Varicose veins are a disease that affects the venous vessels of people predisposed to it. With this disease, the veins dilate, lengthen, and nodes appear on them. Venous blood, which normally flows through the veins to the lungs, is retained in the legs. This disorder is part of the diseases manifested by chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).
Varicose veins bother women four times more often than men. This is due to the influence of estrogen and progesterone on the walls of blood vessels. According to various estimates, venous insufficiency of varying severity affects from 30 to 50% of women. At the same time, many first encounter manifestations of varicose veins precisely after pregnancy.
The formation of varicose veins in most cases is associated with a hereditary predisposition, including in pregnant women. If among a woman’s blood relatives someone suffers from varicose veins, hemorrhoids, varicose veins of the esophagus and other vascular diseases, the likelihood of her developing varicose veins increases significantly.
After pregnancy, the hormonal levels change, and certain features of the body’s blood supply appear:
information During the second half of pregnancy, a woman naturally becomes less mobile. An additional effect is exerted by the physiological increase in body weight in the 2-3 trimester. These factors have a complex effect on the condition of the leg veins, ultimately leading to the formation of varicose veins.
Depending on the location and severity of the course, there are three types of varicose veins characteristic of pregnant women:
Stagnation of blood, impaired outflow of fluid and dilation of veins have the following manifestations:
information Vasodilation occurs on both legs or on one side, usually on the right. It depends on the way the placenta is located in the uterus. If it is attached to the right side, the veins of the right leg will expand. But if the placenta is located on the left, then varicose veins will appear on both sides.
Before the 13th week of pregnancy, it is forbidden to take venotonic drugs, as this negatively affects the maturation of the fetus. In the 1st trimester, varicose veins usually do not appear so strongly, so it is enough to use medications in gel form. The following drugs are allowed for pregnant women:
These medications are applied to the skin twice a day, rubbing in until they are completely absorbed. The drugs reduce swelling, help improve blood circulation, and relieve discomfort and pain. To achieve the desired effect, the gel must be used daily. The course of therapy takes from 2 to 4 weeks.
information In the 2nd-3rd trimester, it is possible to use venotonics as prescribed by a doctor. These drugs are needed if a woman experiences severe discomfort and pain that cannot be alleviated with the help of gels. It is prohibited to choose a drug without consulting a specialist; you must contact a phlebologist to select therapy.
The drug Diosmin increases the tone of the veins and has a protective effect on the venous wall. It should be taken every day, 2 tablets with meals. The course of Diosmin therapy takes about 5 weeks. The medication is stopped 2-3 weeks before the possible date of birth.
Another medicine that is approved for women expecting a child is Ginkor Fort. This drug contains troxerutin and ginkgo biloba extract. You need to take Ginkor after meals, 1 tablet in the morning and in the evening. Treatment is discontinued 3-4 weeks before birth.
The phenomena of venous insufficiency are not a contraindication to normal, physiological childbirth. The only distinguishing feature of childbirth with varicose veins is the binding of the legs with a soft bandage. Instead of an elastic bandage, you can use comfortable compression stockings. Caesarean section is extremely rare when a woman in labor suffers from severe varicose veins in the perineal area.
Heaviness in the legs, pain and swelling most often disappear or become much less pronounced after childbirth. Only in 3-5% of women symptoms persist due to hereditary disposition. You can find out more about what awaits a woman with varicose veins during the first months after childbirth in the article “Varicose veins after childbirth.”
To reduce the likelihood of varicose veins, you can use compression stockings. These are pressure socks, tights and stockings that help the veins maintain tone and improve blood flow from the lower body. There are special compression products on sale, designed for pregnant women, with an insert in the abdominal area.
You need to wear these tights every day after getting out of bed. This means of preventing venous insufficiency will also help those who have already experienced the first manifestations of varicose veins.
important You need to maintain a high level of activity - daily walks are allowed even in the 3rd trimester. Sweets should be removed from the diet, as sugar has a bad effect on the vascular wall. It is healthy to eat fruits, vegetables, bran, berries, and nuts. Good nutrition and sufficient mobility are the best prevention of vascular diseases.
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a common problem among the female population. The first signs in half of the cases are registered before the age of 30 and mainly during pregnancy or after childbirth. Most people have seen and imagine this disease, but not everyone knows what to do with varicose veins on the legs during pregnancy, what treatment is safe.
The choice of medications during pregnancy is very limited. From the list of drugs used for the treatment of varicose veins, only those that do not penetrate the placenta with the blood and do not disrupt systemic blood coagulation processes are selected.
Women at risk or with an established diagnosis can start wearing compression garments from the first month of pregnancy. The entire range of knitwear is divided into 4 classes depending on the degree of pressure on the blood vessels, this is indicated on the front of the package; for pregnant women, weak bandages with low and very low pressure are used (classes I and II).
You can wear such knitwear only in the morning, without getting out of bed, using gentle stroking movements, spreading it upwards from the foot. There is no need to pull it. When using elastic bandages, it is necessary to choose the correct length and width. To bandage, you need to lie on a flat surface, slightly raising your legs, after 7 minutes, without lowering the sore leg, apply a bandage: from the ankle you need to go several rounds to the bases of the fingers, then wrap the shin and thigh from bottom to top. Sk
Many women develop dilated venous networks on their legs during pregnancy. Varicose veins during pregnancy are a manifestation of hidden insufficiency of peripheral veins, which is already present. This disease affects about 20-40% of pregnant women. With each subsequent pregnancy, the likelihood of developing varicose veins increases. What to do with varicose veins during pregnancy?
There are simple and complicated forms of the disease. During pregnancy, the simplest form is most often encountered. It is manifested by the presence of a thin venous network on the extremities and minor nodes on the veins. After the birth of a child, varicose veins usually go away.
The complicated form is characterized by the appearance of blood clots, which is very dangerous during pregnancy. If the clot breaks loose, it can cause a vein to become blocked.
At the initial stage, the disease occurs without pronounced symptoms. A cosmetic defect such as capillary mesh may appear on the legs. Slight deformation of the venous vessels is observed. The veins are partially pinched, causing stagnation.
As the disease progresses, convulsions appear and significant deformation of the venous networks occurs. They protrude above the surface of the legs in the form of knots or in a serpentine shape.
At this stage of varicose veins, tr
Hello, dear readers! According to statistics, every fifth woman in an interesting position on her legs begins to appear spider veins and worms. They can be blue or purple, swollen and protruding, or, on the contrary, simply translucent, and at first do not cause discomfort.
Is it just from seeing the appearance of your skin? But in fact, they always indicate the presence of a serious disease, which is fraught with serious consequences in the form of trophic ulcers, bleeding or the development of thrombophlebitis. Needless to say, the latter threatens not only the life of the mother, but also the life of the child. That is why this condition requires immediate treatment. We'll talk about it today. So, varicose veins on the legs during pregnancy - what to do and how to prevent them.
Varicose veins are a pathological change in the veins, which is accompanied by their expansion and increase in length. Therefore, people also call this disease “varicose veins.” The mechanism of its occurrence is extremely simple.
So imagine our veins. Every day they do the same job - they provide blood flow from top to bottom and back. And if everything flows down, essentially by itself, then in order for the blood to rise up to the heart, additional help is needed. In this case, it is provided by the muscles of the lower organs.
The work, in turn, is simplified by special venous valves that prevent blood from flowing down. Ideally, everything should work like a clock. But if the muscles or valves are unable to perform their functions, the blood does not rise and stagnates below. Thus, the same “worms” are formed that indicate the presence of varicose veins.
What to do in this case? Firstly
Having discovered simple patterns on her legs: blue “mesh” and pale purple “stars”, incomprehensible “bumps” in intimate places - the expectant mother is lost and does not know what it is and how dangerous it is in her situation? No need to be scared! It’s just that the veins in your body are weak in some places.
“Where it is thin, it breaks,” this is exactly what can be said about varicose veins during pregnancy, the noticeable signs of which are those “stars, mesh and lumps” on the legs and genitals.
Our entire body is riddled with veins. Blood moves through them towards the heart. Helps the flow of vein walls that contain muscle fibers. Large veins are connected to each other by valves that prevent blood from flowing back.
Varicose veins during pregnancy can be seen on the legs, genitals and anus. Hemorrhoids are nothing more than varicose veins.
The walls of the veins become less elastic. This occurs due to the fact that the amount of relaxin in the body begins to increase. This substance prepares the muscles of the uterus for childbirth - relaxes it.
But relaxin acts not only on the walls of the uterus, but also on other organs containing muscle fibers. The walls of veins also fall under its influence. The muscle fibers of the walls of the veins, under the influence of relaxin, also become thinner, wriggle, stretch, and no longer hold their shape.
As a result of such changes, the blood stops moving upward (the muscle fibers of the vein work poorly), begins to stagnate, and the veins begin to rupture. On the legs we see subcutaneous ruptures of blood vessels in which the blood has stagnated and the walls have burst.
Thus, varicose veins during pregnancy in the legs are formed due to stagnation of blood in the veins, which cannot withstand its pressure and burst.
Varicose veins of the genitals
When a woman prepares to become a mother, her body adapts to the needs of the developing fetus. At this time, chronic diseases may reappear or new ones may appear. Varicose veins occur during pregnancy in 50% of women. Pathological damage to the veins can cause a lot of discomfort to a pregnant woman. Treatment must be prescribed with caution, taking into account the individual characteristics of the body.
There are several different factors that affect blood vessels. Changes in hormonal balance can cause varicose veins in the legs during pregnancy. The development of the disease is associated with a sharp increase in progesterone, which reduces the muscle tone of the uterus. This is a necessary condition for successfully bearing a child. But also under the influence of the hormone, blood vessels dilate and lose tone.
Vascular pathology in pregnant women may be a consequence of an increase in total blood volume. This affects blood pressure levels and causes blood to stagnate in the extremities. As a result, the veins begin to deform and vascular pathology appears. Varicose veins during pregnancy may be a consequence of changes in the chemical composition of the blood.
Severe stress, anxiety and internal worries about family planning can provoke almost any deviation, including varicose veins. It is necessary to reduce worries to a minimum and calmly prepare for childbirth.
As the fetus grows and develops, the volume of the uterus increases. There is pressure on the deep veins, and varicose veins occur in pregnant women. This is a natural process that is a provoking factor. With appropriate care and prevention, vascular pathology can be avoided.
For every woman, the experience of pregnancy - both the first and subsequent ones, if they happen - should be extremely positive. And the main component of a joyful, prosperous pregnancy is its safety, and
Another reason for varicose veins during pregnancy is weight gain. Unlike obesity, you won't be able to lose weight while expecting a baby.
The pregnancy period for every woman is a very important life stage, exciting and unique. However, it is not always associated only with positive emotions. Quite often, during preparation for childbirth, the expectant mother is faced with the occurrence of pregnancy complications that have different intensity of manifestation and prognosis. These include varicose veins in pregnant women.
