Treatment of varicose veins in the legs

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

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

There are several methods of treating vein disease; an experienced doctor will tell you which one is right for you.

Many people write about how to treat varicose veins in the legs using 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 vein treatment. Now they exist and the problem can be solved much faster and easier.

• Apple cider vinegar treatment.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for treating varicose veins. Online, readers are encouraged to dilute the vinegar with honey and drink on an empty stomach, dilute with water and wipe the feet. But remember that apple cider vinegar is an acid. Taking it by mouth can negatively affect digestion. Even external use raises questions, since with varicose veins the skin dries out and the acid dries it out even more. This can worsen the course of the disease, especially if your legs itch with varicose veins.
• Treatment with chestnut fruits.Chestnut tinctures are also recommended to be taken orally and rubbed into the affected areas to relieve pain and eliminate itching due to varicose veins. Only horse chestnut is poisonous. Under no circumstances should it be eaten raw. Even when you take a solution prepared from the fruits of this plant, signs of poisoning (vomiting, nausea, weakness) and cramps in the lower extremities may appear. In addition, chestnut tincture increases blood pressure. The external use of an alcoholic solution dries the skin of the legs, which is not very good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in the advanced stages of varicose veins.
• Leech treatment.Leeches bite through the skin and introduce into the human body a mixture of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the blood, diluting it and have an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to put leeches in the house, but to entrust it to a certified specialist, since you need to know exactly where leeches can be placed and where not. In the first days after treating veins with leeches, itching is often observed. The bite sites itch a lot, the person cannot bear it and begins to scratch the itchy area, as a result, an ulcer may form. Also, after the bite of leeches, small triangular marks remain on the legs. For some, for life.
• Folk remedies that a doctor can prescribe.In the initial stage of venous insufficiency, the doctor can prescribe reverse foot baths for the patient's veins. The alternating action of cold and hot water relaxes and narrows the veins in the legs. This type of gymnastic effect strengthens blood vessels, improves microcirculation and eliminates itching. The method can be used at home whenever you want. Especially if it is not possible to visit the pool. Varicose veins stop progressing and the legs stop hurting.

  And, for example, clay can help to cope well with tired legs, to eliminate itching and small swellings in the initial stage of varicose veins. A tablespoon full of pharmaceutical clay is diluted with water to a thick paste. Then the paste is applied to the legs with a brush or cotton. It is important not to let the clay dry out; you must constantly add a new layer or wet the existing layer with water. After an hour, the mud should be washed off carefully and the feet should be left to dry without wiping with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, can be repeated every month.

But before you treat varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time on procedures with dubious effectiveness. On the contrary, it will be possible not to cure the legs, but to wait for the severity to worsen and complications to develop.

Effective conservative treatment

It is ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins are swollen, your veins itch badly (pruritus), then you should prepare for surgery. In fact, everything depends on the stage of the disease, which is determined not only by the degree of swelling of the veins or the severity of the venous network in the lower extremities. In most cases, the doctor tries to cope with the disease using conservative methods of treatment and without surgery. An integrated approach is used for this: physical activity, changes in diet, medication and physiotherapeutic treatment are described; compression garments are chosen.

1. Physical activity.Modern man is sedentary: he sits at work and at home, he gets to the office by sitting on the subway or on the bus. All this leads to physical inactivity and venous incompetence. The veins in the legs weaken and cannot cope with their work, and varicose veins develop. Therefore, it is important that the patient returns to an active lifestyle. The doctor may prescribe walking for at least two hours a day, Nordic walking, swimming in the pool or classes in a recreational sports training group. It is best to avoid standing work at any stage of the disease.

2. Diet.It is not a matter of diet, but of proper nutrition by limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarine, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (pastries, pies, sweets) are prohibited. It is recommended to consume more liquid and plant foods. Food should be balanced, at least five times a day. Eating right is important to fully control your weight. Extra pounds put more strain on the leg veins and increase the risk of worsening chronic venous insufficiency at any stage of varicose veins.

3. Drug treatment.If the situation is not advanced and the varicose veins continue 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, facilitating the movement of blood through them. Especially good for mild ailments.
   • Antiplatelet agents prevent blood components from sticking together in a clot, which minimizes the risk of developing blood clots in the lower extremities.
   • Anticoagulants usually contain or are based on glycosaminoglycan. Maintains optimal blood viscosity - thins it slightly so that it can move freely through the vessels of the legs.
   • Angioprotectors protect the walls of the veins, making them more elastic and invulnerable to internal damage.
   • Anti-inflammatory drugs prevent the occurrence of inflammatory reactions in the walls of blood vessels, especially in the advanced stage, and have an analgesic effect.
   • Products based on herbal ingredients (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) are a substitute for traditional herbal medicine.

