As a fairly common disease of the veins and arteries, varicose veins are accompanied by characteristic manifestations that allow for timely diagnosis of the disease and prevent its worsening. There are certain stages of varicose veins, which are accompanied by certain symptoms and can become indicators for both the neglect of the pathological process and the ability to identify current changes.
Today, however, phlebologists do not have a consensus on the isolation of the stages of the disease, as the discharge of manifestations and their characteristic course are not constant values: each case has its own characteristics of the manifestation and course of this disease, but against the background of parallel current lesions of the body. , there is a high probability of lubrication manifestations that may interfere with the correct diagnosis.
The main parameters for determining the stage of varicose veins
The stages of varicose veins are usually formed depending on the set of certain manifestations that characterize the degree of neglect of the current pathological process, as well as their effect on the patient's body as a whole. Classification of the manifestation of this disease is the simplest method for preliminary diagnosis and determination of the treatment regimen.
In order to determine the stage of this disease, a number of specific questions must be answered, which will make it possible to understand the existing symptoms and with their help to determine the degree of deterioration of the process, which largely determines the treatment options.
These issues include:
- the presence of characteristic manifestations of varicose veins and the degree of their manifestation;
- location and severity of symptoms;
- the presence of external manifestations of changes in the condition of the veins and large arteries;
- identification of concomitant manifestations that worsen the patient's condition.
However, even without a detailed diagnosis by a phlebologist, during an external examination of the patient it is possible to make a preliminary diagnosis, which will allow to draw a scheme of therapeutic effects and depending on the individual specific characteristics of the patient's body, the presence of currentcomorbidities and susceptibility to continued exposure make certain adjustments in treatment. During the diagnosis of the patient's condition it is important to determine what types of varicose veins appear, their location and the degree of neglect of the pathological process.
Varicose veins most often affect the lower extremities, as this is the area of the human body that receives the most significant strain. At the same time, not everyone is aware of this load on the legs and does not protect them even in the presence of a number of manifestations that signal the need for more careful treatment of limbs and veins. Therefore, in order to understand how the stages of varicose veins differ, it is necessary to get at least a general idea of the manifestations of this pathology, which is characterized by its severity and great dangers to the health of the legs and human body as a hole.
The specifics of the classification of varicose veins
The stages of varicose veins may differ in the shape and location of the ongoing pathological process in the veins. This approach is most convenient for understanding the degree of neglect of the disease, and also makes it possible to determine the cause of the occurrence, which will rather eliminate the current manifestations of this condition and the characteristic symptoms.
The types of varicose veins differ in several specific parameters. Using a specific classification allows you to determine the affiliation of an existing disease to a group, which facilitates further diagnosis and selection of a treatment system. The current classification according to the location of the main nodes of varicose veins is as follows:
- Varicose veins located in the superficial layer of the skin and deep veins, while the external manifestations are characterized by segmentation - changes in the condition of the veins are observed only in a certain area of the veins.
- Varicose veins of superficial and perforating veins, which is also noted in certain segments of the skin.
- Changes in the condition of the veins, in which varicose veins are diagnosed and pathological changes in the superficial veins in an unexpressed form, reflux.
- Varicose veins noted in the deep veins, the development of reflux.
The presence of reflux indicates the presence of a certain pathology, because in reflux the blood flows in the opposite direction. This phenomenon usually exacerbates the pathological process of changes in the veins, stimulating the deterioration of varicose veins, followed by covering an increasing area of veins and arteries. All types of varicose veins can have signs of reflux, which is already a defined pathology and requires medical intervention.
Understanding the severity of the disease allows for timely initiation of treatment, as even the initial stage of the process, which has a relatively small number of external manifestations, is dangerous to the health of the feet. Grade 1 varicose veins may be virtually asymptomatic, but this does not mean that there is no need to treat the disease.
External examination of the affected veins with altered veins will allow the specialist to roughly determine the probable cause of this disease. However, in order to clarify the diagnosis, it is necessary to undergo a full set of diagnostic procedures that will allow to determine the extent of the autologous process, as well as to adjust the intended therapeutic effect to obtain the most pronounced and lasting -lasting positive results. The classification will help to diagnose in accordance with the external manifestations of the disease, as well as to determine the system of therapeutic effects.