Before deciding how to treat varicose veins during pregnancy, you should understand the causes of its occurrence . The basis of varicose veins in the legs is their abnormal expansion, as a result of which blood circulation in the vascular bed is disrupted and stagnation occurs in the lower extremities.
Since the problem of varicose veins in pregnant women is quite relevant all over the world, close attention is paid to studying its occurrence.
The reasons for the formation of varicose veins in pregnant women are somewhat different from the provoking factors for the development of the disease in other categories of the population. The only thing that can be attributed to general causes is the genetically determined weakness of the walls of the veins in the body, inherited through generations. However, the main factors for the formation of varicose veins during pregnancy are as follows:
Impaired blood circulation in the pelvis, which is caused by a gradual increase in the size of the uterus, which leads to compression of nearby blood lines.
It is these reasons that lead to a situation when a woman during pregnancy one day discovers that veins have popped out in her leg.
Sometimes, to determine the presence of pregnancy, it is necessary to do a special test. Today there are quite a lot of them, but preference should be given only to the most proven “remedies”.
During pregnancy, a woman can guess about it long before dilated veins appear on her legs.
Varicose veins (VV) are a fairly common disease. More than half of the world's population has manifestations of varicose veins. According to statistics, women are more susceptible to this disease. And quite often varicose veins first appear during pregnancy.
The most common varicose veins can be seen on the legs. However, this disease can also appear in other places: in the groin, in the rectum (hemorrhoids), etc.
In our body, veins perform the function of blood outflow. For this purpose, they are equipped with valves. During a cardiac impulse, blood is fixed in the vein at a given level with their help. With the next heartbeat, the blood moves further - to the next segment of the vein, limited by the valves.
With varicose veins, its walls are stretched, and the valve apparatus loses its functions. Venous stagnation of blood is formed, the vessel further expands - a vicious circle arises.
What influences the formation of varicose veins? There are many reasons predisposing to varicose veins. The most common of them are:
Hormonal changes in women. For example, during pregnancy or when taking incorrectly selected hormonal contraceptives.
It is believed that in the absence of predisposing factors, even with poor heredity in terms of varicose veins, the disease does not always develop.
The growing pregnant uterus compresses the veins of the pelvis and lower extremities. And the increasing weight of the expectant mother creates additional stress on them.
In addition, progesterone, the amount of which is noticeably increased during pregnancy, has a relaxing effect on the muscles of both the uterus and vascular walls.
As mentioned above, varicose veins occur not only in the legs, but also in other areas of the body. When
Varicose veins develop rarely during pregnancy. Many women think that varicose veins are a must when carrying a child, but this is not true. The main reason for the appearance of varicose veins in the abdomen is hidden in congestion. As the baby grows, blood flow in the torso worsens in almost all women, because... organs move upward, but vascular pathology develops due to other reasons. Next, we will talk about what to do during pregnancy with varicose veins on the legs and how to avoid the appearance of this disease.
A woman can notice varicose veins of the perineum during pregnancy only in the early stages. One of the symptoms of the disease is hyperemia of the labia. After 4-5 months, when the belly begins to actively grow, it will be difficult for a pregnant woman to examine her perineum. When it comes to damage to the extremities, spider veins are the first to appear. Women may experience the following symptoms of the disease:
The set of symptoms depends on which part of the body is affected by varicose veins. If we are talking about the legs, then all the standard symptoms that people experience in normal conditions are present. If the pelvic organs are affected, then the woman will show symptoms of gynecological ailments, i.e. pain in the lower abdomen. As the disease progresses, bloody vaginal discharge may appear.
Varicose veins during pregnancy can manifest themselves in different ways. The type of disease determines the method of its treatment and further prognosis. Women often experience inguinal varicose veins during pregnancy. When visiting a doctor, a patient complains of a feeling of swollen veins in the groin. Pelvic varicose veins (PVVV) during pregnancy occurs if a woman has a genetic predisposition to this disease.
Most often, women develop varicose veins in the legs. It is usually present before pregnancy, but the process of bearing a child accelerates its development. Vaginal varicose veins are also a common form of this disease. Doctors trace genetic influence here. If the grandmother and mother had this disease, then there is a 95% chance that it will manifest itself in the woman.
The causes of varicose veins during pregnancy are varied. In first place among all the factors influencing the occurrence of this disease is genetic predisposition. Without it, the development of varicose veins is impossible. Under the influence of hormones, many changes occur in the body of the expectant mother. The muscles relax under the influence of progesterone. This substance has a similar effect on vascular walls. With varicose veins, due to vasoconstriction, the placental villi are torn off. Bleeding appears, requiring emergency hospitalization of the patient. The reasons for the development of the disease include:
Varicose veins in pregnant women can be identified by a phlebologist or gynecologist. It all depends on how the disease manifests itself. If a woman constantly feels pain in her legs and notices swelling in herself, then it is better for her to consult a phlebologist. Varicose veins of the external genitalia (external genitalia) can be diagnosed by a gynecologist. In any case, you will have to undergo an ultrasound. An ultrasound examination will help determine the condition of the vessels and veins located close to the surface of the skin. Also, if varicose veins are suspected, a pregnant woman is referred for the following types of diagnostics:
The disease can complicate the entire pregnancy, so treatment should begin immediately after diagnosis. Standard methods for relieving varicose veins are not suitable for pregnant women. Treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy is aimed at normalizing blood flow and preventing the development of thrombosis. The main role of the doctor is assigned to preventive measures. Walking will help normalize blood flow. Women with varicose veins are often prescribed:
Also, women who are thinking about how to treat varicose veins during pregnancy should completely reconsider their diet. Fatty and heavy foods harm not only your figure, but also your circulatory system. Incoming lipids provoke the production of bad cholesterol, which increases the risk of thrombosis. Medicines can only be used with the permission of a doctor.
Not all creams and ointments available in pharmacies can be used to treat varicose veins during pregnancy. Some substances can harm the mother and baby. Liton is a popular cream for varicose veins for pregnant women. It contains a high concentration of heparin, so it helps relieve symptoms of the disease with long-term use.
Venorm is another cream for varicose veins during pregnancy. Women can use this drug after childbirth. Doctors prescribe it for vascular lesions of various etiologies. It is advisable to use Venorm in combination with compression garments or elastic bandages. This cream contains extracts of calendula flowers, horse chestnut, buckwheat, sweet clover, mantle.
Heparin ointment for varicose veins during pregnancy is considered the most budget-friendly treatment for this disease. It can be purchased at a pharmacy for only 60 rubles. One of the disadvantages of this ointment, like any one containing heparin, is the high likelihood of developing allergies.
Gel-balm Troxevasin is often prescribed during pregnancy against varicose veins. It contains a high concentration of troxerutin. This substance helps strengthen capillaries and blood vessels.
If you are allergic to heparin, doctors prescribe Venoruton to pregnant women. It contains a synthetic analogue of rutin. This medicine in any form should not be used to treat varicose veins during the first trimester of pregnancy. The effect of the gel is enhanced if a woman takes ascorbic acid. Also during pregnancy the following creams may be prescribed:
Troxerutin in tablet form will help against varicose veins during pregnancy. Like any other medication, it should be used only as prescribed by a doctor. Detralex is another drug for the treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy. Unlike other drugs, it contains 5 active substances: diosmin, linarin, diosmetin, isoroifolin, hesperidin. All these components have a venotonic effect on the body. You can take the medicine from the first trimester of pregnancy. While carrying a child, it is allowed to take the following medications in the form of tablets and capsules against varicose veins:
Wearing this type of clothing is recommended for all pregnant women. A growing baby puts a lot of stress on the veins, blood vessels and spinal column. To reduce it, from the first months of pregnancy you can wear knitwear of the first degree of compression. At a later date, you should consult a specialist so that he can determine the required degree of compression. Compression underwear for varicose veins for pregnant women has the following differences:
Many women choose to wear stockings during pregnancy. Unlike tights, they do not put pressure on the stomach and are easier to put on. In pharmacies you can buy classic models of stockings, with silicone elastic, with open socks or with a corset belt. The choice of a specific model of compression garments depends on the woman’s comfort. If she feels comfortable in it when trying it on, then you can purchase it.
If there is a hereditary predisposition to varicose veins, doctors recommend that pregnant women reduce their load. But you shouldn’t completely exclude physical exercise, because... they promote normal lymph and blood flow, which increases collagen production and vascular elasticity. An unhealthy lifestyle negatively affects pregnancy. This is especially true for food culture. If you are pregnant with varicose veins or are predisposed to them, you should not eat foods containing a high concentration of fat. Contraindicated for pregnant women:
Few women think about the dangers of varicose veins during pregnancy. Standard forms of the disease that do not affect the reproductive system can provoke thrombosis in a woman. This disease itself does not pose a danger until the moment the blood clot breaks off and enters the circulatory system. The worst outcome is the death of the patient.
With varicose veins of the uterus, women often cannot become pregnant or bear a child. Some girls often experience spontaneous abortions in the early stages. One of the complications of this pathology is rupture of the vein and the development of extensive bleeding. Also, women with varicose veins often experience premature birth, because The placenta begins to leave prematurely.
Prevention of varicose veins during pregnancy is complex. It is necessary to remove the load from your legs as much as possible. This means that a woman should not remain in one static position for a long time. And this means not only being in an upright position, but also sitting in front of the TV or computer. Every 30-40 minutes you need to get up and stretch. Measures to prevent varicose veins in pregnant women include:
Doctors recommend sleeping on your left side to reduce the load on the digestive organs and uterus. Not only pregnant women, but also ordinary people who are prone to varicose veins should not take hot baths. Vessels from hot water stretch greatly. Doctors recommend pregnant women start their day with light exercise. It will have a tonic effect on the body and restore elasticity to the blood vessels.
Varicose veins are a rather unpleasant disease, especially if it appears during pregnancy. It is not so easy to cure varicose veins in position, but if you follow the simple recommendations of specialists, then everything is possible.
Many people believe that the phenomenon of varicose veins during pregnancy is an almost integral symptom of this period. But there is a significant percentage of women who do not encounter this problem while carrying a baby.
The manifestation of varicose veins during pregnancy is associated with internal disorders. This disease reflects pre-existing hidden problems associated with developing peripheral venous insufficiency. So, instead of maintaining the flow of blood and pushing it towards the cardiac mechanism, a malfunction occurs, which leads to weakening of the venous walls.
During pregnancy, varicose veins occur due to slow and improper blood circulation in the limbs. Therefore, when such a disease develops, a woman develops bumps and nodes on her legs, which are quite strongly protruding and visually noticeable on the surface of the skin. Also, the veins of the legs become dark blue and greatly dilate.
Varicose veins in pregnant women can appear not only due to internal problems, but also due to:
The most striking symptoms of varicose veins appear in the first stages of its development at the end of the day or in the evening. The signs of this disease are reflected in the condition of the legs. There is often a feeling that shoes are too tight, and swelling is noticeable on the feet in the evening. A network of small veins becomes noticeable in the thighs and legs.
