Treatment of varicose veins on the legs

Treatment of varicose veins at home: what is the danger?

Most patients with varicose veins of varying severity do not treat the venous disease or do not treat it at home. This leads to sad consequences: complications arise, the patient loses the ability to move on his own legs and becomes disabled. Avoiding symptoms is actually not difficult: you just need to treat varicose veins as soon as they are discovered, without triggering the disease.

There are various methods for treating venous disease; an experienced doctor will tell you which one is right for you.

Many people write about how to treat varicose veins on the legs with folk remedies, but not everyone talks about the dangerous consequences. It should be remembered that traditional methods were developed when there were simply no other methods of treating veins. Now it exists and the problem can be solved much faster and easier.

• Treatment with apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for treating varicose veins. On the Internet, readers are encouraged to dilute vinegar with honey and drink it on an empty stomach, diluting it with water and wiping your feet. But remember that apple cider vinegar is an acid. Taking it orally can have a negative impact on digestion. External use also raises questions, as with varicose veins the skin becomes dry and the acid dries it out even more. This can worsen the course of the disease, especially if the legs itch and have varicose veins.
• Chestnut fruit treatment.It is also recommended to take chestnut tinctures orally and rub them into the affected areas to relieve pain and eliminate itching due to varicose veins. Only the horse chestnut is poisonous. Under no circumstances should it be consumed raw. Even when taking a tincture from the fruits of this plant, symptoms of intoxication (vomiting, nausea, weakness) and cramps in the lower extremities may occur. In addition, chestnut tincture increases blood pressure. External use of an alcohol solution dries out the skin on the legs, which is not particularly good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in advanced stages of varicose veins.
• Treatment with leeches.Leeches bite through the skin and introduce into the human body a mixture of useful substances that have a positive effect on the blood, diluting it and having an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to place leeches at home, but to entrust them to a certified professional, since you need to know exactly where leeches can and cannot be placed. Itching is often observed in the first days after treating veins with leeches. The bite sites itch strongly, the person cannot stand it and begins to scratch the itchy area, as a result of which an ulcer may form. Even after leech bites, small triangular scars remain on the legs. For some, a lifetime.
• Folk remedies that a doctor can prescribe.In the initial stages of venous insufficiency, the doctor may prescribe the patient contrasting foot baths for the veins. The alternating effects of cold and hot water relax and constrict the veins in the legs. This gymnastic effect strengthens blood vessels, improves microcirculation and eliminates itching. The method can be used at home as often as you like. Especially if it is not possible to visit the swimming pool. Varicose veins stop progressing and your legs stop hurting.

  And, for example, clay can help to cope well with tired legs, eliminate itching and slight swelling in the initial stages of varicose veins. A heaping tablespoon of pharmaceutical clay is diluted with water to form a thick paste. The paste is then applied to the shins with a brush or cotton pad. It's important not to let the clay dry out; You have to constantly add a new layer or moisten the existing layer with water. After an hour, the clay should be carefully washed off and let your feet dry without wiping them with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, can be repeated monthly.

But before treating varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time on procedures whose effectiveness is questionable. Rather, it will be possible not to cure the legs, but to wait until the severity worsens and complications arise.

Effective conservative treatment

It is ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins bulge, your veins itch a lot (itching), then you need to prepare for surgery. In fact, everything depends on the stage of the disease, which is determined not only by the degree of bulging of the veins or the severity of the venous network in the lower extremities. In most cases, the doctor tries to get the disease under control with conservative treatment methods and without surgery. An integrated approach is used: physical activity, changes in diet, medication and physiotherapy treatment are prescribed; Compression clothing is selected.

1. Physical activity.Modern people are sedentary: they sit at work and at home, and they get to the office by sitting in the subway or bus. All of this leads to physical inactivity and venous insufficiency. The veins in the legs become weaker and can no longer cope with their work, resulting in varicose veins. Therefore, it is important to return the patient to an active lifestyle. The doctor may prescribe walks of at least two hours a day, Nordic walking, swimming in the pool or classes in a recreational sports training group. It is better to avoid working on your legs at any stage of the disease.

2. Diet.It's not about diet, but about proper nutrition while limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarine, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, cakes) are prohibited. It is recommended to consume more liquid and plant-based foods. Meals should be balanced at least five times a day. Proper nutrition is important to fully control your weight. Excess pounds put additional strain on the leg veins and increase the risk of worsening chronic venous insufficiency at any stage of varicose veins.

3. Medication.If the situation is not advanced and the varicose veins progress without complications, drug therapy is used, more often at home. Typically, drugs from several groups are used:

   • Venotonics (phlebotonics) are used in the form of tablets, ointments or gels. They help maintain the tone of the vein walls and facilitate blood flow through them. Particularly good for minor illnesses.
   • Antiplatelet drugs prevent blood components from sticking together to form a clot, thereby minimizing the risk of blood clots forming in the lower extremities.
   • Anticoagulants usually contain or are based on glycosaminoglycans. Maintains optimal blood viscosity - slightly dilutes it, allowing it to move freely through the vessels of the legs.
   • Angioprotectors protect the vein walls, making them more elastic and immune to internal damage.
   • Anti-inflammatory drugs prevent the occurrence of inflammatory reactions on the vascular walls, especially in advanced stages, and have a pain-relieving effect.
   • Products based on herbal components (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) replace traditional herbal medicine.

