Varicose veins are a common ailment in older people. Experts disagree on the number of stages of the disease. Most doctors distinguish three stages of varicose veins - compensation, subcompensation and decompensation. Other doctors classify varicose veins in the legs into four degrees.
Despite the fact that varicose veins are considered a disease of older people, they can also appear in young people. Regardless of age, at the first signs of the onset of the disease, you must immediately consult a doctor and begin treatment for the disease. If the disease is not treated, then advanced varicose veins will turn into a chronic pathology and cause other concomitant pathologies.
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The first degree of varicose veins is called compensation. At this stage, the disease is difficult to notice; this stage can last from several months to several years and go unnoticed. Contrary to popular belief, varicose veins can also appear in young people, so it is necessary to pay attention to the symptoms of the onset of the disease.
If you identify and begin treatment for varicose veins in the early stages, you can completely recover from the disease and prevent the occurrence of many diseases caused by varicose veins.
Signs of the first stage of varicose veins:
The appearance of the initial stage of varicose veins in the legs can be visually determined by the appearance of veins and stars on the skin, swelling in the lower extremities, and the skin acquires a bluish color.
All these signs appear most clearly in the evening, after a day of work or during prolonged static loads (standing still). Some patients note that these signs may appear in the heat. It should be noted that at the first stage, the signs of varicose veins differ in different patients, and not all symptoms may be present.
In addition, not all of these signs, when manifested individually, may indicate the appearance of varicose veins. Ideally, to treat a disease, it should be identified at a very early stage and treated.
If at least a few of the listed signs appear, it is better to consult a specialist, get advice from him about methods of treating the initial stage of varicose veins and individually prescribe medications and procedures to treat the disease.
To combat varicose veins at the compensation stage, venotonics, creams and ointments are usually used. These drugs relieve swelling and strengthen the walls of the veins. They will not completely cure the disease, but they cope well with the symptoms and have a preventive effect.
The main therapeutic methods at this stage are sclerotherapy and ozotherapy. Sclerotherapy helps regenerate thin vascular walls. The medication is injected into a vein using a thin needle.
To achieve a positive result as quickly as possible, it is recommended to wear compression garments. It helps create the necessary pressure in the vessels.
Without the appointment of a specialist, it is allowed to massage the lower extremities, regular light walks and jogs, a swimming pool, creams and ointments to relieve tired legs. Some folk methods also help treat varicose veins quite well. Of course, in combination with other therapeutic measures.
The second degree of varicose veins is called subcompensation. It is at this stage that all the signs of the disease appear fully and most often it is at this moment that most patients turn to the doctor.
The symptoms of the disease become too obvious and leave no doubt about the diagnosis. At the subcompensation stage, the disease becomes more serious. However, if symptoms are detected in time and treatment is started, it is quite possible to overcome the disease.
At this stage of varicose veins, severe pain begins in the lower extremities, swelling and cramps in the evenings and at night turn into daily ones.
Nodules and stars on the legs become much more noticeable, the vessels begin to expand and bulge somewhat from under the skin. The skin itself becomes slightly brownish. Often the skin may become numb, and severe itching begins in areas affected by the disease.
At the first manifestation of these signs, you should immediately contact a specialist. It must be remembered that varicose veins progress very quickly, and sometimes delay can cause irreversible consequences.
At this stage of the disease, two types of therapy are used - medication or surgery. The choice of treatment depends on the patient's condition.
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Treatment with medications is used if the pathology is just beginning to actively develop and does not differ much from the compensation stage. Therapy includes taking venotonics with agents that prevent the formation of blood clots. Mandatory wearing of compression garments.
The surgical method involves laser and radiofrequency therapy. Laser treatment is prescribed when the patient has other serious illnesses that can lead to a severe deterioration in general health, for example, heart or respiratory disease, heart failure. The procedure is quick and painless, although small scars may remain.