If no measures are taken in time, cramps may appear in the calves, severe itching of the skin on the legs, pain when walking, and an unpleasant feeling in the lower leg. The veins bulge, become knotty, and the feet have frequent swelling. In late pregnancy, varicose veins spread not only to the legs, but also to the genitals.
How to treat varicose veins during pregnancy is a rather complex and difficult question. Experts with this disease do not recommend self-medication and listening to grandmothers or television advice. An incorrect approach to treatment can cause harm not only to the expectant mother, but also affect the process of labor.
Venous stasis caused by varicose veins in the pelvis leads to poor contraction of the uterus and can provoke thrombophlebitis and bleeding. Therefore, for varicose veins, you need to do special gymnastics and actively engage in accessible sports. By contacting a specialized doctor - phlebologist, you can choose special exercises with him to reduce the load on the veins and keep yourself in good shape.
Everyone, without exception, needs to do simple and accessible gymnastics. One of the simplest ways is to redistribute the load on the legs from the heels to the toes. You need to do it by rolling on them back and forth. If you perform this action every day for several approaches, you can significantly reduce the load and properly redistribute blood flow to the extremities.
Basically, treatment of illness during pregnancy is based on an integrated approach using alternative means. Surgical interventions and the use of medications are tried to be used in special circumstances.
People try not to use medications in the form of creams, gels or ointments, as they may contain components that cause allergies in the mother and fetus. Therefore, treatment with such drugs is carried out only under the supervision of a specialist.
The cream is immediately excluded as a remedy, since it usually has a low concentration of the main substance, and its effects can affect the child. It is usually used in the very early stages and when a woman has very thin skin on her legs.
Among gel preparations, products with a cooling effect are mainly used. They help relieve swelling, fatigue, and pain. Such products include Fastum-gel, Venoruton, Lyoton, which contain elements that restore venous tone.
The drug Venoruton in tablet form has contraindications for use in the first three months of pregnancy, but it can be used in the postpartum period and even while breastfeeding.
In the middle of pregnancy and in the last trimester, experts allow the use of ointments for the legs with an antithrombotic effect. In the first stages of pregnancy, treatment of any kind is prohibited, since at this time the fetus is developing all the main organs and vital systems of the body.
Therefore, it is better to do everything to prevent varicose veins from appearing at all. But if it does make itself felt, experts recommend wearing compression garments. During childbirth, doctors compulsorily perform foot binding. In some situations, varicose veins are an indication for cesarean section.
Surgical methods can be used to treat varicose veins on the legs of pregnant women only in extreme cases. The indication for surgical measures is the appearance of thrombophlebitis or non-healing ulcers of the trophic type. However, surgeons can perform the operation only until the sixth month. Surgical treatment is based on gentle and less traumatic methods.
After giving birth, a woman with varicose veins is advised to wear special stockings on her legs and perform gymnastic exercises daily.
Treatment of varicose veins in pregnant women comes down to simple and affordable methods. But at the same time, you should not rely on traditional medicine and independently prescribe medicinal tinctures, lotions and other remedies, as this can lead to irreversible processes.
Pregnancy is very often combined with varicose veins, and during pregnancy not only existing varicose veins can worsen, but also the first signs of this common pathology may appear. Moreover, we are talking, first of all, about varicose veins of the lower extremities, less often - about the localization of the process in the vagina or hemorrhoidal plexus.
There are quite a few reasons for the appearance or exacerbation of varicose veins during pregnancy. At the same time, one should not think that all women without exception in an interesting position develop this pathology. Of course, this is not true, but the prevalence turns out to be quite high; according to some data, almost every second pregnant woman has certain signs of varicose veins. It is believed that pregnancy is a powerful factor in triggering the disease against the background of an existing predisposition.
This is explained, first of all, by changes in hormonal status during gestation. Under the influence of a large number of female genital organs, the walls of blood vessels lose their elasticity and they expand. However, everything is not limited to the influence only on the venous wall. As you know, female sex hormones retain fluid in the body. As a result, there is an increase in the volume of circulating blood, which begins to deposit (accumulate) in the veins, and under blood pressure, vasodilation also occurs.
In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, compression of the inferior vena cava by the enlarged uterus is of a certain importance, due to which the rate of blood outflow from the lower extremities also decreases, stagnation increases and the veins expand.
Reduced mobility and prolonged sitting in a sitting position also play a certain role. It is often difficult for pregnant women to move around a lot, especially if there is so-called toxicosis or other complications; women spend a lot of time sitting, and this turns out to be a contributing factor to the development of varicose veins, especially against the background of a predisposition.
It should be borne in mind that despite the influence of a large number of factors, varicose veins during pregnancy almost never develop on unchanged veins. Often, the disease begins to progress faster and for the first time manifests itself with certain symptoms, although in fact the problems existed before pregnancy, but the changes have not yet manifested themselves in any symptoms.
The appearance of certain symptoms of the disease during pregnancy requires certain therapeutic interventions. However, pregnancy itself limits possible therapeutic measures and in some way fetters the hands of doctors. At the same time, refusal of therapy for varicose veins can be fraught with rapid progression of the disease and subsequent development of severe complications, including thrombophlebitis and thromboembolism.
Therefore, during pregnancy, if varicose veins appear, or if the disease progresses, it is necessary to use available treatment methods. We are talking, first of all, about elastic bandages and the use of special stockings. But measures to change lifestyle, which are recommended for other patients, may not be applicable in case of pregnancy due to the woman’s own condition or the threat of premature birth.
In most cases, tablets for the treatment of varicose veins are not prescribed for one simple reason - the risk of using them turns out to be much higher than the likelihood of developing complications of the disease itself.
Most tablets for varicose veins are herbal medicines that have a complex effect on the body and cannot be used during pregnancy, as they pose a threat to the health of the fetus. Sometimes there is no direct threat, but the safety of the product has not been proven, which makes it impossible to use it. Most drugs penetrate well into both the placenta and breast milk, so it is recommended not to take them both during pregnancy and throughout the entire period of breastfeeding.
The decision to prescribe medications can only be made by a doctor after a comprehensive examination if the potential benefits outweigh the risks. However, in the case of newly manifested varicose veins, the risks are too low to resort to the use of untested remedies.
Since topical agents do not penetrate the bloodstream or are detected in the blood, but in extremely low concentrations, their use is often absolutely safe and justified.
As a rule, pregnant women are prescribed tight bandaging of the limbs and the use of heparin-based ointments and gels. The use of just such drugs is due to the fact that during pregnancy, the rate of coagulation is believed to increase (as a preparatory step for blood loss during childbirth), therefore the use of heparins or other anticoagulants makes it possible to prevent the main complication - vein thrombosis at the site of varicose veins.
Thus, varicose veins during pregnancy are a fairly common occurrence, but this does not mean that you should treat the disease negligently and refuse to treat it, since it can be dangerous to your health!
A wonderful time - pregnancy - can provoke a very unpleasant disease - varicose veins (chronic venous insufficiency). According to statistics, varicose veins appear in 20-30% of women after their first pregnancy. During subsequent pregnancies, this percentage grows inexorably and reaches 40-60% in the second pregnancy, and up to 80% in the third. As a rule, varicose veins due to pregnancy most often occur in people predisposed to the disease. For many women, the first manifestations of varicose veins are visible even before the onset of an “interesting situation.”
Visually, problems with veins may look like “spider veins” and “worms”. In the first case, we are talking about translucent small vessels, similar to a spider's web. They are blue or purple in color, but do not rise above the surface of the skin. “Worms” are, on the contrary, an expansion of the main veins. As a rule, their bulging and swelling are observed. These veins, sometimes as large as a finger in diameter, are blue-green in color. But varicose veins are not just a cosmetic defect. This is a disease that is extremely dangerous due to its complications. Among them, the most common are: thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcers, bleeding. The most dangerous is the formation of a blood clot, which can break off and create an immediate threat to the life of the mother and child.
The mechanism of formation of varicose veins during pregnancy is as follows: blood is “pumped” along the arteries into the lower extremities, but is retained there because the veins are partially compressed and cannot provide sufficient blood flow. As a result, venous blood stagnates, which bursts the veins from the inside.
The initial stages of varicose veins are practically asymptomatic for a woman - only a slight deformation of the veins is externally detected. In this case, by the end of the day, swelling may appear, which completely disappears by the morning. As a rule, swelling is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness, “fullness” of the legs, and fatigue.
In more advanced conditions, cramps of the calf muscles may occur. Basically, they bother the pregnant woman at night. Further, the disease is aggravated by severe pain in the legs and itching of the skin, also worse at night.
The next stage in the development of varicose veins is a significant deformation of the veins. In this case, the veins protrude above the skin, they are dilated, sometimes bizarrely curved. It is worth noting that in some cases (even with severe deformation of the veins) a woman may not have any unpleasant or painful sensations. At the same time, changes that are barely noticeable to the eyes can often be combined with serious pain symptoms.
As a rule, the causes of the onset or worsening of this disease during pregnancy are: hormonal changes in the body (which leads to a weakening of the venous wall), increased blood volume in the veins (as a result of which the load on the veins significantly increases), pressure from the growing uterus and fetus, increasing weight pregnant woman. In addition, the individual characteristics of a woman’s body also have an effect, in particular the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, underdevelopment or even the complete absence of venous valves.
Often during pregnancy, not only varicose veins of the lower extremities are observed, but also varicose veins of the labia, vulva, and anus (hemorrhoids). If not treated promptly, extensive vulvar varicose veins can lead to rupture of the vein, thereby causing fatal bleeding.
Preventive measures must be taken both by those women for whom the disease has just “appeared on the horizon” and by those who do not have obvious manifestations of it. During pregnancy, for this purpose, it is necessary to wear compression stockings (anti-varicose tights are not used during pregnancy) or wrap your legs tightly with elastic bandages. The first option is the most convenient, since it does not require training in special bandaging techniques, which are necessary in the case of bandages. But you should know that it is unacceptable to select stockings yourself; this should be done by a phlebologist. He will take into account the degree of compression you need and teach you how to use this product correctly. For example, the doctor will tell you that you need to put on stockings in the morning while lying down, without getting out of bed. In addition, you should not wear clothes that impede free blood circulation in the hips and knees. Choose shoes with a heel of 3-5 cm.
The next steps to take are to improve circulation in your legs through exercise and position changes. This means that it is necessary to give your legs a rest and unload them as often as possible. From time to time you should lie down, and so that your legs are on a hill (the option of throwing your legs on the table in the American style is quite suitable). It is also important to perform special simple exercises: circular movements of the feet, “bicycle”, raising on the toes, “toe-heel” rolls. You can lie on your back, raise your legs at a 90-degree angle (or straighten them) and shake.
When sleeping, try to lie on your left side to improve blood flow. Do not cross your legs when sitting or stand for long periods of time. If you have to stand for a long time, periodically rise on your toes. Visits to the pool will be useful.
Make sure that the weight gain is not very significant, that is, beyond the norm, since this has a very negative effect on the condition of the veins.
Treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy, like other diseases, is unacceptable on your own. This should be done by a specialist.
