• painful sensations.

Diagnosis of the disease is possible only after a detailed examination of the patient by a doctor, for example by a phlebologist - a specialist who deals with venous diseases.

The success of treatment directly depends on the stage of development of the disease and the complications of the patient with varicose veins.It is therefore advisable to visit a clinic in the initial phase.

The most commonly used methods for diagnosing varicose veins:

Ultrasound angioscanning	It has high accuracy in examining the condition of the veins and assessing blood circulation and pressure in them.
Phleboscintigraphy	The examination of the vein walls with a special device after administration of a contrast medium is used in exceptional cases when other examination methods have not been successful.
Dopplerography	Ultrasound procedure for assessing bleeding in blood vessels.
Wire tests, for example Pratt, Trendelenburg, Delbe-Perthes, Sheinis and others	Used to assess valves and vein patency.
Phlebography	X-ray examination of the veins from the inside using a special contrast medium.

After diagnosing varicose veins of the lower extremities, the doctor prescribes appropriate treatment, which usually includes two types of procedures.

Non-surgical treatment includes the following therapy methods:

Adherence to a strict diet	Smoking, smoked meat, coffee, marinades and alcohol are absolutely excluded. To successfully get rid of varicose veins, you need to drink at least two liters of fluid per day and include healthy foods rich in vitamins in your diet, such as: rose hips, citrus fruits, tomatoes (ascorbic acid); cherries, sweet cherries (bioflavonoids); Nuts, currants, grapefruit (vitamin P); liver, onions, eggs, legumes (vitamin E); Copper, phosphorus (seafood).
Maintaining a daily routine	If you have varicose veins in the lower extremities, getting up abruptly in the morning is not recommended.While sleeping, place a pillow or padding under your sore leg to elevate it. Walking should be leisurely and calm;You should not cross your legs or wear high heels until you have fully recovered. Before treating varicose veins on the legs in men, it is necessary to eliminate all factors that contribute to blood thickening (for example, smoking).
Medication	Prescribed as additional nutrition for body cells and helps to restore the tone of the venous vessels and valves. Drug treatment is used to combat the symptoms of the disease;Varicose veins can only be completely eliminated through complex therapy. In severe forms of the disease (for example, when thrombophlebitis occurs), medication is prescribed.
Physiotherapy and therapeutic exercises	A prerequisite for the treatment of varicose veins of the legs is moderate physical activity to restore proper blood circulation in the lower extremities, as well as the implementation of special therapeutic measures to improve the patient's well-being (e.g. foot baths, contrast showers, etc.).
Folk remedies	They are used only as additional therapy to improve health and eliminate some symptoms of varicose veins. An effective way to relieve swelling and tiredness of the legs is, for example, a bath with an herbal mixture of chamomile, chestnut, St. John's wort and oak bark or pouring cool water with a little apple cider vinegar over your feet.

The following therapy methods are used during a surgical procedure:

Surgical radiofrequency ablation of varicose veins	For trophic ulcers and damage to the large or small saphenous veins.
Phlebectomy	For extensive varicose veins.
Laser therapy	It is characterized by its security and speed.
Sclerotherapy	In the early stages.

Always remember that only a specialist can prescribe this or that method of treatment.Self-medication can cause serious health complications for the patient.

Complications

Late consultation with a doctor or inadequate treatment of varicose veins in the legs is fraught with consequences.

Below is a list of possible complications that may occur if appropriate therapy is not provided and the doctor's recommendations are not followed:

• Thrombophlebitis (inflammatory disease of the venous walls, accompanied by the formation of blood clots);
• change in skin color in the problem area;
• Dermatitis (an inflammatory process in the affected area of the leg occurs due to insufficient nutrition of the skin and tissues);
• Pulmonary embolism (a thrombus entering the branches of the pulmonary artery provokes pulmonary edema or pulmonary infarction; another consequence of thromboembolism can be the death of the patient);
• Swelling of the legs due to poor circulation and congestion of blood;
• Eczema of the legs or appearance of trophic ulcers (arises due to insufficient oxygen supply);
• Formation of densities due to swelling;
• the appearance of blood clots due to stagnation or thickening of blood with subsequent blockage of blood vessels and capillaries.

To avoid the occurrence of these complications and reduce the risk of death from blood clots, the patient is strongly recommended to seek medical attention.

Varicose veins on the lower extremities can be cured while avoiding health complications by consulting a doctor at an early stage of the disease's development.

There are many ways to diagnose a patient, as well as a wide range of therapy methods that are selected individually for each patient.The success of treatment always depends primarily on the person themselves and their desire for recovery.