Varicose veins are a very insidious disease. It can hardly manifest itself for years, because in the early stages nothing disturbs a person, and minor ailments are attributed to the living conditions, but not to problems with the veins. And then deterioration begins, the disease progresses and it becomes much more difficult to cure it. In this case, varicose veins can affect a variety of parts of the body that have veins. But the vast majority suffer from female legs, so it is necessary to pay close attention to the symptoms of varicose veins in women.
Varicose veins are a very insidious disease. It can hardly manifest itself for years, because in the early stages nothing disturbs a person, and minor ailments are attributed to the living conditions, but not to problems with the veins. And then deterioration begins, the disease progresses and it becomes much more difficult to cure it. In this case, varicose veins can affect a variety of parts of the body that have veins. But the vast majority suffer from female legs, so it is necessary to pay close attention to the symptoms of varicose veins in women.
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 upwards with optimal force.
The blood stagnates and stretches the veins even more. As they expand, they lose their elasticity, become brittle, and eventually stop providing normal blood flow. Due to the fact that blood is constantly in the veins, they swell, knots and blood clots are formed, 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 end-stage varicose veins of the lower limbs 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 that it will slow down 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 a hereditary predisposition, therefore, if cases of the disease have been detected in the older generations of the family, special attention should be paid to the health of the vessels.
How not to miss the onset of the disease?
It is very important to carefully monitor all complaints, even the most minor ones. If you catch stage 1 of development, when the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs have just begun to appear, in most cases it is possible to reverse the process and keep the veins healthy. So, the first signs of varicose veins in the legs are:
- increasing 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, which appears already in the middle of the day or even earlier;
- general weakness and apathy resulting from insufficient oxygen supply to the tissues;
- varicose veins or meshes 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, drugs for the prevention of varicose veins in the legs - venotonic in tablets and capsules, ointments, creams and gels.
If it is necessary to treat varicose veins in the legs, the phlebologist can prescribe drugs that thin the blood and prevent the formation of blood clots, as well as wear special compression underwear or use an elastic bandage.
Important! Despite the fact that many drugs have few side effects and are prescribed, including for the prevention of the disease, the decision on which of them should be made exclusively by the phlebologist, but not by the patient himself.
What is the danger 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 next to the lungs and heart. Pulmonary embolism very often leads to a sad outcome.
In addition, varicose veins in the legs can be hidden, affecting the vessels that pass deep into the legs. 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 one cannot do without surgical intervention. A visit to the doctor should not be postponed if:
- the legs began to swell often, while the kidneys are completely healthy, diabetes is not diagnosed, fluid intake is normal;
- second pulling or sharp pains appear in the pelvic organs, groin and upper thighs;
- leg cramps periodically, especially at night;
- the areas of the lower extremities along the veins began to swell after any load.
Internal varicose veins in the legs can seriously complicate a person's life, bringing constant pain and leading to a surgeon's intervention.
Important! Varicose veins during pregnancy are common. Most women are sure this is temporary and will definitely pass after giving birth, but in reality this doesn't always happen.
Much more often, after the load experienced by the veins during childbirth, the disease begins to progress. Therefore, the signs of varicose veins during pregnancy should not be ignored in every case.
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 limbs, but they cause just as much anxiety and pain. If you notice symptoms on the hands similar to the manifestation of this disease, you should visit a doctor as soon as possible:
- veins become very visible, darken and swell;
- on the hands, including fingers, swelling occurs;
- often there is a burning sensation and pain;
- doing the same actions for a long time becomes problematic due to heaviness in the hands;
Varicose veins on the hands appear, both in women and in men, approximately with the same frequency, but nevertheless this disease affects the stronger sex less often than 1. 5-2 times.
This is due to the fact that the representatives of the beautiful half of humanity are more susceptible to fluctuations in the hormonal system, which is one of the main factors that provoke 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 legs have symptoms that are considered a consequence of flat feet, long walks or shoes with heels, osteochondrosis and varicose veins of the hands characterize symptoms that many they consider a physical feature of the structure of the veins.
Intestinal injury
Almost with the same frequency as varicose veins of the legs, there are varicose veins of the rectum and its prolapse.
The famous hemorrhoids are hiding under this name. Those who are not lucky enough to contract 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 the inability to sit;
- the appearance of blood from the 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 manifests itself with varicose veins in this area.
The symptoms of internal varicose veins are not as difficult to notice as the external ones, because there are normally no unpleasant sensations in the anus.
However, when referring to a proctologist, he usually puts on 2nd degree varicose veins. It is not easy to cure it as the first stage of the disease, but it is quite possible without the use of radical measures.
While varicose veins on the arms and legs are more common in women, varicose veins in the rectum affect the male body more. The main reasons for this are intense physical exertion, serious sports, alcohol consumption and a large amount of junk food, as well as prostate diseases that contribute to the narrowing of the urethra.
Important! Having found the first symptoms of varicose veins of the rectum, you should start treating it as soon as possible, since the danger of disease in this particular area lies in the fact that the intestines can suffer and the work of the gastrointestinal tract can be disrupted.
The disease develops gradually, without sudden jumps, but can lead to intestinal neoplasms, both benign and oncogenic.
male problem
If varicose veins on the legs in men are quite rare, varicocele is a purely male disease. It consists in the fact that the expansion of the veins of the spermatic cord and testicles becomes one of the causes of infertility due to the male factor.
The venous duct with varicocele is filled with blood, which the vessels cannot move further into the renal or small vena cava. In most cases, this disorder occurs on the left testicle, as two veins connect in that area: the renal and the seminal veins.
Symptoms of testicular varicose veins do not manifest themselves in any way until the couple has a problem with conception. Then both partners go to the doctors, the woman - to the gynecologist, the man - to the andrologist. And first of all, an experienced doctor will examine varicocele.
This disease can be detected both with the help of ultrasound and dopplerography, and by probing the veins during the patient's press tension. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the man is ordered to perform a spermogram to determine how far the disease has gone based on the state of the sperm.
Important! It is possible to cure varicocele only with surgery, and it is performed, as a rule, to eliminate infertility in a man.
In 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 the operation is also shown.
Conclusion
Varicose veins are caused by many factors, many of which can be corrected. And since this disease belongs to the category of dangerous and often causes serious complications, as a result of which a person can become disabled, it will be much easier to take preventive measures in a timely manner to avoid the development of the disease:
- normalize nutrition, eliminating the abundance of fatty, spicy, salty and fried foods;
- quitting smoking and alcohol;
- after consulting a doctor, take venotonic drugs, use ointments that strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- do not spend a lot of time in the same position, sitting for a long time is as dangerous as standing;
- spend enough time for sports;
- control weight, preventing the appearance of extra pounds, this is especially true for women during the period of pregnancy and lactation;
- choose comfortable shoes with a wide and low heel that do not tighten the legs, and leave the high heel for exceptional cases;
- take a contrast shower daily, paying particular attention to the legs, arms and pelvic organs;
- stay in warm rooms, saunas and hot baths as little as possible;
- with a hereditary factor, it will be useful to wear compression stockings, tights or golf.
Having found the first signs of varicose veins, it is imperative to contact a phlebologist and, together with him, outline a treatment plan.