In most cases, treatment of this disease in pregnant women should be limited to conservative methods aimed at improving venous outflow. All the measures that we described in the previous section are relevant for treatment: wearing special stockings, physical therapy. This also includes walking in the fresh air, going up and down stairs. The basis of nutrition for a pregnant woman suffering from varicose veins should be vegetables, lean meat, fish, cottage cheese, and eggs.
Most often, when treating varicose veins during pregnancy, local preparations are used: gels, ointments. However, it is necessary to take into account that not any remedy is suitable now, since the active substance penetrates the blood and can be dangerous for the child. The most famous of them: ESSAVEN-GEL, LIOTON 1000-GEL, DICLOFENAC-GEL, FASTUM-GEL, VENORUTON-GEL, GINKOR-GEL. The doctor will choose exactly the one
Today, there are many medications on the pharmaceutical market that are aimed at treating varicose veins. But DETRALEX is recognized as the most preferable during pregnancy. There is another drug - VENORUTON, which is contraindicated for use in the first three months, but is allowed after, as well as during breastfeeding. At the same time, treatment with ENDOTELON, ESCUZAN and DOXIUM is unacceptable. Along with phlebotropic drugs, drugs from other pharmaceutical groups are used: IBUPROFEN, DICLOFENAC, WOBENZYME, PHLOGENZYME, PENTOXIFYLINE, ASPIRIN, DIPIRIDAMOLE. True, their use is limited and is possible only in accordance with the strict indications of the attending physician.
In particularly difficult cases, with rapid progression of the disease (or complications such as ascending thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcer), surgical treatment is performed. If there really is a real threat, then doctors decide on surgical intervention, which is usually performed in the first six months of pregnancy. A method of sclerosing veins with special solutions is also possible.
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Most often, varicose veins during pregnancy occur on the legs, and the reason for this is the increased load on the legs and the pressure of the uterus on the pelvic veins. In no case should the disease be neglected; it is necessary to begin treatment when the first signs of varicose veins are detected - the appearance of red or bluish veins of blood vessels or spider veins (they are clearly visible in the photo), with chronic leg fatigue and the appearance of night cramps.
First of all, you should devote time to therapeutic exercises, which help improve blood circulation in the veins of the legs and eliminate congestion. Twice a day you need to do light, easy exercises, and after it - a massage with stroking, rubbing and kneading movements over the entire surface of the leg for 5-7 minutes.
It is also worth using a special venotonic cream for varicose veins, applying it to the affected areas in the morning and evening. The doctor will tell you which cream to choose after the examination. The doctor may also prescribe oral medications for varicose veins if he sees this as appropriate. But it is worth remembering that any tablets and capsules for the treatment of varicose veins can only be taken from the second trimester of pregnancy - in the first trimester, if possible, ingestion of any medications should be completely abolished.
And, of course, varicose veins require constant wearing of special compression underwear - compression stockings and tights for pregnant women against varicose veins should become your constant companion. Stockings are recommended to be worn during walks and walking in general, as well as when performing therapeutic exercises. Of course, you shouldn't sleep in stockings.
You can also try folk remedies:
Varicose veins of the uterus are less common during pregnancy than varicose veins in the legs, but still about 30% of women suffer from this dangerous disease. Varicose veins of the uterus are dangerous due to their complications - thrombosis of the main veins and thrombophlebitis. Outside of pregnancy, doctors usually resort to surgical treatment methods, but during pregnancy, only conservative therapy aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the disease is possible.
The following treatment methods are used:
A patient who has been diagnosed with such varicose veins during pregnancy should be constantly monitored by a phlebologist, and if there are complications, a cesarean section is indicated.
Varicose veins of the pelvis are sometimes confused with varicose veins of the uterus, although these are two different diseases. Varicose veins of the small pelvis occur as a result of underdevelopment of venous valves, physical inactivity, a sedentary lifestyle, and also in pregnant women as a result of pressure from the enlarged uterus on the main veins.
Treatment for pregnant women is similar to the treatment of uterine varicose veins - conservative therapy aimed at eliminating symptoms. As a rule, radical treatment is possible only after childbirth.
Varicose veins of the genital organs - vagina and labia - can be an independent disease, or can be a concomitant condition with varicose veins of the pelvis. Enlarged veins in the groin cause a lot of inconvenience and discomfort for pregnant women. Treatment is only conservative - compression garments, special latex pads, the use of venotonics in the form of ointments or tablets. For vaginal varicose veins during pregnancy, it is also recommended to wear compression stockings - normalizing blood circulation in the veins of the legs stimulates blood circulation in the veins of the groin.
Varicose veins during pregnancy are always a difficult disease to treat and are fraught with serious complications. Therefore, you cannot take it lightly; at the first symptoms you should immediately consult a doctor. If you notice some “vascular patterns” on your legs, as in the photo, or your health has worsened, do not expect the disease to resolve on its own.
Sometimes in pregnant women the disease does not manifest itself, but varicose veins appear after childbirth, as a result of the heavy load on the body during childbirth. Here, treatment is also complicated, since many medications are contraindicated during lactation.
It is much easier to prevent any disease than to deal with its consequences later. Therefore, prevention of varicose veins during pregnancy is very important. Here are the main preventive methods:
Following simple rules of prevention can prevent the development of the disease or significantly slow it down.
It consists of using compression bandages and knitwear simultaneously with pharmaceutical medications.
Consists of using compression garments. Knitwear compresses dilated venous vessels, which leads to their narrowing, thereby restoring normal blood flow. Today, compression tights and stockings are available in a wide range on pharmacy shelves.
You can wear such knitwear only in the morning, without getting out of bed, using gentle stroking movements, spreading it upwards from the foot. There is no need to pull it. When using elastic bandages, it is necessary to choose the correct length and width. To bandage, you need to lie on a flat surface, slightly raising your legs, after 7 minutes, without lowering the sore leg, apply a bandage: from the ankle you need to go several rounds to the bases of the fingers, then wrap the shin and thigh from bottom to top. How many hours to wear compression hosiery is determined by the doctor, since sometimes there are indications for its use around the clock.
If wearing compression hosiery is not possible due to the individual characteristics of the woman, on hot summer days, or if it is ineffective - the pain does not go away, swelling, heaviness, etc. appear, pregnant women are prescribed phlebotropic drugs that do not penetrate the placenta.
Together with compression garments, women need to use gels and ointments that strengthen the venous wall, restore blood circulation, and relieve inflammation. Below is a description of how and how to treat varicose veins of the legs during pregnancy.
Local treatment plays a leading role in the treatment of varicose veins in pregnant women. These drugs are convenient and easy to use. Divided into:
They reduce the likelihood of blood clots, inflammation, relieve pain, and relieve swelling. It is necessary to choose drugs with a heparin content in the range of 600–1000 IU/g; this is the dose that allows you to achieve the required concentration of heparin in the skin and subcutaneous tissue when using external agents. Creams and gels are applied 3-4 times a day. These drugs during pregnancy are indicated for all women with venous congestion.
Heparin-containing drugs are used to eliminate symptoms of pain, fever, muscle twitching, numbness, and crawling. They will help avoid the appearance of heaviness and fatigue in the lower leg muscles, and promote faster resorption of bruises.
It is the most common and frequently used remedy of the group. The drug has undergone clinical trials and has proven its high effectiveness in treating varicose veins of the lower extremities. Unlike internal administration of systemic drugs (tablets), it is not at all dangerous for the pregnant woman and the fetus, since it does not change the properties of blood clotting systemically, but acts exclusively only at the site of application, and does not increase the risk of bleeding and blood loss during childbirth. The product helps both combat an existing vein problem and helps prevent the development of the disease in women at risk.
Apply 2-3 times a day, rub into the skin for about 2 minutes, then it is recommended to wrap the leg in a bandage or put on a stocking. Treatment is carried out in courses of 30 days, then a break is taken for 30 days. And so it is necessary to alternate throughout pregnancy and the first months after childbirth.
Contraindications: ulcers and necrosis, hemorrhagic diathesis, thrombocytopenic purpura.
Analogue preparations, such as heparin ointment, heparoid, hepatrombin and emeran, contain 10 times less heparin, so their use is unjustified.
They increase the tone of the venous wall, stabilize its condition, and improve lymph outflow. The composition includes either rutins and their derivatives, or plant extracts:
Herbal preparations can be used from the first days of conception.
With prolonged use, local allergic reactions, dermatitis, roughening and peeling of the skin may develop.
If the pain does not disappear when using local medications, and swelling begins to appear, it is necessary to add systemic agents that are taken orally, but not earlier than the 12th week of pregnancy.
Pregnant women with venous insufficiency, in the absence of contraindications, are recommended:
How to get rid of varicose veins in the legs during pregnancy using traditional medicine, what to drink and what to apply? While carrying a child, you should not get carried away with recipes from various medicinal herbs and plants, since their effect on the development of the baby and the placenta has not been proven. You can use a narrow list of methods:
You can use folk remedies every other day.
Contraindicated during pregnancy. Can be used only in cases of exception - if varicose veins are complicated:
Methods of sclerosing treatment and endoscopic procedures are contraindicated not only during pregnancy, but also during the first 12 months after it.
In any case, the choice of treatment method is determined by the doctor; self-medication is prohibited due to the possible development of complications.
Varicose veins can be cured, but this requires a lot of time and money, so it is better to take preventive measures and prevent the onset of the disease. Timely treatment and prevention are the key to the normal course of pregnancy and the postpartum period, preventing chronicity of the process and the development of complications. If these rules are followed, the question of what to do with varicose veins of the legs during pregnancy should not be difficult to answer.
- a feeling of fullness in the lower extremities, more pronounced in the evening and after prolonged exercise,
- burning and discomfort along the veins,
- cramps (usually of the calf muscles and foot muscles),
- swelling of the legs in the evening, passing or decreasing in the morning,
- the formation of bulging veins, visible veins on the legs and above (this is a far advanced process).
Then, over time (if you do not treat varicose veins after childbirth and breastfeeding), tissue nutrition is disrupted, the skin of the legs becomes denser and darker, foci of dystrophy appear and difficult-to-heal ulcers can form.
— thrombophlebitis is an inflammatory complication of varicose veins that requires immediate treatment,
- thromboembolic complications (separation of a blood clot and its circulation through the vascular bed with the blood flow, the consequences can be unpredictable).
A phlebologist is a doctor who deals with vein problems and their treatment. A consultation with a phlebologist is needed to select treatment (drug and non-drug) and decide whether to consult a vascular surgeon.
A vascular surgeon is a doctor who specializes in the surgical treatment of diseases of the arteries and veins.
— Ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities. Vascular ultrasound helps determine the degree of damage to the veins, the consistency of the valve apparatus, the direction of blood flow, the presence of stagnation and small and large blood clots in the lumens of the veins. Based on a competent ultrasound of the veins, indications for surgical treatment and the prescription of blood-thinning drugs are determined.
- UAC. In a general blood test, we are interested in the presence of an inflammatory response (leukocytosis and leukocyte count) and the quantity and quality of blood clotting elements (platelets).