   Pharmacological forms differ in intended action and predictable effect. They practically have no contraindications. It is used as part of complex therapy to reduce swelling and pain in the legs. Medicines are prescribed by the doctor after proper examination of the patient. He chooses not only suitable products, but also the form of release: injections, tablets, ointments, gels, foot compresses. The phlebologist recommends treating varicose veins at home or in the hospital, based on the stage of the disease and the rate of development of complications.

4. Physiotherapy treatment (PTL).For varicose veins, physiotherapeutic equipment helps drugs penetrate faster into the area of the affected vessels and increase the effect of the drugs. As a result, treatment time is significantly reduced, the doctor has the opportunity to transfer the patient from therapeutic doses to maintenance doses and cancel some medications. Basic methods of FTL:

   • electrophoresis helps deliver drugs to varicose veins through the action of a weak electric current;
   • darsonvalization increases the tone of veins, reduces stagnation of interstitial fluid and therefore itching with varicose veins;
   • Magnetic therapy improves blood flow in veins, significantly reduces tissue swelling;
   • pneumomassage of the lower extremities increases the tone of the vein walls, reduces swelling, itching and improves blood flow;
   • laser therapy reduces the severity of inflammatory reactions, improves blood microcirculation and has a venoprotective effect;
   • cryotherapy (cold) tones blood vessels, improves lymphatic drainage and relieves itching;
   • hydrotherapy (water treatment) tones and has a general strengthening effect;
   • Mud therapy strengthens the walls of blood vessels in the legs and has a beneficial effect on the skin, promoting its regeneration and minimizing itching.

   Physiotherapy treatment cannot be prescribed for some conditions. 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, especially with the initial degree of vascular damage, can be performed at home; many FTL devices are now sold in pharmacies. We recommend a pocket electrostimulator of venous flow, which helps quickly and effectively cope with the symptoms of varicose veins.

Compression jersey

An auxiliary method that facilitates the movement of blood through the veins. The compression jersey is available for men and women.

Products can take the form of socks, stockings or tights, and differ in color, size and degree of compression. Outwardly, they look like ordinary ones, but they have a pronounced therapeutic and prophylactic effect. It is about special elastic threads and a thoughtful knitting pattern.

As a result, the veins receive external support and begin to cope with their work. Pain, itching and swelling in the lower extremities decrease, the disease stops progressing.

The doctor recommends compression stockings based on the stage of the varicose veins. It also tells you how to put it on properly and how long to wear it.

Correct use of the leg brace determines its effectiveness. We consider Swiss compression knitwear to be the most reliable and of the highest quality.

Methods of surgical treatment

When conservative therapy does not help, surgical treatment is used. The doctor has the opportunity to choose the most suitable method, which will be more effective and minimally traumatic at a certain 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 stop the flow of blood through the treated vessel. The vein stops protruding above the surface of the skin and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
• Endovasal 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 stops functioning. The intervention does not affect the surrounding tissues of the lower extremities and does not require general anesthesia. It can be performed on an outpatient basis. Healing is fast, leaving no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose veins, except for those associated with complications.
• Phlebectomy.A standard surgical procedure used for severe disease and performed under general anesthesia. The affected part of the vein is removed. After the operation, marks about half a centimeter long remain, almost invisible on the skin. The recovery period after phlebectomy is long. The patient spends about two weeks in the hospital. During this time, he wears compression stockings, takes medication and visits a physical therapy room. After removing the stitches, the patient is discharged to continue treating varicose veins at home. Complications are rare.

Operations to remove varicose veins of the lower extremities are performed only when the patient has preserved blood flow through the deep veins. After the operation, the blood must rise freely through the bypass vessels so that there are no complications.

Prevention of varicose veins in the legs after treatment

After the successful treatment of varicose veins in 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 should give up bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose low-heeled shoes, periodically visit your doctor for apreventive examination and follow its recommendations.

The tips are simple and easy to follow. If you follow them, you are unlikely to ever encounter complications of varicose veins and the need to stay in the hospital. And if someone from your family joins you, it will benefit them too. And remember: the best treatment for varicose veins is prevention. If you have suspicious symptoms or are at risk, contact your doctor immediately!