   Pharmacological forms differ in their targeted action and predictable effect. They have practically no contraindications. Used as part of complex therapy to relieve swelling and pain in the legs. Medicines are prescribed by the doctor after appropriate examination of the patient. He selects not only suitable products, but also the form of release: injections, tablets, ointments, gels, foot compresses. Depending on the stage of the disease and the degree of development of complications, the phlebologist recommends treating varicose veins at home or in the hospital.

4. Physiotherapeutic treatment (PTL).In the case of varicose veins, physiotherapeutic devices help medication penetrate the area of the affected vessels more quickly and increase the effect of the medication. This significantly shortens the treatment time, the doctor has the opportunity to switch the patient from therapeutic doses to maintenance doses and discontinue some medications. Basic FTL methods:

   • Electrophoresis helps deliver medication into varicose veins through the action of a weak electrical current.
   • Darsonvalization increases the tone of the veins, reduces the stagnation of interstitial fluid and, as a result, itching in varicose veins;
   • Magnetic therapy improves blood circulation in the veins and significantly reduces tissue swelling.
   • Pneumomassage of the lower extremities increases the tone of the venous walls, reduces swelling, itching and improves blood circulation;
   • Laser therapy reduces the severity of inflammatory reactions, improves blood microcirculation and has a venoprotective effect.
   • Cryotherapy (cold) strengthens blood vessels, improves lymphatic drainage and relieves itching;
   • Hydrotherapy (treatment with water) tones and has a general strengthening effect;
   • Mud therapy strengthens the walls of the blood vessels on the legs and has a beneficial effect on the skin, promoting its regeneration and minimizing itching.

   For some diseases, physiotherapy treatment cannot be prescribed. In addition, different stages of varicose veins require different treatments. Therefore, FTL is prescribed by two doctors at once: a phlebologist and a physiotherapist. Some procedures, particularly for initial vascular damage, can be performed at home; Many FTL devices are now sold in pharmacies. We recommend a pocket electrostimulator for venous drainage, which will quickly and effectively help manage the symptoms of varicose veins.

Compression jersey

An auxiliary method that facilitates the flow of blood through the veins. Compression jerseys are available for men and women.

Products can be in the form of stockings, socks or tights and vary in color, size and degree of compression. Externally, they look like ordinary ones, but have a pronounced therapeutic and prophylactic effect. This depends on special elastic threads and a well thought-out knitting pattern.

As a result, the veins receive external support and begin to do their job. Pain, itching and swelling in the lower extremities decrease and the disease does not progress further.

Depending on the stage of the varicose veins, the doctor may recommend compression stockings. He also tells you how to put it on correctly and how long to wear it for.

The correct use of leg jerseys determines its effectiveness. We consider Swiss compression knitwear to be the most reliable and high quality.

Surgical treatment methods

If conservative therapy does not help, surgical treatment is resorted to. The doctor has the opportunity to choose the most appropriate method that will be the most effective and least traumatic at a particular stage of varicose veins.

• Sclerotherapy.The doctor injects a special solution into the lumen of the affected vein, which causes the walls to stick together and interrupts the flow of blood through the treated vessel. The vein no longer protrudes above the surface of the skin and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
• Endovascular laser therapyknown by two names: EVLO (endovenous laser vein obliteration) and EVLC (endovasal laser vein coagulation). The essence is the same: with the help of a laser pulse, the affected vein is closed and no longer functions. The procedure does not affect the surrounding tissues of the lower extremities and does not require general anesthesia. Can be performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery is quick and leaves no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose vein disease, except when accompanied by complications.
• Phlebectomy.A standard surgical procedure for serious illnesses, performed under general anesthesia. The affected section of vein is removed. After the operation, scars about half a centimeter long remain that are almost invisible on the skin. The recovery period after a phlebectomy is long. The patient spends about two weeks in the hospital. During this time he wears compression stockings, takes medication and visits a physiotherapy room. After the stitches are removed, the patient is discharged to continue varicose vein treatment at home. Complications are rare.

Operations to remove varicose veins of the lower extremities are performed only if the patient has maintained blood flow through the deep veins. After the operation, the blood should flow freely through the bypass vessels to avoid complications.

Prevention of varicose veins on the legs after treatment

After successful treatment of varicose veins on the legs, the patient should not lose vigilance. If the cause that led to the disease is not eliminated, another vein may expand and everything will happen again. First of all, you need to give up bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose low-heeled shoes, regularly visit your doctor for preventive examinations and follow his recommendations.

The tips are simple and easy to follow. If you follow these, you are unlikely to ever face varicose vein complications and hospitalization. And if someone from your family comes to you, it will also benefit them. And remember: the best treatment for varicose veins is prevention. If you have any suspicious symptoms or are at risk, contact your doctor immediately!