The formation of blood clots in the veins of the lower extremities is a fairly common phenomenon. Blockage of deep veins in medicine is called thrombosis, or phlebothrombosis. The formation of blood clots in the superficial veins, accompanied by their inflammation - thrombophlebitis. In this case, the lumen of the vessel can be partially or completely closed, and accordingly, the blood flow is disrupted or stops completely. The thrombus can be attached to the wall, but it can also be mobile (floating).
Blockage of veins in the legs due to thrombosis is caused by three pathological processes:
It is generally accepted that blocked leg veins occur only in older people. Actually this is not true. Acute occlusion due to thrombosis is observed in pregnant women, after fractures, during long flights or trips.
The formation of blood clots in the legs above the popliteal vein is especially dangerous.
Deep vein thrombosis has several main causes of development:
Classic signs of deep vein thrombosis are recorded in only half of all patients. Symptoms are usually mild and appear unexpectedly. The main ones:
Often the first sign of phlebothrombosis is PE - pulmonary embolism. The main symptoms of pulmonary embolism:
Thrombosis is a dangerous condition, so treatment must be started immediately. If a vessel occlusion occurs below the knee, outpatient treatment (without hospitalization) can be prescribed. In other cases, the person is taken to the hospital to the surgical department.
Using ultrasound (duplex scanning and color Doppler sonography), the type of thrombus and its location are determined.
First of all, it is determined whether the blood clot is securely fixed in the vein and whether there is a threat of pulmonary embolism. If there is no such danger, the patient needs to remain in bed for three to five days. Any thermal procedures are contraindicated at this time. If there is no exact information about the position of the blood clot and it is not possible to obtain it, bed rest should continue for up to ten days, while the leg should be elevated.
Treatment can be conservative and surgical.
Drug therapy is carried out only at an early stage. They prescribe tablets and injections that normalize blood clotting, help fix a blood clot, improve blood flow through the vessels, and prevent the development of complications. Medicines of different groups are used:
Typically, acute thrombosis is treated with thrombectomy (removal of a blood clot). If surgery is not performed on time, the patient may develop gangrene. In case of a mobile thrombus, a special filter is implanted into the lumen of the inferior vena cava, which will not allow the blood clot to pass through.
In rare cases, thrombolysis is performed - a rather dangerous procedure that leads to bleeding. A catheter containing a thrombolytic drug is inserted into the affected vein to target the blood clot.
In case of thrombosis, the patient needs emergency care, most often with hospitalization. In some cases, surgery may be required
In addition to surgery to prevent thromboembolism, surgery may be required to eliminate the cause of the blood clot (if a vein is compressed by a lymph node or tumor).
Doctors warn that it is impossible to treat thrombosis of the lower extremities at home. Traditional medicines not only will not help, but can cause harm, including disability and death.
Thrombophlebitis affects the veins that are located under the skin. According to doctors, inflammation of the wall and the formation of a blood clot that closes the lumen of the vessel are interrelated processes that develop simultaneously.
The main reasons: slow blood flow, rapid blood clotting, damage to the vein wall. Inflammation of the walls of blood vessels is non-infectious, but bacteria can attach to a blood clot from the bloodstream, and then purulent thrombophlebitis develops. Often develops with varicose veins.
Thrombophlebitis is more common than thrombosis, but it is less dangerous. If treatment is started in time, the risk of avulsion is low.
Without treatment, the inflammation will increase, the blood clot may attach to the wall on one side, and its other end will be in the lumen of the vein. Gradually it becomes loose and unstable, it can come off at any moment, even with the slightest impact, and lead to the development of pulmonary embolism.
If left untreated, the blood clot moves upward, destroys the valves, penetrates the deep veins, and phlebothrombosis develops.
To treat thrombophlebitis, drugs are prescribed that strengthen the walls of the veins, relieve inflammation, prevent the formation of blood clots, and thin the blood. These are tablets for internal use, intravenous agents and ointments. In the first days of illness, cold can be applied to the affected area. For purulent processes, antibiotics are prescribed. Wearing compression stockings is recommended.
