Treatment of varicose veins on the legs

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

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

There are several methods to treat venous diseases; an expert doctor will tell you which one is right for you.

Many people write about how to treat varicose veins on the legs using folk remedies, but not all of them talk about the dangerous consequences. It should be remembered that traditional methods were developed when there were simply no other methods of treating veins. Now they exist and the problem can be solved much faster and easier.

• Treatment with apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for treating varicose veins. On the Internet, readers are encouraged to dilute vinegar with honey and drink on an empty stomach, dilute with water and wipe their feet. But remember that apple cider vinegar is an acid. Taking it orally can negatively affect digestion. External use also raises questions, since with varicose veins the skin becomes dry and the acid dries it out even more. This can aggravate the course of the disease, especially if the legs itch due to varicose veins.
• Treatment with chestnut fruits.It is also recommended to take chestnut tinctures orally and massage them on the affected areas to eliminate pain and eliminate itching due to varicose veins. Only the horse chestnut is poisonous. Under no circumstances should it be consumed raw. Even when taking the tincture 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. External use of an alcohol solution dries out the skin of the legs, which is not very good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in the advanced stages of varicose veins.
• Treatment with leeches.Leeches bite the skin and introduce into the human body a mixture of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the blood, thinning it and have an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to place leeches in the house, but to entrust them to a certified specialist, since you need to know exactly the places where leeches can be placed and where not. In the first days after treatment of veins with leeches, itching is often observed. The bite sites are very itchy, the person cannot stand it and begins to scratch the itchy area, as a result of which an ulcer may form. In addition, after leech bites, small triangular scars remain on the legs. For some, for life.
• Folk remedies that a doctor can prescribe.In the initial stage of venous insufficiency, the doctor may prescribe contrasting foot baths for the patient's veins. The alternating action of cold and hot water relaxes and tightens 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 as often as desired. Especially if it is not possible to visit the pool. Varicose veins stop progressing and your legs stop hurting.

  And, for example, clay can help to cope well with tired legs, eliminate itching and slight swelling in the initial stage of varicose veins. A heaped spoonful of pharmaceutical clay is diluted with water until a thick paste is obtained. Then the paste is applied to the shins with a brush or cotton ball. It is important not to let the clay dry out, you need to constantly add a new layer or moisten the existing layer with water. After an hour, the clay should be thoroughly washed off and the feet should be left to dry without wiping with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, repeatable monthly.

But before treating varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time with procedures of dubious effectiveness. Rather, it will be possible not to treat the legs, but wait until the severity worsens and complications develop.

Effective conservative treatment

It is ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins swell, your veins itch badly (itching), then you need to 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 of the lower limbs. In most cases, the doctor tries to cope with the disease using conservative treatment methods and without surgical intervention. For this, an integrated approach is used: physical activity, dietary changes, drugs and physiotherapy treatments are prescribed; compression garments are selected.

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 to return the patient to an active lifestyle. The doctor may prescribe walking for at least two hours a day, Nordic walking, swimming in a pool or classes in a recreational sports training group. It is best to avoid working on the legs at any stage of the disease.

2. Diet.It's not about diet, but about correct nutrition by limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarines, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, cakes) are prohibited. It is recommended to consume more liquid and plant foods. Meals should be balanced, at least five times a day. Eating well is important to completely control your weight. Extra pounds put strain on the veins in the legs and increase the risk of worsening chronic venous insufficiency at any stage of varicose veins.

3. Pharmacological treatment.If the situation is not advanced and the varicose veins proceed without complications, drug therapy is resorted to, most often at home. Typically, drugs from different groups are used:

   • Venotonics (phlebotonics) are used in the form of tablets, ointments or gels. They help maintain the tone of the walls of the veins, facilitating the movement of blood through them. Particularly suitable for mild illnesses.
   • Antiplatelet agents prevent blood components from coming together to form a clot, minimizing the risk of developing blood clots in the lower extremities.
   • Anticoagulants usually contain glycosaminoglycans or are based on it. Maintains optimal blood viscosity - dilutes 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 appearance of inflammatory reactions on the walls of blood vessels, especially in advanced stages, and have an analgesic effect.
   • Products based on plant components (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) replace traditional phytotherapy.

   The pharmacological forms differ in their targeted action and predictable effect. They have practically no contraindications. Used as part of complex therapy to reduce swelling and pain in the legs. The drugs are prescribed by the doctor after an adequate examination of the patient. Select 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, depending on the stage of the disease and the degree of development of complications.

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

   • electrophoresis helps deliver medications to varicose veins through the action of a weak electric current;
   • darson evaluation increases the tone of the veins, reduces the stagnation of interstitial fluid and therefore itching in varicose veins;
   • Magnetic therapy improves blood flow in the veins, significantly reduces tissue swelling;
   • pneumomassage of the lower limbs increases the tone of the venous 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 the blood vessels in the legs and has a beneficial effect on the skin, promoting its regeneration and minimizing itching.

   For some pathologies it is not possible to prescribe physiotherapy treatment. Additionally, 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-sized electrostimulator of venous outflow, which quickly and effectively helps to cope with the symptoms of varicose veins.

Compression shirt

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

Products can take the form of stockings, socks or pantyhose and vary in color, size and degree of compression. Externally, they look normal, but have a pronounced therapeutic and prophylactic effect. These are special elastic threads and a neat 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.

Your doctor recommends compression stockings based on the stage of your varicose veins. He also tells you how to wear it correctly and how long to wear it.

The correct use of the leg shirt determines its effectiveness. We consider Swiss compression knitwear to be the most reliable and high-quality.

Surgical treatment methods

When conservative therapy does not help, surgical treatment is resorted to. The doctor has the opportunity to choose the most appropriate method, which will be most 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 stops the blood flow through the treated vessel. The vein stops protruding above the skin surface and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
• Endovascular laser therapyknown by two names: EVLO (endovenous laser vein obliteration) and EVLC (endovascular laser vein coagulation). The essence is the same: with the help of a laser pulse, the affected vein is sealed and ceases to function. The operation does not affect the surrounding tissues of the lower limbs and does not require general anesthesia. It can be performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery is fast and leaves no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose veins, except those accompanied by complications.
• Phlebectomy.A standard surgical procedure used for serious illnesses and performed under general anesthesia. The affected section of the vein is removed. After the operation, scars 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 medications and visits a physiotherapy room. After the stitches are removed, the patient is discharged to continue treatment of varicose veins at home. Complications are rare.

Surgical interventions 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, blood should flow freely back through the bypass vessels so that there are no complications.

Prevention of varicose veins on the legs after treatment

After successfully treating varicose veins on the legs, the patient should not lose vigilance. If the cause that led to the disease is not eliminated, another vein could expand and everything will repeat. First of all, you need to abandon bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose shoes with low heels, periodically visit the doctor for preventive examination and follow his 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, they will benefit too. And remember: the best treatment for varicose veins is prevention. If you have suspicious symptoms or are at risk, contact your doctor immediately!