Varicose veins of the lower limbs is a chronic systemic pathology that develops against the background of dysfunction of the blood flow control valves.
This causes an excess volume of fluid to accumulate in the blood vessels, which gradually stretch, lose elasticity and strength.Varicose veins are characterized by the formation of bulky nodes under the skin of the legs, but this is not the only symptom of the disease.Patients complain of pain and heaviness in the legs, burning and itching, dryness and irritation of the skin.In advanced cases, non-healing purulent ulcers form on the skin, which are very difficult to heal due to the irreversible necrotic processes taking place in them.In order for the treatment of varicose veins on the legs to be effective and to help prevent recurrence, it is first necessary to find out its causes.
Causes of varicose veins on the legs
The tendency to develop such a serious vascular disease is often hereditary, and in most cases this pathology is passed on to women.Therefore, if there are cases of varicose veins in your family, girls and women will be at risk.
Other common causes of the disease:
- bad nutritionIf the diet is dominated by fatty, heavy food rich in animal fat, the risk of developing varicose veins of the lower extremities increases significantly.
- heavy physical activity.Certain types of work, for example, cook, waiter, surgeon, office worker, hairdresser, create conditions for a gradual increase in pressure in the veins.With regular stress, blood vessels and valves are deformed;Due to constant high pressure, the walls of the veins become thin, brittle and develop varicose veins.
- Wearing uncomfortable high-heeled shoes.Such shoes reduce the amplitude of muscle contraction and constrict blood vessels, which in turn contributes to blood flow disorders and the development of varicose veins.
- A lifeless lifestyle.In the absence of at least a minimal load on the muscles, the blood begins to stagnate in the venous bed, because the walls of the veins do not contract independently.Gradually, the vessel is stretched, the function of the valves is disturbed, and varicose thickening and knots are formed.
- overweight.The more overweight a person has, the greater the load on the lower limbs and, therefore, on the blood vessels.In addition, obese people move very little and generally eat poorly, which doubles the chance of developing varicose veins in the legs.
- Pregnancy.As the fetus grows, the volume of blood in the future mother's body increases, which creates additional stress on the veins.In addition, the growing uterus and fetus compress the pelvic vessels, which prevents normal venous outflow.During pregnancy, the hormone progesterone is produced in excess, which relaxes the walls of blood vessels and promotes the development of varicose veins.In most cases, varicose veins during pregnancy are reversible, so after giving birth, a woman can completely get rid of the problem.
- age.As the body ages, the walls of the veins, as well as the valves, cease to fully perform their functions, become weaker.Elasticity and strength are lost, as a result of which the vessels are stretched.
Mechanism of development of varicose veins of the lower limbs
Varicose veins of the lower limbs develop according to a complex mechanism:
- At the initial stage, in the presence of hereditary predisposition and provoking exogenous and endogenous factors, venous blood flow slows down.The long stagnation process leads to the development of inflammatory processes in the vein walls and valves.
- When the valves are incompetent and the walls of the venous vessels are weak, blood begins to move in both directions in the veins.This leads to an increase in intravenous pressure, which in turn leads to stretching and deformation of the vessel walls.
- Further stagnation of blood and progression of the inflammatory process contribute to the spread of pathology, the development of ischemia and the formation of trophic ulcers.
Gradually, the function of the damaged veins is impaired.Varicose veins cause stagnation of blood in the blood vessels, which causes local toxic damage, as well as an increase in pressure.In the advanced stages, the blood vessels can no longer withstand the excessive pressure, resulting in ruptures that cause profuse bruising.
symptoms
The disease is insidious in that it is practically asymptomatic in its early stages.The first sign that indicates the development of varicose veins is leg fatigue, which is often ignored by patients and does not become a reason for receiving specialist advice.However, with the progression of the pathology, fatigue in the legs is felt more often, especially in the evening, after a working day.Other symptoms of vascular disease:
- Pain, feeling of contraction.Such signs appear from the second stage, when the pathological process begins to progress.The pain usually appears in the evening after a working day, and disappears in the morning.If a person ignores the discomfort and there is no treatment, the pain syndrome becomes chronic and bothers him constantly.
- Swollen veins and vascular network.At first, the damaged veins are stronger than usual, but later they begin to bulge, bulge, and form knots.The vascular network is most often localized on the hips and legs.
- convulsions.A characteristic sign of varicose veins, the cause of which is stagnation of blood in the veins.Stagnant processes lead to an increase in blood pressure, as a result of which muscles begin to contract spontaneously.
In addition, vascular disease is accompanied by pronounced external changes.With the development of ischemia, patients complain of constant itching.Excessive stretching and thinning of the veins leads to the formation of hematomas and bruises.In advanced stages, when atrophic processes develop, the following external symptoms appear:
- red spots on the skin;
- peeling
- formation of dark pigment spots;
- Hair loss.