Thrombosis is a dangerous condition that is easier to avoid than to treat. For prevention, doctors advise following the following rules after surgery:
The danger of developing thrombosis can lie in wait for athletes, especially those with little training. After completing, for example, a race, tension sharply decreases, blood pressure drops, and blood flow is disrupted. In this case, you need to proceed as follows:
When the leg veins are blocked, symptoms appear quite late. The lumen of the vessel closes gradually, and discomfort slowly increases. For a long time the person does not experience any inconvenience. This is precisely why thrombosis is dangerous.
When the first signs begin to appear, many ignore them and consult a doctor already at the acute stage, when the lumen is already completely closed by a blood clot. The worst thing is that at any moment it can come off, rise to the heart and lungs, close large vessels and lead to death. Therefore, it is very important to seek medical help at the slightest suspicion of vascular disorders in the legs. In the initial stage, blockage is treated with conservative methods.
A disease such as venous blockage, or thrombophlebitis, as it is also called, occurs quite often in people. Typically, blood clots occur in older people, but cases of thrombophlebitis have also been recorded at younger ages. Vein blockages are most common in the legs and arms.
Doctors say standing work is one of the reasons for the development of thrombophlebitis, the second is genetic disposition. Typically, internal vein blockage manifests itself:
In any case, if symptoms of acute thrombophlebitis occur, you should immediately call a doctor and ensure the person is in a supine position. The affected limb is placed on an elevated surface, for example, on pillows, and rested. Until a specialist arrives, it is not recommended to treat vein blockages yourself with “home” remedies. You cannot rub in ointments, much less massage, as these manipulations can cause a blood clot to break off and carry it along with microbes into the internal organs.
When a doctor arrives, it is necessary to describe in detail the symptoms of vein blockage and describe the picture of the changes occurring in the body, so that the specialist can make a correct diagnosis. If deep acute thrombophlebitis is detected, the patient must be taken to the surgical department of the hospital. If the doctor has diagnosed superficial acute thrombophlebitis, then treatment at home is possible. The doctor will tell you in detail how to treat vein blockage on an outpatient basis, prescribe medications, and give the necessary recommendations.
If a patient has developed chronic blockage of the deep veins in the legs, then he should constantly bandage his limbs or wear elastic stockings, do therapeutic exercises, and carry out physiotherapeutic procedures. Spa treatment is also indicated for a sick person, but six months after the acute process has subsided.
Another unpleasant disease is blockage of the veins in the arms or Paget-Schroetter syndrome. When the subclavian vein is blocked, a person complains that the veins in the arm hurt and swelling of the limbs occurs. If the patient lifts weights, a pronounced network of veins appears on them. Also symptoms of the disease are loss of sensitivity in the hands and their pallor.
Often people have internal blockage of the veins in one arm. Causes of blocked veins in the arms:
In any case, the veins, both in the legs and arms, are examined using Doppler ultrasound and X-ray contrast venography. In the hospital, complex treatment of the disease is carried out. Butadione is used as a medicine.
During treatment, the patient is prescribed a gentle regimen and diet. Among the foodstuffs, it is not allowed to eat meat, fish, or large amounts of fried foods.
However, folk remedies can also help stop the acute process. One of the potions considered effective is an infusion of nettle leaves. Also useful are foot baths made from a decoction of the marsh herb. For varicose veins, apply vinegar to all affected areas twice a day and at the same time take apple cider vinegar diluted in water.
Homeopaths advise rubbing swollen venous nodes with tincture of white acacia flowers. After a course of procedures, the nodes resolve and the disease subsides. Compresses made from an infusion of bodyaga, which are applied to the sore spot, also help the patient. Drinking a decoction of oak or walnut bark strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
Another recipe will help strengthen the entire body and help cure blocked veins in the legs. To do this, pour 1 glass of vodka into two tablespoons of chopped Kalanchoe leaves and leave for a week. This medicine is used to rub the feet that are affected by the disease for a month.
Vein thrombosis of the lower extremities (or blockage of the veins in the legs) is a serious and quite serious disease. Incorrect treatment leads to disastrous consequences. Therapy should be started when the first symptoms of blockage appear. If previously this diagnosis was given mainly to older people, today the disease is also diagnosed in young people. The reason for vein blockage lies in an unhealthy lifestyle: people move less, many have sedentary work, and this causes excess weight.
People are increasingly asking themselves the question: how to determine vein thrombosis, what are the first warning signs of the disease?
