What could be nicer than slender legs in high heels? Men have always admired the length of women's legs. But what to do when this dignity has a disease called varicose veins. How to treat varicose veins in the legs in women? A very topical question, to which we will try to give a rational answer in this article.
Women and varicose veins, what causes them?
As you know, the female body is significantly different from the male one, and the reasons are not only in the physiology. Consider the root causes found in women that contribute to the appearance of varicose veins in the weaker half of humanity.
sedentary work
Physical inactivity (minimal physical activity) is a direct path to varicose veins. Unlike men, women work mostly sitting at the computer (accountants, secretaries, operators, etc. ). Such sedentary work contributes to the development of stagnation of venous blood.
Genes (inheritance)
This is a major cause of varicose veins in women. If one of the parents had varicose veins, the little girl cannot avoid this fate. But you should know that it is not the disease itself that is inherited, but the disposition towards it. Therefore, if you take preventative action, it is quite possible to avoid the appearance of your feet.
Hormones
The stable work of hormones is the key to women's health. If the hormonal background is disturbed, malfunctions begin in the internal systems, including the circulatory system. An increase in the level of estrogen and progesterone (sex hormones) leads to a decrease in the tone and relaxation of the blood vessel walls. This leads to their elongation in the event of overload. This contributes to the appearance of edema and the expansion of the veins in the legs. The impetus that will lead to varicose veins can be:
- diseases in which the level of estrogen rises;
- pregnancy;
- taking hormone-containing contraceptives, including hormone therapy for menopause.
Excess weight
Obesity leads to a strong load and increased pressure in the entire circulatory system. The legs suffer more because they need to support the weight of the person. In all overweight people, sooner or later, congestion of the venous blood occurs, which leads to varicose veins.
indirect causes
In addition to the physiological causes that we cannot influence in any way, there are indirect causes, to which we are often not inclined to pay attention:
- heels. Frequent and prolonged use of such shoes causes a tremendous load on the peripheral veins, which leads to varicose veins;
- Food. Eating fatty and fried foods leads to a buildup of cholesterol in the blood. This contributes to the difficulty of blood flow and can cause thrombosis, which will lead to the expansion of the veins in the legs;
- Bad habits. Tobacco smoke and alcohol increase venous pressure, and this is directly related to the development of varicose veins;
- Blood clotting. People with such a deviation should be treated 1-2 times a year, since "doing nothing" can cause thrombosis of varicose veins and, at best, only varicose veins, at worst, a heart attack or stroke ( till death).
How to treat varicose veins in women with traditional medicine?
Any treatment pursues the prevention of complications and the removal of pain symptoms. Doctors who should be contacted for varicose vein treatment are a phlebologist and an angiosurgeon. Treatment should aim at solving such problems:
- strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- minimize the risk of blood clots;
- normalization of the work of peripheral veins.
Traditional medicine offers a fairly large selection of treatments for varicose veins in women. Consider the most popular and effective methods of treatment.
External treatment
In the initial stage of the pathology, superficial and then deep blood vessels are affected, which leads to blood stagnation. At the first symptoms, the treatment of manifestations on the legs will be effective (it is convenient to use for the treatment of legs at home, just apply the substance to the affected area and rub):
- gel;
- ointments;
- creams.
Oral treatment with tablets
Drugs intended for oral administration are considered more effective than external agents. They are conditionally divided into three large groups:
- anti-inflammatory- they anesthetize and reduce the swelling of the tissues of the legs, inhibiting the adhesion of platelets. Only a doctor should prescribe such drugs (self-medication with such drugs is dangerous);
- phlebotonic- help increase blood flow by improving the tone of the blood vessel walls. Their main task is to eliminate burning and swelling in the legs. Based on the clinical picture obtained, the phlebologist prescribes a course of treatment;
- blood thinner- with their help minimize the risk of blood clots. Designed to dilute venous blood, improving its currents.
Laser coagulation
If blood circulation is severely impaired, no matter how effective the drug is, it may remain powerless in treating varicose veins in the legs in women.
The achievements in the world of science and medicine helped to create a device for the painless elimination of pathology - a laser. With its help, radiation is generated (a certain spectrum of waves that generate heat), which is absorbed by the blood and closes the damaged vessel from the inside. This leads to the fact that the blood moves "bypassing" through the deep veins and, at the site of the injury, its current stops completely. After a certain period of time, the affected tissues are naturally restored and the adhesion site resolves.
Surgical method
With her help, you can competently get rid of pathology. Resort to this method of treatment if all of the above did not work. Surgery offers both traditional interventions, with a skin incision along the inflamed vein, and minimally invasive interventions, the task of which is to cope with the problem with minimal incisions. It all depends on the clinical picture of the disease. The following operations are widely used:
- Phlebectomy. The operation is traditional and is performed with inflammation and expansion of the deep veins. A phlebectomy is performed to remove the entire damaged vein. This takes about 2 hours.
- Striptease. A thin probe is used here, with which an enlarged vein is removed. The operation involves thin incisions on both sides of the diseased area. The probe is inserted on one side (the diseased vein is fixed) and removed on the other, pulling the diseased vein behind it (as if reversing it).
- Microflebectomy. It is a minimally invasive method and aims to remove superficial peripheral veins through small incisions in the skin.
Hydrotherapy
This is an old way of healing. Hydrotherapy is based on the ability of blood vessels to expand and contract under the influence of different temperature regimes (a difference of 20-40 degrees is used for treatment). Such training strengthens the walls of blood vessels, contributes to their elasticity. Such treatment is best done in the initial stages of the disease.
Compression underwear
As you know, varicose veins are more of a female disease and this is due to heredity and hormonal disruptions. It was for women that special stockings were developed, which today are the most comfortable way of treatment. They protect the legs from pain, swelling and fatigue. The action of such underwear is justified by compression of the leg, which leads to narrowing of the peripheral veins.
Foot Disease Prevention in Women
Women are more prone to this disease than men, so they need to follow the rules for the prevention of varicose veins on the legs and adhere to generally accepted recommendations.
To normalize the vessels of the legs, a woman needs two of the most important vitamins.
Vitamin E
It improves blood circulation throughout the body. It can be found in the following products:
- vegetables (parsley, basil, celery);
- vegetables (pepper, onion, ginger);
- cereals (whole, germinated);
- seaweed;
- all legumes;
- peanuts.
C vitamin
Strengthens the walls of blood vessels. To replenish it in the body, you need to eat:
- citrus fruits (lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit);
- cabbage (white, cauliflower, Peking);
- berries (black currant, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry).
It is also necessary to include sea fish in the menu. It is useful for the cardiovascular system because it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids.
General tips for leading a healthy lifestyle
Generally accepted recommendations for the prevention of varicose veins in women:
- completely forget the habit of sitting with bent legs (leg to leg);
- do not neglect the advice of a doctor, if necessary, ask for advice from traditional medicine;
- get into the habit of long walks, physical activity on women's legs has a positive effect on the healthy functioning of peripheral vessels;
- use a contrast shower for the legs, this will help strengthen the walls of blood vessels;
- "feeding" the veins, if possible, replacing animal fats with vegetable ones, this will help to avoid problems of being overweight, which tends to cause disease. As a bonus, vegetable oils contain acids that improve blood flow.
Now you know how to treat varicose veins in women and what rules to follow to forget about them. Forewarned is forearmed. Dear women, look at your legs and consult a doctor at the first manifestations of the disease to avoid complications.