Deep varicose veins are a very unpleasant and rather dangerous lesion of the venous vessels of the circulatory system.
Varicose veins of the deep veins of the lower limbs are a pathology that extends to the vessels that pass through the muscular structures of the legs.The elongation and expansion of venous vessels significantly compromise blood flow and cause the onset and progression of thrombosis.
The danger of this disease lies in the high probability that a blood clot formed on the wall of a vessel will break off and be transported to the pulmonary artery.
When this disease occurs, an irreversible process of elongation and expansion of the venous vessels occurs.As the process progresses, a thinning of the venous wall is observed and nodes are formed that prevent the free transport of blood through the vessels.
Most often, people aged 30-40 years and older are susceptible to this disease.
Causes of development of varicose veins of the deep veins of the lower extremities
The causes of the appearance and development of the disease can be a variety of unfavorable factors.Varicose veins of the deep veins are the result of a serious disturbance in the circulatory process in a certain area of the lower extremities.
As the disease develops, the patient may develop trophic ulcers where the circulatory processes are interrupted, which can trigger gangrene, a condition that requires amputation of the affected part of the limb.
In addition, varicose veins can cause deformation of the muscles of the lower extremities, and the formation of a blood clot with its possible subsequent separation and transportation into the pulmonary artery can lead to death.
The main factors that contribute to the onset of the disorder and its progression are the following:
- the presence of a genetically determined hereditary predisposition that leads to congenital pathologies and weakness of the cells of the walls of the venous vessels;
- sex – women get sick much more often than men, which is associated with the occurrence of hormonal changes during pregnancy, the onset of menopause and in case of use of hormonal drugs and contraceptives;
- the presence of an increase in venous pressure in the patient, resulting from a decrease in mobility and an increase in the degree of static overload when the body is in an upright position for a long time and with excess body weight;
Also, the causes of the disease can be:
- Regular increase in load on the limbs.
- Serious disturbances in the functioning of the immune system.
- Constant compression of blood vessels on the legs when wearing tight shoes.
- Being overweight or obese.
- Development of various forms of dermatitis.
- Consequences of surgical interventions.
- Expose the lower limbs to greater static loads.
- Abuse of alcoholic beverages and smoking.
Furthermore, cellulite can cause the development of pathologies.
A visit to a qualified phlebologist at the first suspicion of the disease allows you to timely identify the disease.
The main signs of varicose veins of the deep veins
Very often, in the initial stage of progression, the disease is manifested by the appearance of a feeling of slight fatigue in the legs after applying a prolonged static load on them or during a long walk.In addition, a slight swelling of the tissues of the extremities appears during this period.
Most often, these symptoms of the disorder appear at the end of daylight hours and gradually disappear with prolonged rest.When these signs appear, it is necessary to consult a phlebologist and conduct specific studies to identify and clarify the presence of pathology.
The use of laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods allows us to identify the degree of development of the disease and make a decision on the use of a timely and adequate course of treatment for the disease.With further progression of the disease, it passes to more advanced stages, characterized by the appearance of a whole series of symptoms and signs characteristic of a progressive disease.
The advanced stages of the disease are characterized by the appearance of the following symptoms:
- the appearance of severe pain in the legs in the evening and at night;
- the appearance of constant swelling of the soft tissues and heaviness in the lower limbs;
- the presence of constant swelling of soft tissues leads to an increase in the size of the limbs;
- the patient feels frequent cramps in the calf area, very often such phenomena occur at night;
- the skin in the affected areas acquires a bluish tint on the extremities;
- The appearance of protrusions of pathologically affected venous vessels on the feet, thighs and legs is observed when physical stress is exerted on the legs.
Further progression of the disease leads to the appearance of small wounds that cannot heal for a long time and subsequently turn into trophic ulcers.
In the absence of adequate and timely treatment, the development of the disease for the patient can be fatal.The progression of varicose veins leads to the gradual deformation of muscle structures and the appearance of negative changes in the skin and bone mass.
With prolonged progression, the patient develops signs of eczema and develops trophic ulcers that can turn into gangrene.Which leads to sepsis or death.
In venous vessels affected by varicose veins, the process of thrombus formation develops.As a result of this process, the blood clot formed can break down and be transported through the circulatory system.
When a blood clot enters the pulmonary artery, it becomes blocked and the person dies.
Basic diagnostic methods
An experienced phlebologist can determine the presence of varicose veins in the deep veins of the lower extremities by the characteristic symptoms, clearly visible even in a photo of the legs, but the methods of treating the disease are selected individually after a detailed examination of the patient and taking into account all the individual characteristics of his body.
To identify the presence and stage of development of the disease, laboratory and instrumental diagnostic methods are used.Laboratory methods include general blood and urine tests.
The most common instrumental diagnostic method is the use of ultrasound examination of the venous vessels of the legs.This technique allows you to visualize the vascular system and identify the degree of progress of the pathological process.
Furthermore, if necessary, the attending physician prescribes:
- Phlebography.
- Photoplethysmography.
The use of venous occlusion plethysmography allows you to determine the volume of blood in the veins of the lower extremities.
Only after a complete examination and obtaining the results, the patient is prescribed an appropriate course of treatment.
Modern medicine offers several options for treating the disease: medicinal, non-medicinal and surgical.
In parallel with this, after consulting with your doctor, you can use alternative and traditional treatment methods at home.
Treatment of varicose veins of the deep veins
The most reliable way to treat the disease is surgery.The use of drug therapy in the form of tablets, special ointments and gels for external use can play a complementary role and constitutes, in fact, a supportive therapy.
The use of drug therapy involves the use of several types of drugs in the treatment process: anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, venotonic and fibrinolytic action
Anticoagulants thin the blood and prevent blood clots from forming.Anti-inflammatory drugs help relieve inflammatory processes in the walls of venous vessels.Venotonics help increase the tone of the venous walls and fibrinolytics help dissolve small clots and help clean the venous bed.
Thanks to the use of drugs, manifestations of the disease such as swelling often disappear;furthermore, an improvement in the condition of the superficial skin is observed.The main condition for the use of drugs is strict compliance with the doctor's recommendations and compliance with the dosages of the drugs taken.
To completely cure varicose veins, surgery is recommended.
In addition, surgical methods are used in the absence of positive dynamics during drug therapy.
The most common methods of surgical treatment of pathology are:
- Slerotherapy;
- phlebectomy;
- laser coagulation.
Sclerotherapy involves the use of special substances during the procedure: sclerosants, introduced into the lumen of the affected vein and leading to gluing of the walls of the vessels.This procedure allows you to remove the venous vessel from the circulatory system, preventing the development of pathologies.This technique is very rarely used in case of detection of a severe form of the disorder.
Phlebectomy involves the removal of the affected area of a venous vessel.Most often this method is used to identify lesions of superficial veins, but in some cases it is applicable in the treatment of deep venous vessels of the extremities.
Laser coagulation is a type of minimally invasive surgery and is performed using a laser;allows you to remove the affected area of the vein from the circulatory system by gluing its walls under the influence of laser radiation.This method of treatment has received the most positive feedback from patients because it is practically painless and does not require a long recovery period.
The use of surgical treatment methods allows you to completely eliminate the symptoms characteristic of deep varicose veins.The choice of surgical technique depends on the degree of development of the pathology, the individual characteristics of the patient and is made by the attending physician.