With deep vein thrombosis, blood clots form in the vessels, which are called thrombi. During the acute period of the disease, an inflammatory process may develop. The thrombus is attached to the wall of the vessel, as a result of which the venous wall becomes inflamed, this disease is called thrombophlebitis. Sometimes patients use the terms thrombosis and thrombophlebitis as synonyms.
The danger of the pathology is that a blood clot may break off and, as a result, blood flow will be disrupted. For a sick person, any sudden movement will be dangerous.
Sometimes clots form in the saphenous veins of the legs, but internal blockage of the deep vessels is the most dangerous.
A sick person can only be saved with timely treatment.
A complication of this pathology is an aortic aneurysm. Blood, passing throughout the body, from the lower extremities goes back to the heart, then enters the lungs and again brings oxygen to all organs. The movement of clots through the bloodstream is a very dangerous phenomenon. The clot can become lodged in the pulmonary artery and cause heart and pulmonary failure.
Pathology can progress due to the following factors:
Such violations appear for several reasons:
Experts note that some factors can aggravate the development of the disease:
Varicose veins occur not only in the lower extremities; this pathology is also manifested by the development of hemorrhoids. Nodes can form at any age - the venous wall stretches and fills with blood. In women, pathology often manifests itself after childbirth.
Many patients are currently diagnosed with vascular thrombosis of the lower extremities, and the symptoms manifest differently in everyone. The disease sometimes occurs hidden, the person does not even know about it. Some people have severe symptoms.
Patients sometimes mistake the first manifestations of thrombosis for ordinary fatigue.
The most common signs of blockage are:
Signs of acute thrombosis appear very rarely: a person’s body temperature rises to high levels, numbness and sharp pain appear in the leg, the skin becomes pale and cold.
Doctors divide pathology into several types. Each variety has its own symptoms.
The disease has several forms of development:
There is another classification, which is determined by the connection of the clot with the vascular wall:
Thrombosis is diagnosed most often in those people who abused alcohol and smoking, suffered from obesity, and led a sedentary lifestyle.
To avoid serious consequences, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis as early as possible.
At first, doctors try to treat deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities using conservative methods and only in severe cases resort to surgery.
People who have been diagnosed with this disease are always interested in how to treat thrombosis.
Today, there are various methods of drug therapy:
Patients are advised to use elastic bandages.
Treatment is usually prescribed on an outpatient basis; in more severe cases, hospitalization and bed rest are required.
Commonly used drugs:
If drug therapy does not bring the desired result, the patient is referred for surgery.
Today, many medical clinics offer their services, and there are various surgical methods for dealing with blockage of deep veins. The vascular surgeon selects the most suitable method for the patient.
Surgical methods:
This diagnosis is often fatal, so surgery is a good choice. Only a specialist should determine the method of treatment.
As with many pathologies, proper nutrition when deep veins are blocked plays a big role in recovery.
Basic nutrition rules:
If a person is obese, the disease progresses, so maintaining a proper diet is an important point in the treatment of thrombosis.
Although today medicine is very developed, there are various methods of therapy, many patients prefer treating thrombosis with folk remedies.
Some traditional medicine recipes:
Deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities is a very serious disease, and it is often asymptomatic. But if the symptoms of the disease are not recognized in time and treatment is not carried out, the consequences can be very serious, not excluding death.
With thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities, blood clots or blood clots form in their cavity, which interfere with the normal movement of blood. Over time, they can clog the venous lumen and even come off. If there is a disturbance in the movement of blood, where the supply is disrupted, then the tissues can die.
If a blood clot breaks away from a vessel, it can end up in the heart, lungs, and other organs. Accordingly, this is dangerous because a stroke, thromboembolism or heart attack may occur, and these diseases lead to sudden death or paralysis.
Unfortunately, it is often impossible to determine in time the initial symptoms of thrombosis of the blood vessels of the legs, however, if the skin changes color and swelling occurs where the blood clot is located, these are signs of vascular disease. Many people do not know that this type of thrombosis is almost asymptomatic, and therefore very dangerous .
In a healthy person, venous blood moves from bottom to top: from the legs to the organs located above: lungs, heart, etc. If a blood clot blocks the lumen of the vein, then blood will flow from the lower extremities with difficulty, and they will swell. Since the blood clot can be located in different places, swelling occurs on the lower leg, ankle, and thigh. Sometimes the whole leg swells.