Radiofrequency therapy is similar to the previous method. It is prescribed if the patient has lesions of the small and great saphenous vein. Both methods are not used for advanced forms of varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. These procedures are painless and do not require going to the hospital.
Decompensation is the most severe stage of the development of the disease. In the stage of decompensation, the outflow of blood from the lower extremities is disrupted, and swelling becomes pronounced. Varicose veins begin to cause associated diseases. Over time, trophic ulcers may appear, which not only cause severe pain, but also pose a risk to the patient’s life.
The skin becomes dry and covered with painful cracks. Blood vessels leak out from under the skin and can even burst at any time. In some cases, thrombophlebitis begins. This is the process of inflammation and blockage of a blood vessel.
All these signs characterize a very advanced stage of varicose veins. In this case, it is no longer possible to delay treatment, since the disease not only causes pain, but can also lead to death.
At this stage of the disease, only surgery can help. As a rule, phlebectomy is used. This procedure involves removing the varicose vein. This operation will not cause serious changes in the patient's body.
The blood flow that passed through this vein will be distributed to other vessels. This procedure is prescribed when drug therapy has not had a positive result, and varicose veins are complicated by trophic ulcers and thrombus formation.
After the operation, the patient's blood flow from the lower extremities returns to normal. In addition, there is a cosmetic effect, since the affected vein will no longer protrude from under the skin.
After the operation, additional therapy is prescribed with the help of medications, ointments, and wearing special underwear. You should not be treated only with traditional methods - at this stage of varicose veins they are useless without complex therapy under the supervision of a specialist.
The most modern method of treating advanced varicose veins is laser phlebectomy. This operation is performed without tissue incisions. A special probe is inserted into the blood vessel, which heats it from the inside and seals it. Thus, blood flow through this vessel becomes impossible.
Some experts, in addition to the three main stages of varicose veins, also distinguish a fourth. The fourth period of development of the disease is characterized by severe tortuosity and swelling of the subcutaneous vessels of the legs, pronounced pathologies of the skin - varicose eczema, trophic ulcers.
At this stage, varicose veins become unbearable; any injury is fraught with opening of the veins and even death. As a rule, the disease is rarely advanced to this stage, since already at the third stage even the most stubborn patients understand the need to treat the disease.
Varicose veins of the 4th degree cannot be cured without surgery. No medications or folk remedies will help not only cure, but even slow down the development of pathology. It is possible that the patient will have to part with his lower limbs.
In addition to the fact that this disease gives the limbs an unpleasant appearance, causes constant pain and impairs blood circulation, there are other serious consequences caused by the development of the disease.
For example, if varicose veins are detected in pregnant women, treatment is prescribed immediately, since this disease can interfere with the development of the unborn child. Tension of the blood vessels can cause the vessel to open and cause internal bleeding.
Statistics show that if varicose veins are not treated, it will take an average of about eleven years for a person to use a wheelchair. And this is if the patient does not die from another disease caused by varicose veins. For example, a complication of varicose veins is increased thrombus formation.
Blood clots can travel throughout the circulatory system until they get to where they cause death. Advanced degrees of varicose veins cause a lot of concomitant diseases.
The division of varicose veins into degrees of development is quite arbitrary. But this does not mean that you need to postpone contacting a specialist until the last minute. Even the very first degrees of varicose veins are often impossible to cure at the detection stage. If you don’t take care of your body, you can easily end up disabled.
A timely visit to a doctor will help not only to cure the unpleasant symptoms of varicose veins, but also to prevent the very sad consequences caused by this disease. It should be remembered that with varicose veins in the decompensation stage it is no longer possible to be cured without surgical intervention.
In earlier stages, varicose veins of the lower extremities can be treated, but there is still a risk that the disease will be chronic or cause other diseases. This disease is very insidious and dangerous, so you should not delay its treatment. You should also not neglect the prevention of the occurrence of this pathology.
