Varicosity – this illness was famous in times of Hippocrates. Illnesses were treated by surgery. A lot of methods of treatment are existing today.
What is varicosity? It’s an enlarged blood vessel or nerve. This can cause the vessel or nerve to often times look swollen or dilated.
Men and women of different ages may be faced with varicosity. People that have such an illness mostly get it at age of 25-40 years.
Reasons of varicosity
There are some theories of developing the illness:
- mechanical obstacle to blood current
- congenital weakness of a venous wall
- immunological or neuroendocrine violations
- insufficiency of the valve office of superficial venous system.
Doctors say: “Real true is unknown, if a lot of theories exist”. Nevertheless majority of phlebologists consider that varicosity arises because of heredity. The illness can appear both in children and grandsons. This illness can be provoked by an insignificant event. For example, you are in a risk zone if you sit or stand too long at times. Blood will be circulating well at reductions of heart and muscles and negative pressure of a thorax— but one of these factors can be excluded and varicosity may appear, if you follow by sedentary style of life.
For women hormonal changes can be additional reason of varicosity. For example, applying contraceptives. There is no direct dependence between pills and development of varicosity, but hormonal preparations often provoke complications of current illness. And, certainly, pregnancy can provoke varicosity because increasing of weight and hormonal processes. Visit the phlebologist before pregnancy if varicosity runs in your family.
Varicosity — is a serious disease. Veins lose the elasticity, then stretch and extend. Venous valves play a role of locks: as soon as blood passes through the valve, a “lock” is closed. Blood doesn’t go back. Blood freely flows down and stands in the legs. Varicose begins because veins don’t cope with blood flow. Blood flows on veins of legs from the bottom to up, resisting to a force of terrestrial gravitation. The most insignificant movement of body gives a blood pressure from arteries. Reduction of legs’ muscles at the movements works as the pump in circulatory system but valves make obstacles to returning of blood flow. Wrong work of valves causes violation of a blood flow which causes hyperextension of veins. Gleam between vein and vessel wall makes situation worse because it can’t block a vessel of such diameter! Blood flowes down faster. As a result we get a vicious cycle.
Symptoms of varicosity
- Сonvoluted veins appear on a skin of shins and feet.
- Foot pains, generally in the evenings and in afternoon.
- Hypostases and changes of skin: dryness and pigmentation (skin becomes dark and covered by spots).
- Trophic disorders (eczema and even ulcers).
Primary and secondary varicosity
Primary expansion of veins is connected with weakness of a vein wall or violations. Factors which influence on developing of illness: pregnancy, obesity, standing job, stockings with a hard elastic rubber.
The secondary varicosity appears after violation of venous outflow (that case when valves don’t cope with work) and also at tumors and injuries.
Degree of hyperextension of veins always different and consequences can be unpredictable. At pathology risk of a thromboembolism increases. As a result, it can be death. Usually blood thrombus arise on legs, but also veins of hands or even a abdomen. Trophic ulcers is another complication. Even a small scratch at trophic changes can cause increase of ulcers. It is hard to treat them if you didn’t consult with a doctor in due time. It will be able to be treated later on, but this disease could be treated in the beginning if you consulted with a doctor in due time.
Doctors should face one more type of varicosity — bleedings. In this case veins protrude over a skin surface on centimeter. Vein can be damaged even by an easy hit. Thrombophlebitis is the last step of illness.
Take care always about your veins! Thrombophlebitis is the most dangerous if it is near your heart. Also you are at risk if you have redness, swelling or compaction near your groin. Call an ambulance, if you find similar symptoms on your body.
Uniqueness of a varicosity that you feel pain only at early stapes. First symptoms: pain, burning sensation, heaviness, itch, hypostases, darkening and compaction of a shin’s skin. Veins can be often visible, but sometimes it is not so. 90% of blood opposite direction flow passes through deep veins (only 10% through superficial). Therefore imperceptible passing of disease is especially dangerous. You have to pass medical inspection, at such symptoms: discomfort, pain, heaviness, heat in legs, especially after long motionless sitting or standing, spasms of gastrocnemius muscles and edema of anklebones.
Unpleasant feelings in legs are not always connected with varicose. However you must be worried by continuous discomfort!
How To Treat It
Modern methods of treatment radically differ from medical methods of the XIX century. Modern methods don’t bring pain and sufferings and safer. Sclerotherapy was known hundred years ago. Now it has strongly changed. — however, it doesn’t mean that treatment can be postponed until the last moment.
Coagulation — is a method of treatment of “asterisks” and vascular “grid”. The doctor influences on a sick vessel by laser or electricity.
Sclerotherapy — the main method of treatment which remove expanded veins. Vessels are injected by special medicines with a name of sklerozant. Then venous walls stick together within and stop to work. Blood flow starts in healthy veins. Procedure is safe and almost painless. The treatment is conducted on an outpatient basis. The patient lives as usual. Sessions are conducted weekly and patient may continue to go to work and be engaged in usual things. Duration of sclerotherapy depends on a stage and a form of a disease. But usually three or six sessions for each leg are required (three or five injections for a session). The cosmetic result appears in a some weeks after the last procedure. As a result, blood flow on healthy veins will have been improved and varicosity symptoms will disappear.
Usually you may avoid operational method of varicosity’s treatment, if you consult with phlebologist in due time. But even the worst cases can be treated. Modern medicine may provide some comfortable for patients operational techniques. For example, miniflebektomiya which can be done without cuts and endoscopy which allows to do operation during one day.
Prevention
- Take a contrast shower.
- Don’t use often saunas, solarium, steam bath, hot tubs.
- Carry convenient footwear on a heel less than 4 cm (on high hairpins the gastrocnemius muscle doesn’t reduce fully, stagnation arises in joints, posture changes and center of gravity displaces which causes varicosity).
Vascular surgeons work with varicosity. Entrust them for solving all of your problems!