Photo: thrombosis and thrombus separation during embolism
Very few people pay attention to such signs of thrombosis as rare pain, stiffness, a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the leg muscles and consult a doctor in a timely manner. Such a frivolous attitude towards one's own health leads to bad consequences. Sometimes acute thrombosis occurs. A person who moved normally today may not get out of bed tomorrow due to enormous swelling. It is extremely serious if, due to a latent form of thrombosis, the patient suddenly experiences pulmonary embolism (PE). It occurs because a blood clot breaks off and migrates from the affected vessels of the legs to the artery of the lungs, where it becomes blocked. As a result, the patient develops acute cardiac or pulmonary failure.
To be convincing, here is a life story known to the author:
A colleague’s mother-in-law, a very healthy woman by nature and never sick, died within a week from thromboembolism.
On the way home from the store, the woman tripped and fell. She was diagnosed with a fracture, put in a cast and sent home to recover. For 5 days everything went well, her relatives say that the mother-in-law even played the guitar and sang on the day of her death... The sudden death made all the people who knew her shudder, and, first of all, her children and grandchildren. An autopsy showed that the cause was a detached blood clot that blocked the pulmonary artery. It’s just that the woman had phlebothrombosis of her legs a long time ago, which did not cause her much inconvenience and therefore remained untreated. Unfortunately. Otherwise, the employee’s mother-in-law would still be delighting her grandchildren with her songs and plucking guitar strings.
photo: symptoms of acute limb thrombosis
When thrombosis of the lower extremities progresses, its symptoms become more pronounced. Acute pain appears and heaviness in the legs increases. These symptoms are provoked by the fact that venous stagnation occurs below the site of thrombosis.
As a result of complete closure of the vein lumen, swelling increases and metabolism in the soft tissues is disrupted. This can lead to gangrene.
Swelling and pain in the legs can be not only signs of insufficiency of the vascular system, but also of many other diseases. Therefore, it is imperative to visit a doctor.
This type of vascular disease occupies a separate niche because its course is very severe and there is a high risk of developing pulmonary thromboembolism. Thrombi occur at the level of the iliac and femoral veins.
The signs and causes of this type of disease are the same as those of other types of thrombosis.
Ileofemoral thrombosis develops rapidly. The whole leg swells. The patient may develop a fever and bursting pain.
Leg affected by thrombosis
The color of a thrombosed leg can vary from bluish to pale (with arteriolar spasm). Much more often, the leg becomes bluish due to the fact that the veins dilate and the capillaries fill with blood from the vessels. If the outflow from the veins is at least partially preserved, then the symptoms progress gradually. Otherwise, gangrene may develop. Such a formidable diagnosis can be confirmed by ultrasound of the blood vessels of the legs.
This type of thrombosis is treated in the same way as others.
Perhaps high blood clotting is the main reason. Damage to the vein wall and slowing down blood flow are also important. These 3 unfavorable factors are called Virchow's Triad.
In addition, the risk of serious problems is increased by:
To prescribe the correct treatment for thrombosis, you need to know the exact diagnosis. Currently this can be done using the following methods:
If signs of thrombosis appear (swelling, sharp muscle pain), you should quickly consult a phlebologist. The time factor plays an important role. The sooner the treatment process begins, the more successful its results.
Treatment depends on the severity of the disease and the stage of development of thrombosis. First, it is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis: identifying the location of the blood clot, clarifying its size and the degree of development of thrombosis. It is important to establish how tightly the blood clot is held and whether there is a possibility of it breaking off.
There are several methods of treating blood vessel thrombosis in the legs. This includes surgery, thrombolysis, treatment with medications, and installation of a vena cava filter.
Thrombolysis is a procedure that helps blood clots dissolve. It is done by a surgeon. A catheter is inserted into the vessel. A substance that dissolves the blood clot is gradually introduced into it. Thrombolysis is not often prescribed because it promotes bleeding. However, there is an undeniable advantage of thrombolysis - it dissolves large blood clots.