Symptoms of varicose veins may include:
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Many people, faced with the problem of varicose veins of the lower extremities, refuse treatment recommended by a phlebologist. The reasons for this behavior may vary. The most common reasons for refusing traditional treatment is fear of surgery. In this regard, people suffering from varicose veins are forced to look for alternative treatment methods. And here conservative treatment of varicose veins comes to the rescue.
Conservative treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities includes compression hosiery, drugs from the group of venotonics, and heparin-based creams and ointments. These treatment methods are prescribed by phlebologists for the initial manifestations of varicose veins. Compression hosiery (if correctly selected in size) is not capable of harming the patient. Compression hosiery is recommended to be worn both in the first stages of development of varicose veins of the lower extremities, and in advanced variants of the disease.
Drugs from the group of venotonics, when prescribed by a doctor and in the correct dosage, are also a relatively safe method of treating varicose veins. They are able to strengthen venous tone and improve the patient’s condition.
But if the patient decides to use any folk remedies, then it is worth taking into account that not all of them may be safe. Often, patients come to see a phlebologist with pronounced symptoms of varicose veins, and in some cases already with the development of complications of the disease. At the same time, the history includes conservative treatment by any non-traditional methods.
The most widespread among folk methods of treating varicose veins of the lower extremities are various tinctures. The diet also includes various foods that strengthen the venous wall. These include: nutmeg, honey, chicory and many others. If a person does not have an allergic reaction to these products, then of course they can be eaten. But it is very important to understand that such treatment methods alone cannot eliminate the problem of varicose veins of the lower extremities. In some cases, traditional medicine can only worsen the situation.
To avoid this, you should listen to the recommendations of your attending phlebologist. If refusal of treatment is due to fear of surgery, you should consult a phlebologist. Most likely the fears are unjustified.
Varicose veins are a very common disease. Some of its symptoms are observed in several tens of percent of adults, and the spread of varicose veins is constantly growing. The increase in the number of cases is inextricably linked with the living conditions introduced by modern civilization. The most common enlarged veins are in the legs - in industrialized countries, this disease is diagnosed in 20-50% of the population. Moreover, varicose veins are more common in men than women.
Dilated veins in the legs are evidence of chronic venous insufficiency. At the same time, some people perceive this phenomenon as a cosmetic defect, and not a serious medical problem. Meanwhile, if the disease is not treated, it can lead to serious complications and, in some cases, even pose a threat to life.
Varicose veins are immediately visible: in the area of the lower extremities, blue veins of veins are observed, sometimes with protruding “bumps”. There are many theories about why this disease occurs, but the most popular reason is weakness of the vein walls. Our vessels can be compared to the work of hoses through which blood constantly flows under high “pressure”. If in some place the walls are weakened and stretched, this leads to the fact that the veins, under blood pressure, begin to push through the muscle tissue. First you notice a small network of veins - telangiectasia. Over time, if the disease is not treated, varicose veins progress.
Varicose veins of the lower extremities appear under the influence of various factors. Experts believe that this disease is mainly inherited, meaning that some people have a genetic predisposition to it. In addition, lifestyle, profession, gender (women get sick more often), and even nutrition play an important role. Factors that increase the risk of varicose veins include:
Knowing all these risk factors, you can take care of such an important issue as the prevention of vein diseases. We will write about this in more detail at the end of our article.
The following test will help you determine whether you should begin treatment for varicose veins. Answer the following questions:
Even one answer “yes” may indicate the first symptoms of varicose veins. This means that you need to take adequate measures as early as possible so as not to trigger the disease.
We invite you to watch a fragment of the program “Live Healthy”, dedicated to the topic of varicose veins:
The essence of treating varicose veins with folk remedies is to normalize blood flow, strengthen veins, relieve swelling of the lower extremities and prevent more severe consequences that this disease can bring. In addition to carrying out home procedures, regular prevention and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are also important. So, how do traditional healers treat varicose veins at home?
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour 1 teaspoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, leave covered for 30 minutes, strain. Take this herbal tea hot 2-3 times a day after meals to strengthen the vein walls. Remember that this drink cannot be sweetened.