If the patient develops trophic ulcers accompanied by blackening of the limbs, this indicates the progression of irreversible necrotic processes.
Complications of varicose veins of the legs
If there is no treatment for varicose veins of the lower extremities, serious complications develop as the disease progresses, such as:
- Venous thrombosis.With this complication, pathological processes affect the deep veins.Pathology is accompanied by blockage of a blood vessel with a blood clot.The main cause of venous thrombosis is the slowing down of blood flow in the lower extremities.
- Pulmonary embolism.A condition in which a thrombus detached from the wall of a blood vessel, along with the blood, enters the pulmonary artery and blocks its lumen.If the blood clot is large, death occurs instantly.A small clot does not cause death, but causes complex disorders of breathing and blood circulation.
- Thrombophlebitis.It is characterized by inflammation of the superficial vessel walls, which is accompanied by the formation of a clot.The disease is manifested by hyperemia, swelling along the inflamed and blocked vein, pain of varying degrees of intensity.Acute thrombophlebitis is accompanied by fever and chills, which complement the symptoms listed above.
- Trophic ulcers.An inevitable complication of untreated varicose veins of the lower extremities, which develops in the absence of timely treatment.Disturbance of tissue nutrition and progression of the inflammatory process contribute to compaction, thinning of the subcutaneous tissue, darkening of the skin, which results in the formation of a non-healing trophic ulcer.
- Varicose eczema.It is manifested by local redness of the skin, peeling and unbearable itching.If there is no treatment, the complication spreads quickly and causes the patient's condition to worsen.
- Bleeding from varicose veins.A dangerous complication that develops against the background of the rupture of varicose nodes.
Bleeding can occur due to mechanical damage, because the walls of the affected veins are very fragile and thin.Therefore, even minor friction can cause severe venous bleeding.
Diagnosis of varicose veins of the lower extremities
If you have symptoms that indicate the development of varicose veins of the lower extremities, you should make an appointment with a phlebologist who will diagnose, treat and prevent such vascular pathology.
The doctor will be able to make a preliminary diagnosis during the initial examination, during which a dense vascular network, swollen veins protruding above the surface of the skin, and venous nodes are revealed on the limbs.To confirm the diagnosis, an additional examination is performed, including the following procedures:
- Doppler ultrasound;
- ultrasound duplex angioscanning;
- radionuclide and radiopaque phleboscintigraphy;
- phlebomanometry;
- plethysmography;
- Photoplethysmography.
Treatment of varicose veins of the legs
If the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, when there are no serious complications, conservative therapy is prescribed, the main goals of which are:
- eliminate stagnant processes;
- normalization of pressure in the veins;
- restores blood circulation;
- Eliminate pathological symptoms.
Drugs of the following groups are used for these purposes:
- Venotonics and phlebotonics.Helps to improve the health of blood vessels, normalize blood circulation and improve lymph flow.
- Anticoagulants.Used to reduce blood viscosity and prevent blood clotting.
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.They have a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and relieve pain.
- Antiplatelet agents.It reduces the risk of thrombosis and improves tissue trophism.
If drug treatment is ineffective and the disease progresses, the doctor will discuss surgical treatment options with the patient.Surgical methods of treating varicose veins include:
- Sclerotherapy.The introduction of a sclerosing drug into the lumen of the damaged vein, which sticks to the vessel, as a result of which it opens on its own, replaced by connective tissue.
- Laser coagulation.It is indicated in cases where the diameter of the affected veins does not exceed 10 mm.Laser rays create a sclerotic effect in the vessel, as a result of which it disappears by itself.
- Phlebectomy.Surgical intervention, during which the surgeon cuts out the deformed areas of blood vessels, performs all the necessary manipulations through microscopic punctures in the skin.
Contraindications
For varicose veins in the legs, any action that contributes to the development of stagnation in the vessels of the lower extremities is contraindicated:
- long stay in static positions;
- Heavy physical activity, heavy weight lifting;
- sitting with legs tucked or crossed;
- Wearing tight, uncomfortable shoes.
It is also necessary to get rid of bad habits such as smoking and alcohol abuse.Tobacco smoke and alcohol have a negative effect on the health of the whole body, making the veins fragile, thin and inelastic, which soon leads to the development of varicose veins and other cardiovascular diseases.
The cost of treating varicose veins of the lower extremities
The cost of treating varicose veins in the legs is influenced by the following factors:
- stage of disease diagnosis;
- related complications;
- individually selected method of therapy - conservative or surgical;
- The need for additional therapeutic techniques, such as physical therapy.