It is performed for complicated forms of vein blockage (if there is a possibility of tissue death). The course of surgery depends on the location of the blood clot. In the treatment of deep vein thrombosis, vein applications (stitching), installation of an arteriovenous shunt and other interventions are performed. In some operations, the goal is to remove the thrombotic mass. Before surgery, the patient needs to be in a calm state so that the blood clot does not break off.
Installation of a vena cava (IVC) filter for thrombosis
A vena cava filter is an umbrella-shaped metal device for catching blood clots that travel through the bloodstream. It is implanted into the lumen of the inferior vena cava using an endovascular technique (through a venous vessel). Therefore, there is no need for open surgery.
For venous thrombosis, a diet is prescribed with a temporary exclusion from the diet of foods that contain large amounts of vitamins K and C and moderate fluid intake.
It is useful to consume foods that thin the blood during thrombosis. These are pepper, garlic, artichoke.
“Horseradish and radishes, onions and cabbage,” people say, “they won’t allow anything bad to happen.”
Alcohol and irritating foods are not recommended. That's the whole diet for thrombosis.
After consultation with a phlebologist, you can supplement the treatment of thrombosis with folk remedies:
The fatty acids contained in fish oil destroy fibrin, which is involved in the formation of blood clots. Fish oil helps prevent thrombosis by thinning the blood. It is recommended to take it to prevent thrombosis, but it is especially necessary in the postoperative period. First, it is consumed 1 tbsp. spoon three times a day, then 1 tbsp. spoon twice a day and (to support the body) 1.5 tbsp. spoons a day.
150 g of herb should be poured with boiling water (10 l) and left for 60 minutes. Take baths for half an hour before going to bed.
Apply clay or cottage cheese to painful areas. Massage the heels of sore feet every day.
Lubricate your legs along the entire length for a month. Drink a solution of apple cider vinegar (2 teaspoons per glass of water) before each meal. Don't forget about healthy eating.
vein blockage photo
Blocked veins in the legs are a disease that may not make itself felt for a long time. Signals of trouble in the venous blood flow do not cause significant discomfort and are therefore often ignored. The lumen in the vein closes gradually. Unpleasant sensations gradually increase. Therefore, patients rarely seek medical help in the early stages of the disease. The doctor is faced with this problem already when a blood clot blocks the vein and the acute stage begins.
But this is not the worst-case scenario. A severed blood clot poses a great danger. It can travel through the bloodstream to the lungs and heart and clog important vessels. In a large number of cases this leads to death. It is important to recognize the disease at the very beginning and take measures to normalize the condition. In most cases, blocked veins can be treated well with medications.
Prolonged static position of the limbs provokes blockage of the veins. Sedentary or standing work leads to a decrease in the amount of muscle contraction. The blood stagnates and small blood clots form. In most people, they immediately resolve due to natural protective mechanisms. But in about 20% percent, these processes fail, and the clots penetrate the large vessels of the legs and thighs.
The risk zone includes the elderly, those who are overweight, varicose veins, diabetes mellitus, and those who have suffered injuries. Long-term use of contraceptives, frequent surgical operations, and difficult childbirth can indirectly lead to blockage of veins. The age of the disease has recently become significantly younger.
Primary symptoms of vein blockage:
Symptoms of an acute condition due to vein blockage:
When the first signs of vein blockage appear, you should immediately undergo examination. Now, using hardware methods (ultrasound, duplex scanning), you can quickly look at the condition of the veins and remove or refute the diagnosis.
When clarifying the diagnosis of vein blockage, treatment should be medicinal in nature. Prescribed drugs that dissolve the clot and drugs that prevent the formation of new blood clots. In severe cases, surgical intervention is resorted to. Sometimes a vena cava filter is used - a mechanical obstacle in large vessels along the blood flow. The vena cava filter prevents blood clots from getting to the heart or lungs.
In an acute condition, you should immediately call a doctor.
It is forbidden to rub or massage the sore leg. You can give noshpa, vitamin C, papaverine. Place a pillow under the affected limb.
In a medical institution, the patient remains in bed for three weeks. The leg is elevated on the splint. Drug therapy is carried out by the following groups of drugs:
A special diet is required. Fish, meat, heavy flour, and baked goods are almost completely removed from the diet. You need to eat more vegetables and fruits. Juices are useful.
Treatment with traditional methods at home
Folk remedies for blockage of veins cannot be considered basic, but act only as auxiliary ones. Before using them, you should consult your doctor and never use them instead of medications.