- Coagulogram. Coagulogram is a general term for a set of blood clotting tests. According to indications, it may be necessary to determine: INR, APTT, PTI, PTT, fibrinogen, D-dimer, RFMC. When prescribing blood-thinning therapy, the coagulogram is repeated (certain indicators, different indicators for different drugs).
1. Compression hosiery is the first stage of treatment for varicose veins, as well as effective prevention and postoperative support. Compression hosiery is designed to reduce stagnation in certain areas of the vascular bed, thereby reducing swelling, easing discomfort (bloating, pain, burning) and preventing further development of the disease.
Compression knitwear comes in different types, such as compression socks, stockings, and tights. Compression products are made from elastic and wear-resistant materials (nylon, lycra, microfiber) using seamless technology.
There are several degrees of compression; according to this principle, underwear is divided into preventive, therapeutic and hospital knitwear. Hospital knitwear is used only in specialized hospitals.
Therapeutic and preventive knitwear can be purchased in the general pharmacy chain and specialized orthopedic pharmacies. Be careful, the compression level is always indicated on the packaging of tights or stockings. You should purchase such products only on the recommendation of a doctor; by your own choice, you can buy too weak or, conversely, a strong degree of compression. And the price of knitwear is approximately 1000 rubles and above.
Preventive compression levels include levels of 8-15 mmHg. and 15-20 mmHg. These degrees of compression are used in the absence of underlying venous diseases to prevent varicose veins in pregnant women. Especially if a pregnant woman’s work involves staying in an upright position for a long time.
The therapeutic degree of compression starts from 20 - 30 mmHg. and higher. Used to treat varicose veins in pregnant women, and can be used when traveling or when there will be long periods of walking or standing (although such situations should be avoided if possible by pregnant women).
Putting on compression products is also carried out according to the rules. They put on stockings/tights while lying down, in the morning (there is no swelling yet), turn the product almost inside out and begin to put it on, as if rolling it over the leg and gradually carefully straightening the folds. It is impossible to pull compression hosiery, this leads to a gradual rupture of the compression threads and a weakening of the compression.
Compression knitwear cannot be washed in hot water and with rinse aid (softens the compression threads), ironed, bleached and dried on a radiator, using a hair dryer or in the sun. Wash such linen carefully by hand and dry it by laying it on a hard surface.
Compression hosiery is worn from morning until evening, only with this regimen the desired clinical effect is achieved. You should also remove stockings while lying down to avoid sudden congestion of the veins.
2. Venotonics are drugs that act on the venous wall. The venotonic effect is achieved due to the fact that diosmin (the active ingredient of most venotonics) lengthens the time of action of norepinephrine on the vein wall. Norepinephrine increases its tone and density, has a vasoconstrictor effect, and prevents vein dilation and stagnation.
During pregnancy, diosmin is allowed; it is the main active ingredient of such drugs as Phlebodia, Phlebopha, Vazoket, Diosmin. The use of these drugs is allowed from the second trimester and only as prescribed by a doctor (obstetrician, gynecologist or phlebologist).
Any of these drugs is taken 1 tablet. 1 time/day and discontinued 2-3 weeks before birth to avoid an increased risk of bleeding in the afterbirth or early postpartum period. If you miss one or more tablets, you should continue to use the drug at the usual dosage.
3. Local treatment. Taking systemic medications (diosmin) is allowed only from the second trimester, but you can help yourself from an early stage. If varicose veins existed before pregnancy or if close relatives have this common disease, then you can combine compression stockings and local medications, starting from the early stages.
Approved for use:
- apply troxevasin (troxerutin, troxyvenol) to the affected areas 1 - 2 times a day and leave until completely dry. These drugs are usually yellow in color and can stain clothing and linens. Therefore, it is better to use them at night, and wear compression stockings or knee socks from morning to evening.
— Heparin gels (Lioton, Hepatrombin, Thrombless, Lavenum) are allowed during pregnancy and further during breastfeeding. Apply them to the affected areas and leave until completely absorbed. Use 1-2 times a day, long-term use is possible, but only after consulting a doctor.
In this case, the listed measures will be useful both for those who do not and have not had varicose veins (to prevent its occurrence), and for those who have a history of varicose veins, a family history or previous operations on the veins (to prevent the recurrence or worsening process flow).
Our task is to prevent constipation. You can read about nutrition for constipation and a tendency to constipation in our article “Constipation during pregnancy.”
General recommendations for a balanced diet are the same as for all pregnant women: lean meat and fish, vegetables, fruits, berries, vegetable oils, cereals, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy and fermented milk products (up to 5%), weak tea, mineral water .
Recommended products: tomato juice, seafood, lemon, garlic, sea buckthorn, grapes, cranberries, pears, apples, brown rice, durum pasta, rye and bran bread, bran in moderation and cereals. Excessive consumption of bran and oatmeal can interfere with calcium absorption due to the high phytic acid content.
Limit: fried, overly spicy foods, simple carbohydrates (sugar, confectionery and sweet drinks, especially carbonated ones).
It is also necessary to consume a sufficient amount of healthy fluid, unless there are other contraindications.
The above nutritional recommendations have two goals: increasing blood flow (recommended foods) and preventing excessive weight gain and/or uneven weight gain. Pay attention to the even distribution of meals throughout the day, do not overeat at night.
Pregnancy is not a disease, but a physiological state of a woman. Therefore, physical activity must be mandatory. Recommended: leisurely walks on foot, swimming in safe bodies of water (if there are no contraindications), gymnastics for pregnant women (regular and using a fitball - a soft rubber ball for fitness).
There are also special simple exercises that help to “disperse” congestion in the veins, especially if you have a sedentary job.
Gymnastics for pregnant women with varicose veins
— Sit on a chair, bend your knees, lower your arms down. Stand up as you inhale, sit down as you exhale.
- Stand in the “shoulder-width apart” position and alternately bend your knees without lifting your feet off the floor.
— While sitting on a chair, perform rotational and rolling movements with your feet
— While standing, slowly rise on your toes and also slowly lower yourself, synchronize your movements with inhalations and exhalations.
- Walk alternately on your toes and heels, and then on the inner and outer surfaces of the foot.
— Stand with your legs apart, focus on one leg. and rotate the second, starting from the foot, then connecting the lower leg.
- Voluntary movements in a comfortable rhythm to the music; after all the exercises, dance and you will feel it. that the legs were rested and the heaviness decreased.
As in many other cases (heartburn in pregnant women, hiatal hernia, etc.), positional therapy helps improve the quality of life. Alternate a sitting position with a reclining position with your legs raised, do not sit cross-legged. On a chair, the most harmless position is one in which you sit on the very edge, only your buttocks touch the chair, and the back of your thighs is not compressed. Try it and you will gradually get used to sitting this way, but in the third trimester it is not recommended to sit differently.
Sleep on your left side with a pillow under your stomach (an ordinary, not very stuffed pillow or a special horseshoe-shaped pillow for pregnant women). This sleeping position is good not only because it is comfortable for a woman. In this position, the pressure of the uterus on many vessels located retroperitoneally is reduced, thus improving the outflow from the lower extremities and the blood supply to the kidneys and uterus. In addition to preventing varicose veins, positioning on the left side helps avoid uterine hypertonicity.
Avoid hot baths (this is not only fraught with problems with veins), stockings and knee socks with compressive elastic bands, wearing tight trousers, wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes and high heels.
Shoes should have a small, stable heel and, if possible, an anatomically appropriate insole - arch support. Shoes without heels at all are also wrong; wearing ballet flats or moccasins increases the load on the heel and creates an incorrect body balance.
Clothes should not have areas of stretching, but should not be too loose either. A perfectly tight, uniform fit that does not restrict movement, but at the same time supports the abdomen.
If possible, use a contrast shower, if not on the whole body, then on the lower limbs. Do not go to extremes, the contrast should not be radical, this will inevitably lead to increased uterine tone. Alternating warm and cool water works fine. In the evenings, alternately rinse at least your shins, and then take a position with an elevated foot end, and the bursting sensations will significantly weaken.
You can also use foot baths with cool water and salt. Salt helps to slightly reduce swelling of the feet, and cool water tones.
The massage is carried out with soft, smooth movements in the direction from bottom to top. It is better to combine massage with rubbing in anti-varicose gels (lyoton, troxevasin), this enhances the therapeutic effect.
1. Sclerosis of veins. This treatment method involves the introduction of a sclerosing substance into the lumen of the vein, which glues the walls of the vessel and completely removes its lumen. Restoration of blood outflow occurs through collateral vessels (daughter and parallel vessels). During pregnancy, the method is rarely used.
2. Phlebectomy is the removal of a vein in whole or in part. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and is performed according to health indications. If there is a threat to the mother’s life, for example, a large and unstable blood clot in the lumen of the vessel, which risks breaking off and causing thromboembolic complications.
3. Endovascular interventions. These are interventions that involve manipulations inside the vessel, for example, removing a blood clot from the lumen of the vessel (if technically possible). In pregnant women it is carried out for health reasons.
The prognosis for life is favorable. If thrombophlebitis develops, the prognosis worsens and the risk of thromboembolic complications arises; emergency assistance from a vascular surgeon is necessary.
At the moment, medicine has achieved success in many areas, safe drugs and preventive measures have been developed. If you trust your doctor, then follow his recommendations and your pregnancy will be successful. Take care of yourself and be healthy!
Doctor Petrova A.V.
There are several main symptoms of varicose veins in pregnant women:
Advanced varicose veins are fraught with the appearance of trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, gangrene and deep vein thrombosis. The outcome of such complications is often incompatible with life.
If your relatives have varicose veins or you notice the first signs of the disease, you need to start preventing varicose veins in pregnant women. This way you will stop the development of the disease and will be able to avoid complications.
Prevention consists of the following simple actions:
It is especially difficult if varicose veins began during pregnancy - what to do if you are forced to sit for a long time? Every hour, take a five-minute break to walk on your toes and heels. Sedentary foot warm-up is also very useful. Perform exercises 10-20 times:
Varicose veins and pregnancy are often associated, because the growing uterus creates increased stress on the vessels. This leads to an increase in venous pressure and poor circulation. To reduce the negative impact, wear a bandage during the day. To avoid squeezing the inferior vena cava at night, sleep on your right side.
Before treating varicose veins during pregnancy, an ultrasound of the veins is performed. This is the most informative examination method. With its help, information is obtained about the stage of development of the disease, the presence of blood clots, the condition of venous valves, and vascular patency.
Gentle methods are used to treat pregnant women. Surgery or sclerotherapy is used as a last resort if there is a threat to the life of the expectant mother. In the first trimester, avoid any pharmaceutical drugs, using preventive methods for treating varicose veins during pregnancy.
Wearing compression hosiery is especially popular. It prevents the development of the disease. By stimulating the outflow of blood, it normalizes venous pressure.
