Doctors say that veins get sick discreetly. When they start to malfunction, you usually don't realize it because the veins don't hurt. So how do you know when something is wrong with them? How to recognize the onset of varicose veins?

Leg vein problems begin when blood from around the feet cannot drain to the heart. The reason for this is usually stretching (also called relaxation) of the wallsof the veinsor damage to the venous valves. They prevent the blood from flowing back towards the feet.

Warning signals for varicose veins

  • The defective veins are more visible, appearing to be right under the skin, especially on the calves and inside of the thighs. However, they are not thick and more noticeable under the fingers.
  • You often feel that your shoes become too tight in the evening. Your feet are constantly wet.
  • It is difficult for you to stand in one place for a long time.
  • When you sit at the table, you constantly move your feet, walk in place or cross your legs.
  • You feel that your legs are heavy and … they don't want to carry you.
  • The legs around the ankles are often swollen.
  • Your calves hurt after a whole day, sometimes you get cramps.

Spider veins - the beginnings of varicose veins

Your attention should also be drawn tospiders( telangiectasies ) appearing under the knees and around the ankles. They are not, as many ladies believe, only a cosmetic defect, although it is hard to deny that they do not add beauty to the legs. This is the first, but a serious sign of the malfunction of the fine veins lying just under the skin. Spider veins around the ankles and feet almost always indicate an advanced disease of the entire venous system and require urgent consultation of a phlebologist, i.e. a doctor specializing in the treatment of veins.

The nagging pain under the knee or in the groin, which occurs, for example, after sitting or standing for a long time, can also be dangerous. Since such pain makes it difficult to walk, we usually seek help from an orthopedist, believing that we are suffering from degeneration of the knee or hip joint. Meanwhile, it is the so-called internal varicose veins, which most often form just under the knees and in the groin. They arise on the so-called piercing veins that connect the superficial veins (this is where varicose veins most often occur) with deep veins. They are hidden deep under the skin and therefore can only be recognized by doingspecialized examination of the veins, usually with an ultrasound machine.

Important

Heavy legs

Swellings appearing on the feet, ankles or calves and on the hands also indicate circulatory disorders. When you have an unhe althy or unresponsive heart, the swelling is caused by the pressure build-up in the veins caused by sodium and water being retained in your body. To find out if it is because of a venous insufficiency, put a finger on the swollen area. A dimple remains at the point of pressure, but the body is soft. As the venous disease progresses, the body becomes hard and the skin becomes a bluish color. A feature of cardiovascular edema is its symmetrical appearance, always on both ankles, feet or even calves.

Doppler tracking varicose veins

If you have noticed the symptoms described above, do not delay your visit to the doctor. You have enough reasons to take seriously your veins. Don't try to heal yourself. Remember: you are dealing with a disease that should be diagnosed by a specialist. Start by visiting a primary care physician, who will not only assess what tests should be performed, but also suggest how to proceed to improve the condition of your veins.

You will probably receive a referral for a Doppler scan, i.e. ultrasound of the veins in your legs. The doctor moves the head of the apparatus along the veins - from the ankles towards the groin. It doesn't hurt anything! On the monitor screen, he observes the blood flow in the veins.

The test allows you to assess the condition (efficiency) of the venous valves, to determine the places of their damage, to determine the dilated fragments of veins, i.e. at risk of varicose veins, to recognize the risk of the development of the thrombotic process. The test is also used to monitor the treatment method, it also allows you to choose the appropriate method of operating the existing varicose veins.

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Category:

Cardiology