Self-treatment at home in most cases leads to complications.
This is due to the fact that the patient does not know the cause of the development of the pathology. It is necessary to do an ultrasound of the veins and blood vessels.
Pour boiling water over peppermint (a teaspoon). Leave for 20 minutes. Drink in the morning half an hour before meals. Take the infusion for several months.
Some berries have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. They affect the blood, thin it and reduce the level of bad cholesterol by an order of magnitude. These are berries such as cranberries, blueberries and cherries. Irga is very useful. It strengthens blood vessels. Berries can also be used frozen. This will not affect the medicinal qualities.
Recipe No. 3 “Tea with antithrombosis effect”
Collection No. 1: meadow clover, birch leaves, sweet clover grass in a ratio of 1:1:1
Collection No. 2: thorn fruits, horse chestnut and black currant (leaves) in a ratio of 1:2:1
Both collections are filled with water at room temperature and boiled in a water bath for 30 minutes. Use a third of a glass before meals. Drink three times a day. Contraindications: any bleeding, tendency to bleeding (peptic ulcer).
Blood in the legs should not stagnate! When standing or sitting, be sure to do a five-minute warm-up every hour. Walk and swim more. Try to keep your weight normal.
Swimming in the pool is the best prevention for the development of diseases of the veins and blood vessels
If there is a danger of vein blockage, high heels (more than 7 cm) and tight, tight clothing are undesirable. Some sports that place a lot of stress on the arch of the foot should also be excluded. Sauna and bathhouse are also undesirable. But a contrast shower, on the contrary, will help make the blood vessels more elastic.
What consequences are possible when veins are blocked? Complications: thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, death.
Thrombosis (thrombophlebitis) is a disease that occurs with the formation of blood clots in the veins of the lower extremities. Another name for the pathology is blockage of the veins in the legs. Treatment in this case is necessary, because When blood stagnation occurs in the veins, an insufficient amount of oxygen and nutrition reaches the tissues. Thrombosis is typical not only for older people; recently, the disease has been increasingly diagnosed in the younger generation.
Veins are streams that serve to deliver nutrients to all organs. There are superficial and deep veins in the legs. If the functions of the deep veins are impaired, then the superficial vessels are involved. Valves on the veins are used to drain blood along the descending path, and if they are unable to perform the task, blood stagnation forms in the vessels.
The main causes of vein blockage include:
Such conditions can be caused by a number of factors:
The risk group for developing vein blockage includes people who lead a sedentary lifestyle for a long time, abuse nicotine, and women taking hormonal medications. Vasoconstriction, leading to the formation of blood clots, is typical for people who are overweight and have neurological diseases. Lack of vitamins and poor nutrition can also cause thrombosis.
Blood flows through the veins to the heart. Healthy vessels have a uniform lumen and the speed of blood flow in them is constant. Due to the presence of valves on the deep veins, blood flows through the ascending pathways without delay, and is stopped when the valves are tightly closed in the opposite direction. As a result of various deviations, blood clots may form and blood flow may be impaired.
The pathology has a circular course. Blood clots that form in blood vessels can block blood flow through the veins. Thus, drainage vessels (collaterals) are used to conduct blood throughout the body. The body includes a stereotypical reaction in the form of a local inflammatory process at the site of blockage, which causes the formation of a blood clot.
The pathological process develops rapidly, and with intensive progression, thrombosis becomes a serious condition of thrombophlebitis. Vascular obstruction often leads to venous gangrene, a serious complication. The process is characterized by the presence of continuous thrombosis, covering the central and bypass veins, causing spasm of the central arteries.
Depending on the degree of blockage of blood vessels, impaired blood flow and the presence of concomitant diseases, the clinical picture of the pathology is different.
The disease is characterized by certain symptoms:
The appearance of at least one of the symptoms may indicate the development of an inflammatory process in the veins. Lack of treatment causes various complications. The most serious consequence is pulmonary embolism, in which a blood clot penetrates the bloodstream into the lung and stops a person’s breathing. This condition causes instant death.
The clinical picture of the disease is similar to other pathologies (cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases). Therefore, treatment should begin when the first signs of venous inflammation appear.