After the examination, the doctor will select therapeutic knitwear for you with the required degree of compression. Stockings should be put on in the morning before you get out of bed, and removed only in the evening. Phlebologists recommend giving birth in jersey. This will help reduce the peak load that the vessels experience and prevent the appearance of new diseased veins.
Contrast dousing of the legs will help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Water procedures are an exercise for blood vessels, increasing their tone and elasticity. Treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy with a contrast shower stimulates blood circulation and promotes the resorption of blood stagnation.
During the day and evening, use gentle stroking movements to massage your legs from toes to thighs. A massage will relieve muscle tension, improve blood flow and allow you to fully rest at night.
Keep your bowel movements regular. Chronic constipation increases venous pressure and contributes to the progression of varicose veins.
To effectively treat varicose veins during pregnancy, you need to balance your diet. Under the influence of hormones, the blood thickens. To prevent blood clots, you need to drink up to 3 liters of fluid per day. The basis should be clean water. Juices, fruit drinks, compotes are allowed.
Remember: if symptoms of nephropathy (toxicosis of the second half of pregnancy) appear, reduce fluid intake to 1.5 liters per day. Its progression is fraught with more serious toxicosis. In most cases, this ends in emergency delivery via cesarean section.
Eating foods containing iodine reduces blood viscosity. These are seafood, seaweed, fish, spinach, eggs, milk, broccoli, cereals, onions, beets, and champignons. The following have anticoagulant properties: celery, garlic, tomato, cherry, cranberry.
Excess weight gained since conception increases the strain on the veins. Therefore, avoid sweet, fatty foods. In addition, sugar helps thicken the blood.
Detralex is used to treat varicose veins in pregnant women. This is a plant-based venotonic drug. It restores vascular tone, simulates blood circulation, improves lymphatic drainage, and removes swelling. As a result, heaviness and pain in the legs decrease, and cramps disappear. Analogues of this drug are Venarus, Venozol.
Troxevasin is an anti-inflammatory venotonic. It normalizes vascular tone, promotes tissue regeneration, strengthens the walls of veins. When using a gel or ointment for varicose veins for pregnant women, blood circulation improves, swelling decreases, and cramps go away. Its analogs are Troxevenol and Troxerutin.
Aescusan is produced based on horse chestnut. It tones blood vessels, strengthens the walls and prevents fragility of veins, stimulates metabolism. The hyaluronic acid contained in the composition has a tonic effect.
When taking the drug, burning, swelling, and pain decrease. Escusan is prescribed in the form of a gel and ointment for varicose veins during pregnancy. Similar effects of drugs: Escuvit, Aescin, Venoplant.
Phlebodia 600 is available in tablet form. The drug reduces congestion in the veins, stimulates lymphatic drainage, and relieves inflammation. As a result, the pain and swelling that occurs in the evenings becomes less. The medication is stopped 2 weeks before the expected date of birth.
Lyoton gel is produced on the basis of heparin, a natural anticoagulant. It thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots. It can be used not only during pregnancy, but also during lactation, since heparin is not excreted through breast milk.
It quickly relieves pain symptoms, relieves inflammation and swelling. In addition to Lyoton, heparin-based drugs are produced: Gepatrombin and Trombles.
A quite popular cream for varicose veins during pregnancy from grandmother Agafya based on horse chestnut and lemon balm. It prevents veins from dilating. Thanks to the cooling effect of lemon balm, pain and fatigue quickly disappear and swelling of the legs decreases. The cream strengthens blood vessels and stimulates blood circulation.
Doctors often prescribe Venorm. It contains extracts of chestnut, sweet clover, calendula, oil and lanolin. It is effective as an adjuvant in the treatment of varicose veins. The cream prevents inflammation, relieves pain, and tones blood vessels.
It is difficult to predict what will happen to varicose veins after pregnancy. If competent treatment was carried out in the initial stages, then there is a high probability that after the load is reduced and the hormonal levels stabilize, the veins will “hide”.
In advanced cases, if the doctor’s recommendations are not followed, childbirth will only aggravate the manifestations of varicose veins. The situation is complicated by the fact that many drugs approved during pregnancy (with the exception of heparin) cannot be used during lactation. The operation is allowed to be performed only six months after childbirth.
What is pregnancy? This is not only a joyful anticipation of the birth of a new life, but also a trigger for the exacerbation of chronic ailments and the emergence of new painful conditions.
Varicose veins of the pelvis during pregnancy in a woman are by no means a rare occurrence, which is fraught with many unpleasant and even tragic complications.
Varicose veins of the small pelvis or, as it is also called, pelvic varicose veins, are observed in 30% of primiparous women and in 50% of cases during repeat pregnancy .
With this disease, the pelvic veins cease to cope with their main function - the outflow of venous blood, which as a result stagnates in the vessels. Against the background of stagnation, the veins expand, their walls lose their firmness and elasticity - varicose veins appear.
It is not easy to detect this disease during pregnancy: most of the symptoms are nonspecific and are explained by changes occurring in the body of a pregnant woman. Therefore, the true incidence of pelvic varicose veins during pregnancy remains a big question.
It is known that in most cases the disease can go away on its own after childbirth. But in about every tenth woman it persists even after the birth of a child, and with each new pregnancy it worsens.
The causes of the onset or exacerbation of the disease during pregnancy are considered to be:
But from the first days of pregnancy, a woman’s body begins to produce a huge amount of hormones that provoke relaxation of the vascular walls and lead to pathological dilation of veins, venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
Those women who are most at risk of developing pelvic varicose veins are:
What are the dangers of varicose veins of the uterus and other veins of the pelvic organs during pregnancy? Specific complications of pelvic varicose veins, which can only occur in pregnant women, are potentially dangerous both for the expectant mother and for the fetus she is carrying:
It is very difficult to detect varicose veins of the pelvic veins during pregnancy - expectant mothers tend to explain all the unpleasant symptoms by their “interesting position” and often simply do not notice the warning signs:
The final diagnosis can only be made by a doctor based on instrumental research data. During pregnancy, it is preferable to use diagnostic methods that will not harm the baby - ultrasound examination and Dopplerography . Other, more accurate diagnostic procedures (including tomography) are used only as a last resort, to clarify the diagnosis.
During pregnancy, pelvic varicose veins cannot be cured, but you can keep them under control and prevent the pathological process in the veins from worsening. For this purpose, conservative and mostly non-drug treatment methods . Surgical treatment of pelvic vein varicose veins during pregnancy is almost never practiced due to the high risk to the fetus.
Prevention of pelvic varicose veins during pregnancy involves:
A pregnant woman is responsible not only for herself, but also for the one to whom she decided to give life. This places a special responsibility on her, including in relation to her health. A symptom that is harmless in the opinion of the woman herself can become an alarming signal of trouble in the body and a possible source of physiological stress for the fetus. You should not forget about this and try to promptly eliminate all risk factors that threaten the normal course of pregnancy.
Women suffer from varicose veins several times more often than men. During pregnancy, latent pathological conditions or a predisposition to such conditions in the body of the expectant mother become aggravated, leading to the appearance of the notorious stars and webs on the legs.
There is a popular myth that varicose veins are almost an obligatory companion for all pregnant women. However, many women calmly carry a child, unaware of the possibility of congestion in the veins. In others, the disease manifests itself only in later stages or during repeated pregnancies.
What do you need to know about varicose veins during pregnancy in order to successfully resist it, and how to treat it safely?
Statistics inform that up to 50% of expectant mothers experience signs of varicose veins, most of them in the later stages . The main “culprits” of illness during pregnancy are:
Indirect factors of varicose veins in pregnant women may include:
Blood enters the lower body and limbs through large vessels, and this is where varicose veins begin . Veins do not provide adequate blood flow and timely return to the heart. Congestion occurs, pressure in the veins increases, bursting them from the inside and deforming them.
The disease can signal itself without yet manifesting itself externally:
In late pregnancy, varicose veins can appear not only on the legs . Pregnant women suffer from dilation of the veins of the uterus, pelvic organs, and external genitalia. It is also the cause of such intimate problems as hemorrhoids.
As the disease progresses, specific spider veins appear , and the legs are dotted with a network of capillaries. Varicose veins can affect larger vessels, and the pattern of the veins becomes more distinct; bulges and nodules form under the skin.
Varicose veins can greatly darken the period of bearing a child. Not only is it unnecessary to put up with it, but it is also fraught with complications.
The main treatment for varicose veins during pregnancy is aimed at preventing thrombosis and ensuring good blood circulation. First of all, a pregnant woman should take into account the following useful points:
Medical stockings for varicose veins in pregnant women will have to be worn throughout the entire pregnancy, including childbirth, and for some period after the birth of the child.
For more useful information on this topic, watch the video:
In addition to compression stockings, exercises and recommendations for a healthy lifestyle, the doctor may also recommend medications.
Local preparations are available in the form of ointments, creams and gels , applied directly to the affected area of the skin, usually 2-3 times a day. Since they penetrate only to a limited depth, they have no effect on the cause of the disease.
Phlebotonics for oral use have a general venotonic effect, reduce the permeability of vascular walls, and increase their elasticity. The duration and regimen of treatment are determined by the doctor and the instructions for the drug .
The use of any medications for varicose veins during pregnancy should be taken with the utmost seriousness. This is not the case when you can self-medicate. Any remedy must be prescribed by a doctor . Only a specialist will be able to select the right combination of drugs that will give maximum effect with a minimum of side effects.
It is not recommended during treatment with drugs:
Varicose veins are not dangerous in themselves, and mostly cause inconvenience due to cosmetic defects. However, advanced cases are fraught with very serious complications , often requiring urgent medical intervention. The most formidable of them include:
Various infections , such as erysipelas, etc., can be associated with these pathologies
During pregnancy, you should listen especially carefully to changes in your body . A general or local increase in body temperature, thickened painful areas on the skin, a change in its color, severe swelling are reasons to urgently consult a doctor.
If the veins are in good condition and the disease did not manifest itself in any way before pregnancy, all signs will disappear after childbirth . The most effective way to prevent varicose veins in pregnant women is a healthy lifestyle coupled with simple recommendations for vein tone.
Pregnancy imposes restrictions on the treatment of the disease, so conservative methods of treating varicose veins are usually used. Surgical methods of intervention are postponed until after childbirth, unless there are serious medical indications for such.
During pregnancy, the load on the body increases and hormonal levels change. This not only contributes to positive changes in the body, but also makes the woman’s body vulnerable. Therefore, varicose veins during pregnancy are a very common phenomenon. During this period, you should be especially attentive to yourself and your health. Therefore, at the first symptoms of varicose veins, consult a doctor.
Advanced varicose veins are fraught with the appearance of trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, gangrene and deep vein thrombosis. The outcome of such complications is often incompatible with life.
If your relatives have varicose veins or you notice the first signs of the disease, you need to start preventing varicose veins in pregnant women. This way you will stop the development of the disease and will be able to avoid complications.
