Varicose veins are a common pathological process, which is accompanied by varicose veins, lymph node development, and blood stasis. Internal varicose veins of the legs are characterized by the nodular structure of the venous vessels of the epidermis. In the initial stage of the disease, there are no symptoms. Many people have doubts about what should be the treatment of this ailment.
What is this disease?
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a very dangerous disease that can be fatal. This is a pathological lesion of the organs of the circulatory system. With the complication of the disease, an irreversible process of stretching and stretching of the veins is observed.
Nodules begin to form in the capillaries, preventing normal blood flow. With varicose veins in deep veins, the vessel walls expand so much that the function of the valves worsens. For this reason, the blood begins to stagnate in the legs.The disease mainly affects people between 30 and 40 years of age.
Development reasons
The causes of this ailment can be very different. Among them are:
- hereditary factors (possible congenital abnormality or weakness of venous cells);
- is more common in women (in women, the disease is observed much more often due to the use of hormonal drugs, the risk is also increased due to postponed delivery);
- increased pressure within the veins (this is due to an inactive lifestyle, in the presence of excess weight);
- the presence of neuroendocrine changes; mechanical obstacles to normal blood circulation (this can be facilitated by constant compression of the limbs);
- the presence of allergic reactions;
- changes in the immune system;
- disorders in the functioning of the valves of the venous system;
- this pathology can begin to develop due to cellulite or dermatitis.
Before starting treatment, it is imperative to determine the root cause of the disease. An experienced phlebologist will help you do this.
Symptoms and manifestations of internal varicose veins
It is important to consult a doctor in timeif varicose veins appear on the lower extremities. The symptoms of this disease in the stage of appearance of varicose veins will be the following:
- there is swelling of the limbs at the end of the day(this symptom is observed in the ankles and feet, edema may also appear in the lower half of the leg);
- the patient develops a feeling of heaviness in the area of the calf muscles(a sensation of fullness occurs after a long walk or standing, this symptom may appear after a longstay in a sitting position).
A characteristic feature of this ailment is the fact thatafter rest, all symptoms disappear without a trace.It also shrinks after a long break.
During the period of gradual development of varicose veins, the following symptoms will begin to appear:
- moderate pain begins to appear in the calf muscles, such pains are dull and painful;
- local burning sensation and fatigue;
- excessive dryness of the skin appears, pigmentation spots and induration of the skin begin to appear;
- cramps very often at night;
- spider veins begin to appear on the epidermis;
- the internal veins of the legs, the photos of which are presented below, begin to expand significantly, in appearance they look like bunches of grapes;
- it is possible to form subtle wounds that heal over a long period of time.
Important!The untimely treatment of this disease for the patient can bring a series of complications. In some cases, a lethal outcome is possible.
After a while, eczema and trophic ulcers start to appear. These symptoms very easily turn into gangrene. All of this can lead to limb amputation, sepsis, or death.
The most dangerous consequence is the appearance of a blood clot, with its subsequent separation. This becomes the death of the patient.
The symptoms and treatment of latent varicose veins is the question that most worries patients.
Treatment methods
The treatment of varicose veins is carried out conservatively and quickly. Treatment of internal veins in the legs, the symptoms of which can manifest themselves in different ways, is carried out only after a preliminary diagnosis.The following techniques can be used:
- compression;
- scleropathy;
- medication;
- surgical.
Compression methodscures help to cope with the disease in its initial stage. This method of therapy involves the daily use of special compression underwear.
In scleropathy, a vein is blocked. This is due to the introduction of sclerotherapy preparations into it. After such actions, the blood can easily move through the capillaries without difficulty.
Conservative cure is effective only if the first signs of the disease appear. Of the drugs, venotonics are prescribed to patients. They help to strengthen the walls of the blood vessels as much as possible.
Self-treatment of internal varicose veins, the symptoms of which can be mild and vice versa, is prohibited.