Thrombophlebitis is diagnosed based on the results of ultrasound and Doppler scanning of blood vessels. The examination reveals the speed and direction of blood flow, measures the thickness of the vascular walls, the nature and condition of the surrounding tissue. An x-ray or MRI is done to detect blockages in the upper veins. Pathology can be diagnosed in other ways. Physical tests are performed to indicate the presence of obstruction or blood stagnation.
Timely therapy for venous thrombosis is very important for the patient’s successful recovery. Treatment is carried out in several ways:
Conservative treatment is aimed at relieving the main symptoms of thrombosis, reducing the risk of complications, and normalizing blood flow. There are several medications available in various forms: tablets, solutions, topical creams and ointments.
The following drugs are used in the treatment of thrombosis:
Conservative treatment is prescribed in conjunction with the patient's bed rest and a special diet. The patient's diet must be balanced; the diet must include foods rich in fiber and antioxidants. Proper nutrition helps to lose weight, restore the firmness and elasticity of blood vessels, and reduce blood viscosity.
Surgery is performed only if the patient develops thrombophlebitis due to vein blockage, and the risk of blood clot rupture increases. There are several methods of surgical treatment:
At the stage of exacerbation of the pathology, operations are not performed. The intervention is also contraindicated in the presence of infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
Treatment of blockage of veins in the legs with folk remedies should be carried out in complex therapy with other methods. Various teas, tinctures and healing baths with herbs are effective in the fight against thrombosis.
Medicinal tea based on birch leaves, meadow clover and sweet clover herb, mixed in equal proportions, helps thin the blood. There is another recipe for preparing a healing decoction: equal amounts of horse chestnut (or oak bark) and chamomile are brewed with boiling water. The product is taken 3 times a day, 70 ml. before eating. A contraindication to the use of this tea is the tendency to bleed.
Herbal infusions also have a beneficial effect on the condition of blood vessels. They help improve blood flow and reduce the risk of blood clots. Infusions are used for both internal and external use. Mint, verbena officinalis, and hop cones are used as a basis for preparing the product. 1 tbsp. l. dry plant is poured with boiling water (0.5 l) and infused for 20-30 minutes. The infusion is taken in 10 ml doses. on an empty stomach 3-4 times a day. The course of treatment usually lasts from 1 to 3 months.
To eliminate the symptoms of the disease, alcoholic infusions of herbs (acacia, chestnut, oak bark) are also widely used. The healing agent is used as compresses and rubbing.
To prepare the baths, the following are used: nettle leaves, infusions of marsh grass, chamomile, oak bark, horse chestnut. Daily and regular hot foot baths help relieve inflammation in the veins, improve the condition of the vascular walls, and normalize blood circulation.
Treatment using traditional recipes should only be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. For people suffering from individual intolerance to individual components and components of healing infusions, treatment at home is contraindicated.
In the treatment of vein blockages, methods such as massage and hirudotherapy are also used. Self-massage and the help of a professional massage therapist help to avoid blood stagnation in the vessels, relieve swelling and pain, and improve blood microcirculation. Medicinal leeches help thin the blood and improve blood flow.
If symptoms of the acute stage of thrombophlebitis appear, urgent medical attention is needed. Before the medical team arrives, the patient is placed in a horizontal position. The affected leg should be positioned above body level (using a bolster or pillow).
Self-treatment is not carried out. If you choose the wrong drugs, you can only aggravate the situation and provoke a blood clot. If a doctor diagnoses superficial thrombophlebitis, treatment is carried out at home. In severe cases, the patient is sent to the hospital.
If you have a hereditary predisposition to venous diseases, you should follow some preventive measures to reduce the risk of thrombosis and other complications. Sedentary work and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to the formation of blood stagnation in the vessels. Therefore, it is recommended to take five-minute breaks every hour to warm up and rest. People prone to blood clots also need to have their blood tested regularly, monitor their weight and diet, drink plenty of fluids, and avoid exposing their legs to intense physical activity. Uncomfortable and tight shoes, high heels, clothing that restricts movement can also provoke venous diseases and poor circulation in the vessels.
Blocked veins in the legs are a serious condition that requires immediate and competent treatment. If timely assistance is provided, a complete recovery is possible. A healthy lifestyle, weight and nutrition control, and regular physical activity reduce the risk of developing venous diseases.