Treatment of varicose veins in the legs

Treating 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 arise, the patient loses the ability to move on his own legs and becomes disabled. In fact, avoiding problems is 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 experienced doctor will tell you which one is best for you.

Many people write about how to treat varicose veins on the legs with folk remedies, but not everyone talks about the dangerous consequences. It must be remembered that traditional methods were developed when other methods of treating veins simply did not exist. Now they exist and the problem can be resolved much faster and easier.

• Apple cider vinegar treatment.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for treating varicose veins. On the internet, readers are encouraged to dilute the vinegar with honey and drink it on an empty stomach, dilute it 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 doubts, as with varicose veins the skin becomes dry and the acid dries it out even more. This can worsen the course of the disease, especially if your legs itch due to varicose veins.
• Treatment with chestnut fruits.It is also recommended that chestnut tinctures be taken orally and rubbed into affected areas to relieve pain and eliminate itching caused by varicose veins. Only horse chestnut is poisonous. Under no circumstances should it be consumed raw. Even when taking a tincture prepared from the fruits of this plant, signs of intoxication (vomiting, nausea, weakness) and cramps in the lower extremities may appear. Additionally, chestnut tincture increases blood pressure. External use of an alcohol solution dries out the skin on the legs, which is not very good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in advanced stages of varicose veins.
• Leech treatment.Leeches bite into the skin and introduce into the human body a mixture of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the blood, making it thinner and have an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to place leeches at home, but rather entrust them to an accredited specialist, as you need to know exactly where leeches can be placed and where not. In the first few days after treating veins with leeches, itching is often observed. The bite sites are very itchy, the person cannot bear it and begins to scratch the itchy area, which can form an ulcer. Also, after leech bites, small triangular scars remain on the legs. For some, for life.
• Folk remedies that a doctor can prescribe.At 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 contracts 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 many times 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 small swellings at the initial stage of varicose veins. A heaping tablespoon of pharmaceutical clay is diluted in water until a thick paste is formed. Then, the paste is applied to the shins with a brush or cotton pad. It is important not to let the clay dry out; you must constantly add a new layer or moisten the existing layer with water. After an hour, the clay should be carefully washed off and your feet should dry without wiping with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, which can be repeated monthly.

But before treating varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time on procedures of questionable effectiveness. Instead, it will be possible not to heal the legs, but to wait for the severity to worsen and complications to arise.

Effective conservative treatment

It's ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins are bulging, your veins are very itchy (itchy), then you need to prepare for surgery. In fact, it all depends on the stage of the disease, which is determined not only by the degree of bulging of the veins or the severity of the venous network in the lower extremities. In most cases, the doctor tries to deal with the disease through conservative treatment methods and without surgery. To achieve this, an integrated approach is used: physical activities, dietary changes, medications and physiotherapeutic treatment are prescribed; compression garments are selected.

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

2. Diet.This is not a diet, but adequate nutrition with limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarine, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (sweets, pies, cakes) are prohibited. It is recommended to consume more liquid and vegetable foods. Meals must be balanced, at least five times a day. Eating well is important to fully control your weight. Extra pounds put extra pressure on 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, most often at home. Typically, medicines 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 blood circulation through them. Particularly good for mild illnesses.
   • Antiplatelet agents prevent blood components from joining together to form 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 - slightly dilutes it so that it moves freely through the vessels of the legs.
   • Angioprotectors protect the walls of the veins, making them more elastic and invulnerable to internal damage.
   • Anti-inflammatories prevent the appearance of inflammatory reactions in the walls of blood vessels, especially at an advanced stage, and have an analgesic effect.
   • Products based on plant components (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) replace traditional herbal medicine.

   Pharmacological forms differ in targeted action and predictable effect. They have practically no contraindications. 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 selects 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, according to the stage of the disease and the degree of evolution of the complications.

4. Physiotherapy treatment (PTL).For varicose veins, physiotherapeutic devices help medications to penetrate more quickly into the area of affected vessels and enhance the effect of medications. 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 medications. Basic FTL methods:

   • electrophoresis helps administer medications to varicose veins through the action of a weak electrical current;
   • darsonvalization 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 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 the 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. 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 venous flow pocket electrostimulator, which helps quickly and effectively deal with the symptoms of varicose veins.

Compression shirt

An auxiliary method that facilitates blood circulation in the veins. The compression shirt is available for men and women.

Products can be in the form of stockings, stockings or tights, and vary in color, size and degree of compression. Outwardly, they look ordinary, but they have a pronounced therapeutic and prophylactic effect. It's all about special elastic threads and a well-thought-out knitting pattern.

With this, the veins receive external support and begin to do their job. Pain, itching and swelling in the lower extremities subside and the disease stops progressing.

Your doctor recommends compression stockings based on the stage of your varicose veins. It also explains how to put it on correctly and how long to use it.

Correct use of the leg shirt determines its effectiveness. We consider Swiss compression knitwear to be the most reliable and of 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 suitable 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 flow of blood through the treated vessel. The vein ceases to protrude above the surface of the skin and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
• Endovasal laser therapyknown under 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 sealed and stops working. 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. Recovery is quick, leaving no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose veins, except those accompanied by complications.
• Phlebectomy.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, which are almost invisible on the skin. The recovery period after phlebectomy is long. The patient spends about two weeks in the hospital. During this period, he wears compression socks, takes medication and goes to the physical therapy room. After removing the stitches, the patient is discharged to continue treating varicose veins at home. Complications are rare.

Surgeries to remove varicose veins from the lower extremities are only performed when the patient has preserved blood flow in the deep veins. After the operation, the blood must flow freely through the shunt vessels so that there are no complications.

Prevention of varicose veins in the legs after treatment

After successful treatment of varicose veins in the legs, the patient should not lose vigilance. If the cause that caused the disease is not eliminated, another vein may expand and everything will happen again. First of all, you need to give up bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose shoes with low heels, periodically consult a doctor for preventive examinations and follow your recommendations.

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