Prevention consists of the following simple actions:
It is especially difficult if varicose veins began during pregnancy - what to do if you are forced to sit for a long time? Every hour, take a five-minute break to walk on your toes and heels. Sedentary foot warm-up is also very useful. Perform exercises 10-20 times:
Varicose veins and pregnancy are often associated, because the growing uterus creates increased stress on the vessels. This leads to an increase in venous pressure and poor circulation. To reduce the negative impact, wear a bandage during the day. To avoid squeezing the inferior vena cava at night, sleep on your right side.
Before treating varicose veins during pregnancy, an ultrasound of the veins is performed. This is the most informative examination method. With its help, information is obtained about the stage of development of the disease, the presence of blood clots, the condition of venous valves, and vascular patency.
Gentle methods are used to treat pregnant women. Surgery or sclerotherapy is used as a last resort if there is a threat to the life of the expectant mother. In the first trimester, avoid any pharmaceutical drugs, using preventive methods for treating varicose veins during pregnancy.
Wearing compression hosiery is especially popular. It prevents the development of the disease. By stimulating the outflow of blood, it normalizes venous pressure.
After the examination, the doctor will select therapeutic knitwear for you with the required degree of compression. Stockings should be put on in the morning before you get out of bed, and removed only in the evening. Phlebologists recommend giving birth in jersey. This will help reduce the peak load that the vessels experience and prevent the appearance of new diseased veins.
Contrast dousing of the legs will help relieve pain and reduce swelling. Water procedures are an exercise for blood vessels, increasing their tone and elasticity. Treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy with a contrast shower stimulates blood circulation and promotes the resorption of blood stagnation.
During the day and evening, use gentle stroking movements to massage your legs from toes to thighs. A massage will relieve muscle tension, improve blood flow and allow you to fully rest at night.
Keep your bowel movements regular. Chronic constipation increases venous pressure and contributes to the progression of varicose veins.
To effectively treat varicose veins during pregnancy, you need to balance your diet. Under the influence of hormones, the blood thickens. To prevent blood clots, you need to drink up to 3 liters of fluid per day. The basis should be clean water. Juices, fruit drinks, compotes are allowed.
Remember: if symptoms of nephropathy (toxicosis of the second half of pregnancy) appear, reduce fluid intake to 1.5 liters per day. Its progression is fraught with more serious toxicosis. In most cases, this ends in emergency delivery via cesarean section.
Eating foods containing iodine reduces blood viscosity. These are seafood, seaweed, fish, spinach, eggs, milk, broccoli, cereals, onions, beets, and champignons. The following have anticoagulant properties: celery, garlic, tomato, cherry, cranberry.
Excess weight gained since conception increases the strain on the veins. Therefore, avoid sweet, fatty foods. In addition, sugar helps thicken the blood.
Detralex is used to treat varicose veins in pregnant women. This is a plant-based venotonic drug. It restores vascular tone, simulates blood circulation, improves lymphatic drainage, and removes swelling. As a result, heaviness and pain in the legs decrease, and cramps disappear. Analogues of this drug are Venarus, Venozol.
Troxevasin is an anti-inflammatory venotonic. It normalizes vascular tone, promotes tissue regeneration, strengthens the walls of veins. When using a gel or ointment for varicose veins for pregnant women, blood circulation improves, swelling decreases, and cramps go away. Its analogs are Troxevenol and Troxerutin.
Aescusan is produced based on horse chestnut. It tones blood vessels, strengthens the walls and prevents fragility of veins, stimulates metabolism. The hyaluronic acid contained in the composition has a tonic effect.
When taking the drug, burning, swelling, and pain decrease. Escusan is prescribed in the form of a gel and ointment for varicose veins during pregnancy. Similar effects of drugs: Escuvit, Aescin, Venoplant.
Phlebodia 600 is available in tablet form. The drug reduces congestion in the veins, stimulates lymphatic drainage, and relieves inflammation. As a result, the pain and swelling that occurs in the evenings becomes less. The medication is stopped 2 weeks before the expected date of birth.
Lyoton gel is produced on the basis of heparin, a natural anticoagulant. It thins the blood and prevents the formation of blood clots. It can be used not only during pregnancy, but also during lactation, since heparin is not excreted through breast milk.
It quickly relieves pain symptoms, relieves inflammation and swelling. In addition to Lyoton, heparin-based drugs are produced: Gepatrombin and Trombles.
A quite popular cream for varicose veins during pregnancy from grandmother Agafya based on horse chestnut and lemon balm. It prevents veins from dilating. Thanks to the cooling effect of lemon balm, pain and fatigue quickly disappear and swelling of the legs decreases. The cream strengthens blood vessels and stimulates blood circulation.
Doctors often prescribe Venorm. It contains extracts of chestnut, sweet clover, calendula, oil and lanolin. It is effective as an adjuvant in the treatment of varicose veins. The cream prevents inflammation, relieves pain, and tones blood vessels.
It is difficult to predict what will happen to varicose veins after pregnancy. If competent treatment was carried out in the initial stages, then there is a high probability that after the load is reduced and the hormonal levels stabilize, the veins will “hide”.
In advanced cases, if the doctor’s recommendations are not followed, childbirth will only aggravate the manifestations of varicose veins. The situation is complicated by the fact that many drugs approved during pregnancy (with the exception of heparin) cannot be used during lactation. The operation is allowed to be performed only six months after childbirth.
A wonderful time - pregnancy - can provoke a very unpleasant disease - varicose veins (chronic venous insufficiency). According to statistics, varicose veins appear in 20-30% of women after their first pregnancy. During subsequent pregnancies, this percentage grows inexorably and reaches 40-60% in the second pregnancy, and up to 80% in the third. As a rule, varicose veins due to pregnancy most often occur in people predisposed to the disease. For many women, the first manifestations of varicose veins are visible even before the onset of an “interesting situation.”
Visually, problems with veins may look like “spider veins” and “worms”. In the first case, we are talking about translucent small vessels, similar to a spider's web. They are blue or purple in color, but do not rise above the surface of the skin. “Worms” are, on the contrary, an expansion of the main veins. As a rule, their bulging and swelling are observed. These veins, sometimes as large as a finger in diameter, are blue-green in color. But varicose veins are not just a cosmetic defect. This is a disease that is extremely dangerous due to its complications. Among them, the most common are: thrombophlebitis, trophic ulcers, bleeding. The most dangerous is the formation of a blood clot, which can break off and create an immediate threat to the life of the mother and child.
The mechanism of formation of varicose veins during pregnancy is as follows: blood is “pumped” along the arteries into the lower extremities, but is retained there because the veins are partially compressed and cannot provide sufficient blood flow. As a result, venous blood stagnates, which bursts the veins from the inside.
The initial stages of varicose veins are practically asymptomatic for a woman - only a slight deformation of the veins is externally detected. In this case, by the end of the day, swelling may appear, which completely disappears by the morning. As a rule, swelling is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness, “fullness” of the legs, and fatigue.
In more advanced conditions, cramps of the calf muscles may occur. Basically, they bother the pregnant woman at night. Further, the disease is aggravated by severe pain in the legs and itching of the skin, also worse at night.
The next stage in the development of varicose veins is a significant deformation of the veins. In this case, the veins protrude above the skin, they are dilated, sometimes bizarrely curved. It is worth noting that in some cases (even with severe deformation of the veins) a woman may not have any unpleasant or painful sensations. At the same time, changes that are barely noticeable to the eyes can often be combined with serious pain symptoms.
As a rule, the causes of the onset or worsening of this disease during pregnancy are: hormonal changes in the body (which leads to a weakening of the venous wall), increased blood volume in the veins (as a result of which the load on the veins significantly increases), pressure from the growing uterus and fetus, increasing weight pregnant woman. In addition, the individual characteristics of a woman’s body also have an effect, in particular the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, underdevelopment or even the complete absence of venous valves.
Often during pregnancy, not only varicose veins of the lower extremities are observed, but also varicose veins of the labia, vulva, and anus (hemorrhoids). If not treated promptly, extensive vulvar varicose veins can lead to rupture of the vein, thereby causing fatal bleeding.
Hello, in this article you will learn about varicose veins during pregnancy, the reasons for its appearance and methods of manifestation (symptoms). We will also try to answer the questions “How to treat varicose veins during pregnancy?” Is it possible to cure this disease with folk remedies?
Do you want to get pregnant but suffer from varicose veins? If you do not have the most severe stage of this disease, then there is no reason to refuse pregnancy. Varicose veins during pregnancy most often appear on the legs, but can appear on the external genitalia: varicose veins of the labia, vulva, uterus, anus (hemorrhoids), dilated pelvic veins.
If a girl has a stomach ache, it could be varicose veins of the genital organs. If we talk about women in an “interesting position,” almost everyone encounters varicose veins of the genital organs: labia, vulva.
This disease can be a separate disease, or it can be a consequence of a condition with pelvic varicose veins. This form of the disease causes a lot of inconvenience and discomfort for both girls and expectant mothers.
During pregnancy, you can be treated with Venarus and Phlebodia tablets (consult a specialist before use). These drugs have a combined effect and are used to treat many manifestations of varicose veins.
During the period of bearing a child, this disease can be treated with many means of a wide range of applications (gels, ointments for the feet, some suppositories for hemorrhoids). Only a doctor can recommend a particular drug and course of treatment. You can also be treated with compression garments and special latex pads.
Dilated pelvic veins are sometimes confused with varicose veins of the uterus, but these are two different diseases. The causes of varicose veins of the small pelvis are underdevelopment of venous valves, physical inactivity, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Varicose veins of the uterus are a phenomenon that occurs less frequently during pregnancy than varicose veins in the legs. But approximately 30% of women are exposed to this dangerous disease. This disease is dangerous due to complications - thrombosis of the main veins and thrombophlebitis.
If there is no pregnancy, surgery is often performed. But while carrying a baby, this procedure is unacceptable. Therefore, only conservative treatment is possible to eliminate symptoms.
Vein tonic medications are taken only as prescribed by a doctor and can only be used starting from the second trimester. If complications occur, a caesarean section is indicated.
It happens that the disease does not manifest itself during pregnancy. It can occur after the birth process due to the enormous load on the body. In this case, treatment is also difficult, since many drugs are prohibited during lactation. Then the mother faces the question of stopping breastfeeding.
It often happens that varicose veins are just “ugly-looking legs”, due to swollen bluish veins protruding from under the skin. They may become painful during pregnancy.
If you notice signs of this disease. Your mother or grandmother suffers from this disease, in other words, there is a hereditary predisposition, which means you need to contact a phlebologist.
Reasons for the development of varicose veins in pregnant women:
During pregnancy, the uterus increases in size and begins to put pressure on the veins, preventing the natural outflow of venous blood from the legs. Excess weight or multiple pregnancies place a strong strain on the veins located deep in the leg, which leads to dilation or swelling of the veins located on the surface of the leg. Moreover, they can stretch both in length and width.
These symptoms may be normal, but they can also be the first signs of the disease.
Symptoms are severe in the evening and almost always resolve overnight. As the disease progresses, severe pain in the legs and itching of the skin appears, which intensifies at night. Next comes a strong change in the veins.