Prevention
To prevent the formation of varicose processes, it is imperative to know the root causes of this ailment and prevent its development.The preventive measures are the following:
- Constant physical activity is necessary (people who lead an inactive lifestyle are much more susceptible to illness. Take breaks from time to time, get up, and exercise so that the blood circulates normally. );
- when sitting, it is forbidden to cross your legs;
- give up all bad habits;
- pay attention to your diet, refuse too fatty and salty;
- to take therapeutic measures in relation to endocrine ailments, lead to the development of varicose veins;
- wear only loose shoes that do not squeeze (it is necessary to ensure the free circulation of blood and also restrict yourself in shoes with heels);
- take sea baths, but it is necessary to eliminate solar overheating.
Conclusion
It should be noted that if at least one symptom of this disease manifests, it is necessary to urgently consult a specialist. The doctor will prescribe diagnostic procedures and indicate the appropriate treatment. The delay threatens complications.
From the above, we can summarize that latent varicose veins are a very dangerous disease that can have undesirable consequences. It is for this reason that if at least one symptom appears, it is necessary to seek help from a doctor. Only a specialist will be able to select the necessary treatment.
Internal varicose veins in the legs: symptoms and treatment
The geography of the spread of varicose veins covers almost every country in the world, it is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. According to medical statistics, varicose veins of the lower extremities and pelvic organs occur in 15-17% of the population. Today, patients with this diagnosis represent approximately 4% of all patients in surgical clinics. According to scientists, this disease is a kind of payment to humanity for the ability to walk upright. Let's examine what internal varicose veins are, the main symptoms of the disease, and effective treatment.
Explanation of the onset of the disease
The development of internal varicose veins in the legs is one of the most dangerous types of the disease, manifested in the pathological expansion of blood vessels located deep under the skin in tissues.
Unfortunately, this disease often affects young people of working age, and in women the symptoms are much more common. Internal varicose veins on the legs are often accompanied by external in the form of strongly protruding tuberous veins with a pronounced cyanotic hue.
These symptoms of varicose veins make treatment difficult. The appearance of legs with varicose nodes is featured in numerous photos from medical sites.
Dilation of the venous vessels in the legs can be an independent pathology, but most often it is caused by other diseases, and therefore in modern medicine it is customary to divide varicose veins into primary and secondary veins. The cause of primary varicose veins of the deep veins of the legs is the weakness of the vein wall or its functional pathologies, these reasons also cause the varicose veins of the pelvic organs. Among the main causes of the disease are:
- Pregnancy.
- Overweight, morbidly obese.
- Prolonged load on the lower limbs, constant work on the legs or associated with constant lifting of heavy objects.
- Hereditary or congenital weakness of the connective tissue of various organs.
- Long walk in high heels and hosiery with tight elastic bands.
- In elderly patients, the formation of internal varicose veins can be caused by hormonal changes in the body.
The development of secondary internal varicose veins is a consequence of changes in the process of venous blood outflow in various diseases:
- Postthrombophlebic syndrome.
- Deep vein valve failure.
- Organ tumors of various etiologies.
- Injuries to limbs and other organs.
The treatment of primary and secondary varicose veins is different.
Main functions
The consequences of undetected internal varicose veins in a timely manner can be very serious, so it is necessary to pay attention to the first symptoms of the disease, especially since, compared to other forms of the disease, they are visually manifested with muchclarity. The main symptoms of internal varicose veins of the lower extremities are manifested in the following:
- The pain in the calf muscles is very severe, often so intolerable that the patient is forced to regularly take strong analgesics. These symptoms are cause for immediate medical attention.
- The venous pattern in the lower extremities in the thigh area becomes pronounced, the vessels become strongly convex and tuberous, easily identified by palpation.
- Venous pattern turns cyanotic, sometimes turns black, sometimes turns crimson red.
- The lower extremities are very swollen and the swelling does not subside after a night's sleep.
- At night, after a day's work on their feet, the patient experiences frequent cramps in the calf muscles.
All these symptoms significantly worsen the quality of life of the patient and require immediate medical attention, sometimes it is only surgical treatment of the veins.
Clinical picture
The severity of the symptoms of internal varicose veins depends on the stage of the disease.
In the initial stage, pathological changes in the walls of blood vessels are not detected, patients have swelling of the legs at the end of the working day and heaviness in the legs, but after a night's rest, these sensationsunpleasant disappear.