If you are worried about how to cure varicose veins, prepare the following potion:
Knotweed herb - 40 g
Preparation and use. Mix the herbs thoroughly. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture, pour a glass of boiling water, cover and cook for 2 minutes, then strain. Drink half a glass warm three times a day, 15 minutes after meals. Each time you need to prepare a new batch of broth. After 2-3 weeks you will notice a significant improvement in the condition of your veins.
Preparation and use. Mix the herbs thoroughly. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a glass of boiling water, cover and cook for 2 minutes, then strain. Drink one glass of the drug warm three times a day, 15 minutes after meals. The course of treatment for varicose veins at home according to this prescription should be continued for three weeks, then take a break for 2 weeks, and repeat again.
Mix all these ingredients thoroughly. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water, leave covered for 3 hours, then strain. Drink 2 times a day before meals? glasses. This infusion has a very beneficial effect on the health of the veins.
Everyone knows that chestnut is very good for veins. Therefore, we suggest you make medicinal drops based on this plant. So, take 100 g of fresh chestnut seeds and fill them with about 5 liters of vodka. We seal it and leave it to brew for one month. In another bottle, mix 100 g of fresh rue herb and 0.5 liters of vodka, and also leave it to steep for a month. After this, filter the tinctures and mix together. To treat varicose veins, you will need to take 25 drops of this medicine 3 times a day after meals. The tincture can be stirred with a small amount of water.
To treat diseased veins, a compress made from a mixture of the following herbs is used:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour 5 teaspoons of the mixture into 0.5 liters of water, boil for 5-6 minutes, let it brew for 30 minutes. Next, wet the gauze with this product and use it as a compress for veins 2 times a day.
Some herbalists recommend drinking a decoction of calendula flowers to treat veins. To do this, take 1 tablespoon of dried flowers of this plant, pour in ? cups of water and simmer for about 5 minutes over low heat in an uncovered pan. Let stand for 10 minutes and strain. To cure varicose veins on the legs, you need to drink? - ? a glass of calendula decoction 4 times a day between meals (since this remedy is not combined with food).
If you have varicose veins, try nutmeg treatment.
This plant helps strengthen veins and also has a calming, anti-inflammatory and hypnotic effect. However, you must be careful not to increase the normal dose.
So, take 100 grams of nutmeg and 150 ml of alcohol. Mix the ingredients and leave in a tightly closed jar for 14 days. To get rid of network of veins, you need to take 10 drops of tincture 3 times a day before meals.
The following drops will help quickly cure varicose veins on the legs:
Pour all components into an airtight dark glass bottle, shake well and let stand for 5 days.
To treat varicose veins, you need to take ? teaspoon of this remedy 3 times a day between meals, diluting it with a small amount of water.
Patients who have varicose veins are also recommended to use arnica extract. It contains many active substances that have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect on the veins of the lower extremities. The active compounds of arnica are well absorbed through the skin, reaching the capillaries. They strengthen the walls of the veins and, in case of damage, prevent blood from leaking through the plasma. Thanks to arnica extract, the resorption of hematomas and bruises on the legs is accelerated, and pain is relieved. In addition, arnica has anticoagulant properties, due to which it helps prevent varicose veins. The main therapeutic agent is an infusion of flowers - you should always have dry herbs in the house to prepare it. Simply brew 1 tablespoon of this herb in a glass of boiling water. To treat varicose veins, arnica tincture can be taken either orally or made into compresses.
Ginkgo biloba extract improves microcirculation in the lower extremities, reduces tension in the vein walls, and helps treat varicose veins. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-sclerotic effects. Gigko also soothes spasms and pain associated with varicose veins, prevents complications and reduces swelling.
So, if you notice the first signs of varicose veins, take 15 g of gigco biloba and fill it with 100 ml of pure alcohol. Leave in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks, then strain. Take 5-10 drops every morning on an empty stomach. Continue treatment until you notice a decrease in varicose veins.