It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that a very noticeable change in the veins may cause virtually no pain, while barely noticeable changes can bring severe pain symptoms to a woman.
If a pregnant woman has a hereditary predisposition to the occurrence of varicose veins, then it is necessary to carry out prevention or treatment that is safe during this period of a woman’s life.
Prevention should also be carried out for those pregnant women who are just beginning to show the first symptoms of the disease, and for those who do not have even the slightest manifestations of it, but have only one favorable reason for the development of varicose veins.
As for the treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy in severe cases, in addition to the above methods of preventing and treating varicose veins, it is necessary to add other drug treatment, which must only be prescribed by a doctor.
We must never forget that conservative treatment can only begin in the second trimester of pregnancy. Sometimes, in very severe cases, surgery or injection of medication into the diseased veins may be appropriate. You should always remember what the price for delay or a wrong decision may be.
The first place in the list of treatments for varicose veins is taken by a decoction of common hops. 20 g (about a tablespoon) of hop cones are crushed, pour 250 ml of boiling water and leave in a water bath for 15 minutes. Cool and filter. Take one glass three times a day before meals.
Green tomatoes, cut into slices, are applied to the veins and secured with elastic bandages. In order to see the result, it is necessary to carry out this procedure for at least six months.
Another remedy whose ingredients are always at hand is raw potatoes, grated. Raw potatoes are grated on a fine grater, the resulting puree is applied to the legs and wrapped in polyethylene, washed off after 3 - 4 hours. Reviews about this folk method: the pain disappears, with constant use of this method the pain goes away, the veins retract, the condition improves.
Changes in the body of a pregnant woman are due to the emergence of a new functional system: mother-placenta-fetus. Mother and fetus mutually influence each other through the placenta. The high hormonal saturation of the mother’s body is ensured by various physiological processes. Adaptive changes also affect the vascular system. Often, women as a result of such changes develop varicose veins during pregnancy (photo). What to do in such cases?
If varicose veins appear during pregnancy, a woman is strictly prohibited from self-medicating. All changes should be reported to your obstetrician-gynecologist. Varicose veins during pregnancy occur after a change in central venous pressure in the femoral vein. Changes in the hormonal sphere lead to stretching of the veins up to 150% of the original level. The venous endings of the capillaries dilate, reducing the intensity of blood flow.
Starting from the second trimester, it may appear due to an enlarged uterus, which compresses the vena cava. Varicose veins are widespread in pregnant women with a hereditary predisposition. Physical inactivity, rapid weight gain, prolonged exposure to the sun, repeated pregnancies or multiple pregnancies can contribute to the development of the disease.
The veins experience enormous stress, as the enlarged uterus puts pressure on the central vessels, interfering with the natural outflow of blood in the lower extremities. As a result of stress on the circulatory system, varicose veins occur in pregnant women. In addition, the expectant mother’s blood rheology changes. To prevent a woman from losing a lot of blood during childbirth, the formation of blood clots in the body increases.
When women develop varicose veins during pregnancy, symptoms often appear first on the skin in the form of vascular patterns or spider veins, which occur due to the accumulation of blood clots in small veins. Such visible manifestations do not deform the skin and are not felt upon palpation. Subsequently, the vessels begin to bulge, disrupting the skin texture and forming small nodules.
Severe varicose veins during pregnancy cause women pain, pulling, and constant fatigue in the legs. Women experience a feeling of heaviness after walking and evening cramps in the calf muscles. It often spreads to the pelvic organs. The risk of spreading the disease increases in parallel with the enlargement of the uterus.
Varicose veins of the vena cava during pregnancy appear with an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This pathology is manifested by pain and discomfort, which intensify as the fetus gains weight. In women, upon examination, there may be pigmentation of the skin on the legs, a distinct venous pattern and swelling. Symptoms worsen after standing for a long time.
What are the dangers of varicose veins during pregnancy? Violation of the tone of the veins indicates that the woman’s body cannot cope with overload. In advanced cases of varicose veins of the vulva, complications may occur during childbirth: rupture of the vein wall, which can lead to large blood losses. The disease can be complicated by the formation of blood clots and the appearance of thrombophlebitis. The danger is that a blood clot can break away from the vessel wall and pose a threat to the life of the mother and fetus. Therefore, expectant mothers should consult a doctor at the first signs.
The genitals at this time suffer from expansion and pathological changes in the walls of the veins. This brings the expectant mother not only discomfort, but also anxiety and a feeling of fear. The main reason lies in hormonal changes. Progesterone, which is responsible for preserving the fetus, affects the venous walls to ensure normal blood supply to the growing fetus.
Varicose veins of the labia in pregnant women can occur due to obstructed outflow of venous blood due to the pressure of the uterus on the vessels. The main manifestations of the pathology are the appearance of a vascular pattern, dry skin, and discomfort. The expectant mother may feel itching and soreness in the labia area. Symptoms worsen during bowel movements or prolonged sitting. As the disease progresses, the symptoms include enlargement and deformation of the labia, as well as protrusion of veins. At first, a nodule appears soft to the touch, which increases over time. All this can be complicated by bleeding during childbirth, so depending on the stage of the disease, doctors raise the question of performing a cesarean section.
Varicose veins are the terrible “plague of the 21st century.” 57% of patients die within 10 years of.
Varicose veins of the perineum during pregnancy are manifested by enlargement of the labia, a feeling of fullness and burning in the perineal area. A woman complains of pain and discomfort when walking. On examination, there is a noticeable swollen saphenous vein and swelling of the perineum. By the end of the first week after the baby is born, symptoms begin to disappear. After a month, the diseased vein returns to normal.
Vaginal varicose veins cause a lot of problems for women during pregnancy. The disease can be complicated by pelvic vein thrombosis, the diagnosis of which is complicated by its similarity to the symptoms of urinary tract diseases and manifestations of gastrointestinal diseases. Varicose veins of the vulva can manifest as burning and pain during urination, defecation, and sexual intercourse. After childbirth, only 2-10% of women have damaged veins; in other cases, reverse development of the altered vessels occurs.
The clinical manifestations of this disease can be disguised as various gynecological pathologies. For example, varicose veins during pregnancy can manifest as endometriosis or inflammation of the appendages. Sometimes women experience signs of cystitis, colitis or inflammation of the hip joint. One of the main reasons is insufficiency of the valves of the ovarian veins, which lead to reverse outflow of blood and increased pressure in the vessels of the pelvic organs. Predisposing factors for the onset of the disease are previous chronic gynecological diseases, hormonal contraceptives, kinks of the broad ligament of the uterus, and smoking.
In most cases, pathology of the veins of the genital organs accompanies inguinal varicose veins during pregnancy. The disease is visually manifested by a venous pattern in the groin and swollen veins. A woman complains of dull aching pain in the lower abdomen, which can radiate to the lower back. If varicose veins in the groin of pregnant women are combined with vaginal and uterine varicose veins, severe distension appears in the perineum.
In the later stages, this disease can cause thrombophlebitis of the cervix, bleeding, inflammation of the vagina, appendages, and uterus. The appearance of nodules, cyanosis and swelling on the mucous membrane and skin of the perineum should be a reason to conduct an examination of the expectant mother to reduce the risk of complications during childbirth.
Varicose veins on the legs cause many problems during pregnancy. Stable blood flow is complicated by increased load. The walls of blood vessels become thin and loose. This leads to the fact that the vessels cannot cope with the outflow of venous blood and begin to expand. In the first stage of the disease, superficial veins appear. Later on the dilated veins, soft extensions appear through the skin in the form of nodules. Women notice the appearance of swelling and heaviness in their legs in the evening, which disappear by morning.
In the later stages, when the disease begins to progress, nagging pain and cramps appear. The skin becomes dry, itching and flaking appear. In advanced cases, venous insufficiency is manifested by a violation of tissue trophism and the appearance of trophic ulcers and inflammation (phlebitis).
The formation of blood clots in a vein poses a threat to a woman’s life. A detached blood clot can enter the blood vessels of the brain or pulmonary artery and cause a stroke or pulmonary emboelism. A complication of the disease can be rupture of the node followed by bleeding. If the disease progresses to the second or third stage, pregnant women are under close supervision of a gynecologist and phlebologist.
Varicose veins of the pelvis during pregnancy are also called female varicocele. The disease manifests itself as chronic pain in the lower abdomen, which intensifies after exercise. The pain may radiate to the perineum and lower back. The disease develops due to the pressure of the uterus on the vessels of the retroperitoneal space. The main cause is due to reflux of blood through the ovarian vein.
The diagnosis is made after an ultrasound. At the first stage of the disease, a slight increase in the venous plexus is observed during examination. The second stage is manifested by total varicose veins of the ovarian plexus. At the last stage of the disease, the diameter of the vein exceeds 1 cm.
If women develop varicose veins during pregnancy, treatment should only be prescribed by a specialist. Independent use of ointments and tablets is unacceptable, since even the most “harmless” drugs can cause irreparable harm to the fetus or cause unwanted allergic reactions.
Treatment of varicose veins in pregnant women is usually carried out conservatively. The main goal of therapy is to normalize venous outflow. For this purpose, compression stockings or elastic bandages are prescribed. A woman needs to alternate physical activity and rest, give up heels and uncomfortable shoes. Exercises in the pool and walks in the air are effective. It is recommended to monitor the condition of the intestines, as constipation contributes to the progression of the disease.
A phlebologist should explain how to treat varicose veins during pregnancy and what a woman should do. Only a specialist selects drug treatment. Some medications can be taken from the second trimester. In advanced cases, when complications arise that threaten the life of the mother, surgical intervention is indicated. In order to prevent a blood clot from entering important vessels, a vena cava filter (trap) is installed in a hospital setting.
In addition to elastic compression, physical therapy and diet, doctors prescribe medications. To increase vascular tone, the drugs Glivenol, Venoruton, Ginkor Forte, Troxevasin, Detralex are prescribed. All drugs have an angioprotective effect, normalize capillary permeability, reduce swelling and pain, convulsions, and improve tissue trophism. In the first trimester, you should be careful when taking medications. In addition to angioprotectors, vitamins C, PP and calcium gluconate are prescribed. Local preparations improve microcirculation and have a phlebodynamic effect.
Venoruton gel is effective from the fourth month. The drug increases venous tone and prevents the walls of blood vessels from damage. Venitan cream has a similar effect. Gepatrombin cream reduces the severity of edema, prevents cramps and fatigue. Lyoton, Heparin ointment, Essaven, Troxevasin have a similar effect. All medications are prescribed only by a doctor; independent use is unacceptable.
Prevention of varicose veins during pregnancy should be carried out by every expectant mother. Good habits should include walking, which strengthens leg muscles and improves blood circulation. Pregnant women should avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. It is recommended to exercise regularly and visit the pool.
To prevent complications, women should take a contrast ascending shower in the abdomen and perineum. To unload the venous system, you need to perform exercises while lying down. Effective exercises: “birch” stand, “scissors” and “bicycle” leg exercises. Breathing exercises help blood flow through the vessels and strengthen the abdominal muscles.
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