Some patients have a slight pastiness, this stage of the disease is called "intradermal varicose veins". If treatment is started at this stage of the disease, then the prognosis is very favorable, since the valve system of the veins has not yet changed and copes with the load, the pathological symptoms will quickly disappear.
In the second stage of the disease, the edema of the lower extremities becomes permanent, patients complain of constant heaviness in the legs and increased fatigue. Manifestations of internal varicose veins at this stage of the disease are also indicated by constant cramps of the calf muscles and cold extremities.
The photo in the medical publications shows that the blood vessels begin to appear in the skin on the inner thigh, but the areas of their appearance are not painful on palpation. At this stage, the formation of varicose veins begins, there may be bleeding from them.
These symptoms get worse very quickly, and if there is no treatment, the disease progresses to the next stage.
The third stage of varicose veins of the legs is already visually well defined, this can be seen in the photo from various medical sources.
Varicose veins and saccular dilations caused by severe circulatory disorders are already well defined under the skin of the calves and inner thigh.
At this stage, in addition to the appearance of lymph nodes, the patient presents fragility and hair loss, dry skin, constant cramps in the calf muscles.
The fourth stage of the disease already leads to serious complications (bleeding, ulcers, etc. ), which can be fatal. You need to start treating the disease immediately, without expecting any formidable symptoms.
Complications
These include the following:
Trophic ulcers of the skin of the legs.
This is a very painful complication for the patient, as trophic ulcers heal very slowly, and the patient experiences constant itching and burning at the locations of it.
The photo clearly shows that the ulcers are round, brightly colored and with different types of secretions: purulent, hemorrhagic or serous. They appear on the calves and on the inner thigh.
With competent and timely therapy, healing of the ulcers begins, but if there is no help or not provided in a qualified manner, the patient may develop gangrene followed by amputation of the limb. Death is also possible.
Traumatic bleeding.
Massive bleeding may be due to a ruptured vessel due to thinning of the venous wall due to constant increase in blood pressure or due to minor trauma. This syndrome is especially dangerous because bleeding can lead to the death of the patient.
Thrombosis is a consequence of congestion and inflammation in the veins of the lower extremities. Thrombosis can manifest itself visually only in the swelling of the legs and severe pain in it.
With the formation of external venous ganglia, thrombosis is accompanied by severe pain in the area of thrombus formation, tenderness of the veins on palpation, and fever in the area of thrombosis.
Thrombosis is very dangerous to the life of the patient and requires urgent hospitalization and treatment, as it can cause a heart attack and blockage of the pulmonary artery in the patient.
Principles of therapy
It is very difficult to treat internal varicose veins of the legs and the effectiveness of therapy depends largely on the stage of the disease.
The general principles of treating the disease include normalization of hormonal levels, optimization of physical activity and adherence to diet.
If the patient is obese, it is necessary to develop a weight loss method and monitor its implementation. To normalize the tone of the vessels of the lower extremities, it is recommended to use compression stockings.
The most effective treatment method is surgery, the technique of which is well developed in modern surgery. A possible complication of the operation is bleeding from a vein, but the risk is low.
If for any reason surgical intervention is impossible, for example, if the patient fears that life-threatening bleeding will begin, the treatment is carried out medically with the following groups of drugs:
- Antiplatelet agents: to thin the blood and prevent clots from forming.
- Phlebotonics: to normalize blood circulation and prevent edema.
- Nitrates: to relieve pain symptoms.
- Angioprotectors: to normalize vascular tone.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: to reduce the possibility of platelet adhesion and relieve pain.
Many sources recommend treating varicose veins with home remedies, on the Internet you can find many photos of calves and thighs in the "before" and "after" style on sites that advertise traditional medicine and guarantee a 100% recovery. Doctors are very cautious with these drugs, warning that they can only be used as part of complex therapy.
Internal varicose veins of the lower extremities are a serious systemic disease that requires qualified and timely treatment. The first alarming symptoms cannot be ignored. The sooner the patient seeks a doctor, the more effective the treatment will be.