Classification according to the degree of deterioration
Today, the generally accepted method of classification should be considered as an option that divides the course of the disease into certain stages. Each of them has characteristic manifestations, with the onset of the next stage there is a greater degree and severity of symptoms, a large spread of the affected area.
The classification of the disease, which is carried out according to the degree of neglect, is as follows:
- early stage of varicose veins - in the initial stage of the pathological process there is a gradual accumulation of characteristic manifestations of the disease, which are not always noted by the patient. This stage is often called latent: a person can write off the unpleasant sensations after a whole day spent on his feet for elementary fatigue, the presence of any overweight. However, if we add to the listed factors the waiting period for the child, heredity (if there is at least one close relative with existing varicose veins, one can safely assume one's own tendency to develop this disease in oneself), then one can ignore the manifestations for a long time. pathological changes in the veins of the lower. extremities;
- the first stage is already characterized by such manifestations as periodic numbness of the legs (especially with prolonged standing and standing), pain in certain parts of the legs, a feeling of tension in the legs and veins due to deterioration of the circulation, veinsat the same time, their tension expands greatly. Externally, the first stage of the disease is manifested in the appearance of small areas with visible veins and blood vessels, which can disturb the patient when pressing on such an area;
- Grade 2 varicose veins may have the following characteristic manifestations:
- the pain becomes more pronounced, increases by the end of the day;
- bruises and areas with altered veins and capillaries appear on the skin, which are visible even to the naked eye;
- the extent of the lesion increases, which is revealed by increasing the area of the lesion.
- grade 3 varicose veins are less treatable. All the characteristic symptoms worsen, the pain becomes more severe and the affected area covers most of the legs. The condition and color of the skin of the feet change: they acquire a darker shade, the skin itself becomes an unhealthy structure, increasingly resembling dead skin. At this stage, varicose veins almost always require surgery, as there is a high risk of developing and separating a blood clot from the vessel wall, which can clog the lumen of the vessel and lead to serious consequences in the form of a risk of limb amputation. The third stage is the most dangerous due to the high probability of concomitant adverse events during treatment.
In the second degree of this pathological process there is a strong heaviness in the legs, a feeling of rupture of the veins and skin, the so-calledGoiter swelling on the legs and in the knee area, which is not related to external factors. Grade 2 varicose veins are still treatable; in the later stages, the process of exacerbation of the disease proceeds at an ever faster pace and affects more and more areas of the lower extremities, while the treatment process is difficult and does not always give positive results;
There are also capillary varicose veins, in which small blood vessels receive load, the quality of blood circulation gradually deteriorates, there are characteristic signs in the form of increased limb fatigue, swelling of the affected tissues and discoloration of the skin at the site of the lesion.
Varicose veins have stages that gradually become more complex, while the method of treatment is determined by both the location of the lesion and the subjective manifestations of the disease. Anyone who has noted at least one of the signs of this dreaded disease should remember that the likelihood of the disease progressing in a short time to a deeper stage and significantly deteriorating the health of the lower extremities is high. Also, in the absence of the necessary treatment, the patient may become disabled - as medical statistics show, it takes an average of about 11 years from the onset of the first characteristic manifestations of the disease.
Why is treatment needed?
Varicose veins of the lower extremities or VBNK, accompanied by a gradual deterioration of blood circulation, the appearance of deeper symptoms, require an immediate medical response. When varicose veins of the lower extremities are detected, a more detailed diagnosis of the veins and blood vessels is performed, and the degree of neglect of the process is determined.
Lower limb disease needs treatment due to the rapid exacerbation of the ongoing pathological process affecting more and more areas. The likelihood of being disabled is high, especially in old age, when there is a general suppression of basic body functions and a reduction in the degree of resistance to disease. And in the presence of concomitant lesions, the treatment of varicose veins in the legs is even more difficult.
As the disease is characterized by different types (or stages), which differ in the degree of deterioration of the pathological process, treatment should be carried out in accordance with the results of the diagnosis, as well as taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism.