Varicose veins is a problem that should not be taken lightly. The tendency to develop varicose veins is genetically determined. We can inherit it not only from our parents, but even from grandparents or great-grandparents. The cause of varicose veins can also be an unhe althy lifestyle: lack of sports and poor nutrition.
Varicose veinsis the result of venous insufficiency. They arise as a result of the widening and lengthening of the vein, thus gaining a winding course. After the age of 45, every third woman and every fifth man think about thetreatmentof varicose veins and how to get rid of them. And it's not just that the visibleveinsdisfigure the legs. Untreatedvaricose veinscan threaten our lives. Therefore, we must do everything possible to prevent them, and when they occur - professionally remove them.
Varicose veins - how does the blood circulate in the veins?
With each contraction of the heart, oxygen-rich blood is forced into the arteries, which distribute it throughout the body. Tissues are treated with oxygen and nutrients, and the blood used in this way returns to the heart through the veins. Such work continues, day and night.
Blood flows quickly through the arteries under high pressure. The veins move slower because it flows uphill. In an adult human heart is more than a meter above the ground and this distance is covered by circulating blood. This is not easy. After all, it has to overcome the force of gravity. In order for the blood to flow upward, he needs support.
When we walk or run, our muscles rhythmically contract and compress our veins. It is as if we want to remove water from a rubber hose by squeezing it with our hands. We can do this, but as soon as we release the pressure, the water in the hose will fall to the bottom. The same would happen in the veins if it weren't for the valves - the tiny folds of the inner lining of the vessels. They close when the blood flowing upwards to the heart tries to regress downwards.
Varicose veins - causes. How are they made?
If we have weak muscles, we move little and the valves are damaged (we may be born with damaged valves or may break down due to thrombophlebitis), the blood begins to regress. The blood pressure increases and it presses against the veins in the legs with increasing force. The veins expand and, like a stretched spring, they do not return to their original shape.
This is how varicose veins arise, i.e. incorrect widening of the veins. Over time, the skin grows over themthin, taut and shiny. Swollen, hypoxic varicose veins are visible under the skin as a blue, sometimes mottled, tortuous line.
If we were to connect all the blood vessels in the leg, the resulting tube would be about 100 km long. This is not a mistake. Some of the veins in the legs are hidden deep and form the so-called system of deep veins. Some of them run close to the surface - these are superficial veins. Both of these systems connect transverse lines, which are referred to by those skilled in the art as perforators. Slightly more than 10 percent of the body flows through superficial vessels. venous blood from the legs, but it is in them that varicose veins are formed.
Most often on the saphenous vein from the medial (inner) ankle to the groin, less often on the small saphenous vein from the centrifugal (outer) ankle to the knee. If the valves in the deep veins are weak, the blood flowing back through perforators is transferred to the superficial veins. Their blood pressure rises and varicose veins form. Specialists call them secondary. But almost 95 percent. cases we have primary varicose veins, which also form in superficial veins, but with functional valves of deep veins.
Varicose veins - symptoms
We rarely associate the feeling of heavy lead legs and swollen ankles with varicose veins. Meanwhile, this is how innocently the varicose disease can begin. How is it going?
So-called pre-varicose veins: you have tired and heavy legs, at the end of the day they swell around your ankles (swellings increase after a warm bath, for example); in women, these symptoms may worsen during menstruation (this is the influence of hormones).
After more static exercise, i.e. when you stand for a long time or sit in the same position for many hours, you start to feel severe pain in your legs. Specialists call it venous claudication. More and more spider veins appear on your legs. This stage of the disease can last for many years.
When looking at the legs, you can see veins clearly visible through the skin. As the varicose veins get bigger, you may experience leg pains and cramps that do not go away even after a night of rest. Sometimes, along the diseased vein, there are soft protrusions, the size of which depends on the position of the legs (when you hold them up - the varicose veins disappear, when you stand - they reappear).
In men, these protrusions become more visible when men lift heavy weights. It comes to the so-called tissue disorders: clearly visible brown discoloration on the skin, varicose eczema and cellulitis appear.
The so-called scleroderma - the skin hardens to resemble the bark of a tree. Ulcers developLower legs: along the path of the diseased veins, usually above the inner ankles, difficult to heal and very painful wounds open. If left untreated, they can cause serious infections throughout the body.
Varicose veins and pregnancy
Every third woman in her first pregnancy and every second woman in the next has varicose veins. Why? Well, varicose veins of the saphenous vein arise when the valve at its mouth in the groin does not function properly.
This happens when the pressure in the abdomen remains higher for a long time, for example during pregnancy. Moreover, in future mothers the volume of blood increases (on average by a liter) and the venous system has to contain it somehow. It should also be added that pregnant women spare themselves, and low physical activity promotes varicose veins. In addition, the woman's body then produces more progesterone, and this hormone, which helps the uterus stretch, also makes the veins more stretchy.
When hormones are restored after childbirth, varicose veins become less visible but do not disappear. They often enlarge before menstruation and as the menopause approaches. Pregnancy varicose veins also need to be treated.
Varicose veins - risk factors. What promotes varicose veins?
First of all - genetics. However, their appearance is also influenced by:
- race - white; Black women don't have such problems,
- gender: women suffer 5 times more often than men,
- pregnancies,
- hormonal disorders and the use of oral contraception and hormone replacement therapy,
- no exercise, sitting for several or several hours a day (especially with your leg crossed),
- performing a profession related to standing for many hours, e.g. hairdresser, surgeon, waiter,
- wearing tight clothes, especially socks, knee socks or stockings with tight ribbings,
- walking in high-heeled shoes,
- overweight and obesity,
- diet low in fiber and vitamin C deficiency,
- chronic constipation,
- smoking, alcohol abuse.
Varicose veins - how to prevent them?
- Avoid standing and sitting for long periods. If you have to stand, shift from foot to foot, stamp your heels every now and then, and do a few squats every hour. When sitting, change your posture frequently and do not cross your feet.
- Rest with your legs up.
- Lose excess weight.
- Take an alternating shower in the morning and in the evening. Start with warm water, then do heat changes, cool water, and finish again with warm (but not hot) water. A warm shower should last 2-3 times longer than a cold one.
- Quit smoking. Or limit them radically. Nicotineaffects the narrowing and calcification of the veins; if a woman uses hormonal contraceptive pills and smokes, the risk of developing varicose veins is greater.
- Do not go to the sauna, do not take hot baths, do not sunbathe while lying on the cake, do not depilate the legs with hot wax. In winter, switch to low boots at work.
- Movement improves circulation and strengthens muscles. Jump rope is recommended, and lying down, the so-called bicycle and scissors. Get on the bike, swim, run (not recommended: skiing, horse riding, rowing, tennis, weightlifting).
- Choose good shoes. That is, those with wider toes and a heel that is not too high and not too low. The perfect one is 2.5-3 cm tall. If you have flat feet, fit the insoles over your covered shoe and wear them.
- Do not wear tight underwear and pants. Do not wear socks or stockings with tight cuffs. Consult your doctor for preventive wearing of specialist tights, stockings or knee-length socks.
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