Main characteristic symptoms
Specialists distinguish three stages of varicose veins of the lower extremities: compensation, subcompensation and decompensation.
They correspond respectively to the light, medium and severe course. In some cases, more than a year passes between the onset of the disease and the onset of symptoms.
There is practically nothing to worry about during compensation. During strong overexertion of the body, minor pain in the extremities are possible. Distal swelling that subsides after sleeping.
Some people report that they feel like spiders or goosebumps are sliding down their legs. This is a consequence of impaired blood flow and tissue trophism.
The deep vein valve apparatus is largely intact. Usually no visible superficial changes are seen in the skin and veins.
Subcompensation is characterized by a more severe clinical picture. The pains appear more and more frequently. They carry sharp dagger pain. An ordinary touch can be hard work.
Patients cannot walk normally. The usual shopping trip is refined to the end.
The legs swell to a great extent, exceeding the normal volume of the leg by one and a half times. Often such swelling does not go away even after long sleep. Depressed fingerprints remain on the shins. Many people notice cramps in the calf muscles.
During decompensation, there are often signs of bleeding, thrombophlebitis and thrombosis, trophic ulcers.
Complications derived from the development of internal varicose veins
The most common complication of varicose veins is bleeding. If not diagnosed in a timely manner, it can be fatal. Even a little bleeding from varicose veins in the lower extremities can cause irreparable damage. The arrest of such a defect with a conventional pressure bandage frequently fails. Many surgeons turn to vessel ligation or coagulation.
The second most frequent complication is the addition of infections with the development of trophic ulcers. Due to a decrease in tissue trophism, abscesses do not heal for a long time, a chronic purulent focus is formed.
It is accompanied by generalized intoxication of the body, feverish temperature, profuse sweating. Such wounds take a long time to heal. It depends on the degree of alteration of the tissue trophism and the depth of the lesion.
Ulcers should not be bandaged frequently as this can cause scabs that have started to form and lead to new open wound formation.
The next most common complication is deep vein thrombosis. With poor motor function, the blood stagnates and increases the risk of blood clots, which in turn can cause a pulmonary embolism.
Vascular surgeons are more afraid of a floating thrombus, since it is its distal part that tends to rupture and cause an embolism.
Treatment methods
Treatment of internal varicose veins of the lower extremities is carried out in several stages.
Drug therapy is the most popular direction that can be used in all stages of varicose veins, as well as for the prevention of vascular problems.
The basis of conservative treatment is the intake of venotonic drugs. They help to strengthen the vascular wall, increase its elasticity and reduce blood stagnation. It is better to apply them internally and also externally at the injury site.
There are various kinds of underwear used for different stages of the disease. Many models will be able to satisfy the individual desire of each person, I have only positive reviews.
When worn under clothing, it does not cause any discomfort or irritation.
Proper and balanced nutrition is one of the important points in the treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities. You need to radically limit your intake of salt and large amounts of fluids. It is desirable to use natural fruit juices and drinks.
Nutrition should strictly correspond to a person's energy consumption and contain fewer calories to avoid being overweight. You should limit yourself in the consumption of fatty and fried, spicy and acidic foods. You should give preference to vegetables and fruits. Introduce shellfish, fermented milk dishes, and products containing digestible carbohydrates into your diet.
In case of ineffectiveness of conservative therapy methods, they resort to surgical techniques. These include both invasive and minimally invasive treatments.
Pathology prevention
Knowing the dangers of deep vein varicose veins, many want to prevent their occurrence in advance. To do this, you don't need to follow strict rules, you just need to get your lifestyle back to normal.
The main preventive measure is feasible regular physical activity.
You can do gymnastics, yoga, walk, swim, or even dance to reduce your risk of developing many diseases.
In addition, it is advisable to totally or at least partially abandon bad habits. Regular work and rest hours are recommended to give your body at least a little break.
It will be useful to adjust the diet except for foods that are fried, greasy, smoked, pickled, too spicy or salty. You need to eat more vegetables and fruits.
Regular contrast showers and relaxing foot baths are good preventive measures.