For centuries, this plant has been used as an effective remedy against varicose veins and other vein diseases. Witch hazel contains many valuable substances, including flavonoids and saponins, which tighten blood vessels and reduce the fragility of the smallest veins, regulate blood circulation under the skin, and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects.
If you have varicose veins, get this treatment. Take 1 tablespoon of this plant and pour 250 ml of vodka. Leave for 2 weeks in a dark place, then strain and take 10 drops 2 times a day before meals. You can also use this tincture to lubricate your veins at night in case of severe pain.
Cabbage wraps help relieve the pain of varicose veins. To do this, you need to wash the cabbage leaf, dry it, remove the hard part and apply it to the places where there are varicose veins. Wrap the top of your leg with a bandage (not tightly!) and leave it overnight. This treatment of veins must be carried out several nights in a row.
Such wraps are recommended by the famous Father Kirill to everyone who has varicose veins. Take a linen handkerchief, soak it in natural apple cider vinegar, and apply it to the area of the diseased veins. Apply cellophane film and a bandage on top.
To treat varicose veins, such wraps can be alternated with vinegar wraps. Pour a handful of crushed oak bark into 0.5 liters of water, boil for 5 minutes, let steep for 15 minutes, strain. Soak a gauze bandage with this solution and apply to the vein area overnight.
Treatment with essential oils also gives amazing results to those who have varicose veins. So, our base will be regular olive or sunflower oil. For 1 tablespoon of this oil, add:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. The finished oil should be rubbed into the legs from the foot to the heart every day for at least 4 weeks. Try not to put too much pressure on the vein area during this massage.
Fresh leaves of ordinary carnelian can also save you from varicose veins. They need to be applied to sore legs twice a day for 10 minutes.
Treatment with evening primrose oil is also effective in combating varicose veins. Take 400 mg of fish oil and 100 mg of evening primrose oil, mix well, and use this remedy to lubricate the affected veins. These oils contain a unique set of substances that help reduce inflammation of blood vessels and remove varicose veins.
Garlic reduces the symptoms associated with varicose veins and also reduces inflammation. It helps remove toxins from the veins and improve blood circulation.
Treatment should be carried out as follows: cut 6 cloves of garlic into pieces and place in a clean jar. Add freshly squeezed juice of 3 oranges and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Leave to infuse for 12 hours. After this time, shake the jar and put a little product on your fingers. For 15 minutes, you should massage your legs in a circular motion in places where there are varicose veins. Finally, wrap the skin in a clean cotton cloth and leave overnight. Repeat this procedure every day for several months and you will forget what varicose veins are.
Don't forget to also include fresh garlic in your daily diet.
Parsley contains high amounts of vitamin C, an antioxidant that supports collagen production and cell turnover, helping to treat varicose veins. Take a handful of finely chopped parsley, add a glass of water and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a lid and wait until the product cools to room temperature. Drain the parsley and add one drop of rose essential oil. Place the infusion in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then dip a cotton pad in it and treat the area of the diseased veins. To see positive results, this treatment for varicose veins must be repeated daily for several months. You can also include raw parsley in your daily diet.
Grape leaves are a good source of flavonoids - substances that keep blood vessels in good condition. These leaves also have astringent, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and homeostatic properties. All this is very useful for people who have varicose veins.
So, mix 1 cup of crushed grape leaves and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Boil for 10-15 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave for a few minutes to allow the broth to cool to room temperature. Then pour it all into a bowl and soak your feet in it for 5 minutes. Next, soak your feet in another bowl - filled with cold water - for 10 seconds, and then place them again in a bowl with a warm decoction of grape leaves. Repeat the procedure 3-4 times (without taking breaks), and finish with a bath of cold water. Then massage castor oil into your legs and lie down for a few minutes in a position with your legs raised above the level of your heart.
Preventing varicose veins helps prevent serious vein problems as well as long-term treatment. Here are our tips:
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