Varicose veins not only look ugly, but can also be very dangerous. If you react quickly to the first signs of varicose veins, you will avoid many problems. Untreated varicose veins cause pain, swelling, skin ulceration, blood clots and even pulmonary embolism.
Contrary to appearances, it is not the heart that sucks venous blood from the legs - it pushes it from the foot up the entire system of muscle pumps. Most of the venous blood in the leg travels up the wideveinsdeep, the remaining 5-10%. it flows in thinner surface veins. They are connected by piercing veins (venous fistulas). The pressure of the muscles of the legs on the veins acts as a pump piston.
Strained muscles, increasing their volume, push all blood from a given section of veins towards the heart. In addition, each strand is equipped with special valves - chocks, placed close to each other, one on top of the other, like the rungs of a ladder. They are flexible and, tilting away from each other, make the blood in the veins flow only towards the heart. When it wants to fall under the influence of gravity, the valves close tightly, preventing blood from flowing back down the legs. They are very strong - the vein will rupture rather than give way to a he althy valve under the pressure of blood.
How do varicose veins develop
If the valves are broken, then some of the blood that flows towards the heart begins to regress - instead of flowing from the superficial veins to the deep and to the heart, it travels the opposite way: from the deep veins to the superficial veins and down to the foot. Doctors call this back movement of blood venous reflux. It causes blood to accumulate in the surface veins. Its pressure on the walls of the vessels increases and the delicate walls of the veins widen - this is howvaricose veins are formed .
The tendency to varicose veins can be inherited, but their formation is also influenced by external factors. They are favored by:
- standing or sitting work
- pregnancy and childbirth
- birth control pill and hormone replacement therapy
- diseases of the genital tract
- hard physical work
- chronic constipation
- obesity
- smoking
- excess heat - sauna, hot baths, solarium, hot waxing
- too tight clothing, not only socks sticking to the skin, but also tight fitting jeans
- uncomfortable shoes - too high (over 5 cm heels) or narrow toes
- nonetraffic
Check if you have a problem - measure the circumference of your legs at the ankle (just above the ankle) and under the knee (about 10 cm below the knee bend) immediately after waking up and when you go to sleep. Always measure in the same place. Save the measurements. The greater the difference between the circuit in the morning and evening, the sooner you go to the doctor.
Why are varicose veins so dangerous?
Because if left untreated, they can lead to serious complications, even life-threatening. Over time, swelling in the area of the ankles, disturbances in the proper nutrition of the skin, eventually its necrosis and ulcerations difficult to heal, develop. It is not uncommon for varicose veins to become inflamed and blood clots. Unfortunately, thrombophlebitis is often neglected, but it is a very dangerous disease, especially when it concerns deep veins. Its most serious complication may even be a pulmonary embolism.
You must do it
With varicose veins at the doctor's
Even if you do not feel any discomfort, it is worth taking care of varicose veins for aesthetic reasons. You definitely need to seek advice when your feet get swollen, you have the impression of "heavy legs", you feel their throbbing or expanding pain . The sooner you start working, the easier and less burdensome the treatment will be. Always see your doctor if your leg suddenly swells, turns a bluish red or hurts - it could be a blood clot deep in a vein, or if the varicose veins are accompanied by open wounds.