Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a chronic disease that manifests itself in a violation of the mechanism of blood flow in the veins. Therefore, the venous walls are under constant pressure, gradually thinning, nodular dilatations are formed in the veins.
As a result of blood stasis in the veins of the lower extremities, varicose veins develop. It is manifested by swelling of the peripheral veins of the legs and their protrusion under the skin. The veins look curved and acquire a bluish tinge. There is severe pain in the legs.
The advanced disease proceeds without treatment, complicated by thrombophlebitis and trophic ulcers. Treatment of varicose veins should begin at the first symptoms to prevent the development of the disease.
First of all, to treat varicose veins in the legs, doctors use conservative methods. If they do not work, they resort to surgery.
Physiotherapeutic treatment
In how to treat varicose veins of the legs, a significant place is given to the methods of physiotherapy. The main ones are the following:
- Electrophoresis;
- Lymphatic drainage;
- Hyperbaric oxygenation;
- Galvanizing;
- Magnetic therapy;
- Darsonvalization;
- Exposure to ultraviolet light;
- UHF and others.
The most popular procedure is darsonvalization. It is performed with a special device that generates weak electric discharges. Move the legs from the bottom up for 15 minutes for each limb. The course of treatment of varicose veins is about 20 sessions (depending on the degree of development of the disease). As a result, vascular tone is normalized, lymph flow and microcirculation in the legs are improved.
Pulsed magnetic therapy is performed using a generator of magnetic fields that cause eddy electric currents in the tissues of the lower extremities, which have a therapeutic effect. As a result of this effect, the muscle fibers of the vascular walls in the legs are stimulated and toned. This improves blood circulation in the limbs, reduces swelling and reduces pain. Depending on the degree of development of varicose veins, the session lasts from 10 to 20 minutes.
Pneumatic compression also helps to restore the tone of veins and blood vessels through a type of massage. A shoe-like device is placed on the patient's foot. It is under pressure from the gas supply. However, the method should be discarded for those patients with varicose veins who are prone to thrombosis.
Balneotherapy is an effective method for the treatment of varicose veins of the legs, which consists of conducting baths with mineral water. The bathrooms themselves are designated as local or shared. Hydrotherapy is a contrasting local bath. These methods are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. The manifestations of varicose veins for the treatment of these methods at this stage are quite effective.
Oxygenation
In addition to local physiotherapy procedures, others are performed that affect the whole body. For example, the oxygen in the balloon bath improves blood circulation, relieving the symptoms of varicose veins in the legs. Hyperbaric oxidation is useful. During the session, the patient inhales pure oxygen at a pressure of more than one and a half atmospheres.
Ozone therapy is associated with this method. Inhalation of ozone activates many processes in the patient's body: microcirculation is improved, metabolism is normalized and regeneration is accelerated. In therapeutic doses, ozone also prevents the formation of blood clots, slightly dilutes the blood. The course of treatment of varicose veins with ozone is 5 - 10 procedures with an interval of 2 days between them.
Physiotherapy is especially effective in the early and middle stages of the disease. Physiotherapy procedures should be prescribed by a phlebologist.
Medication treatment
The cure for how to beat varicose veins in the legs is of secondary importance. They are the key to successful treatment and the high efficiency of the main method. The drugs are prescribed during physiotherapy and other methods of conservative treatment and after surgery.
There are many medications to treat varicose veins. They can be used in combination or separately. The phlebologist should appoint an appropriate one. All drugs can be divided into several groups:
- Phlebotonics;
- Anticoagulants;
- Decongestants;
- Disaggregants;
- Antioxidants
- Fibrinolytics.
Phlebotonics allows you to increase the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins and are therefore effective in the treatment of varicose veins of the legs. The walls become stronger and denser. The effect of treatment with other methods is fixed. Improves blood circulation in the legs, improves lymph flow. They are prescribed in preparation for surgery and as rehabilitation after it, relieving inflammation in the vein with varicose veins.
Anticoagulants are drugs that reduce the ability of the blood to clot. This prevents the formation of blood clots, which is of great importance for varicose veins in the legs. They can be taken in the form of pills or injections. Taking them without consulting a doctor is dangerous because they have a side effect - bleeding, which is difficult to stop.
Decongestants can be taken orally as pills or externally as gels and ointments. Diuretics are mainly used in the form of tablets. Such drugs significantly reduce the pain of the legs with varicose veins, as well as additional pressure on the walls of the veins. Their use improves blood circulation.
Disaggregants - drugs that also affect blood clotting, but do not belong to anticoagulants. They stop the clotting process only in the earliest stages and therefore do not belong to anticoagulants. They do not have a significant effect on the overall coagulation parameters. When used as adjunctive therapy for varicose veins, they have the same effect as anticoagulants.
Antioxidants work by detoxification. As a result of the restoration of chemical bonds in the cells, the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins increases. As a result, the cure for varicose veins in the legs is much faster.
Fibrinolytics prevent the formation of blood clots. This is due to the destruction of fibrin, which is part of the blood clot. The use of a medicine in this group allows the plasminogen in the blood (an inactive protein) to take the form of plasmin, which causes the blood clot to break down. However, taking this medicine does not prevent further thrombosis with varicose veins.
The pharmaceutical company has developed a series of drugs that combine the properties of several described groups. Such drugs should be prescribed by a doctor and taken under his strict supervision. This is due to the fact that they have a lot of side effects.
The use of drugs for varicose veins in the legs may not be the only measure. They are prescribed together with other treatments.
Laser therapy
This is an effective way to treat varicose veins in the legs. The principle of action of the laser in this disease is its effect on hemoglobin. Hemoglobin absorbs laser light and heat is generated in the blood. As a result, the damaged vessel is "sealed. " The laser also indirectly affects the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins because it causes spasm of these walls. The advantage of such an effect is its accuracy. It affects only certain tissues without affectingin no way surrounding.
After exposure to the laser, the movement of blood through the treated area will stop. The blood supply to this part of the limb will come from deeper veins. Connective tissue forms in the "non-functioning" part of the vessel, which will dissolve over time.
The advantage of this method of removing varicose veins is its minimal trauma. Patients do not experience discomfort or pain after the intervention. There are also other advantages:
- The method does not require skin incisions, unlike surgery. In this way, no scars remain after it. There are also no bruises after the procedure;
- The procedure is short and is performed under local anesthesia. In view of this, it is as safe as possible for health, in contrast to surgery, which is performed under general anesthesia;
- From a financial point of view, laser treatment of varicose veins is similar to surgery. Although it seems more expensive, it should be borne in mind that after that the patient does not have to go through a period of rehabilitation and stay for a long time on sick leave or spend money on recovery.
Many diseases can be cured with a laser. It has become a good alternative to many types of procedures. Minimal trauma, painlessness and effectiveness - all this makes laser treatment preferable in many situations.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a popular method of treating varicose veins in the legs, sometimes called physiotherapy. In essence, special drugs are injected into the veins. The method is non-traumatic and effective and therefore popular. This method is sometimes comparable in its effectiveness to laser and even surgery. After such a procedure, the walls of the vessel are glued and strengthened, which makes it possible to beat varicose veins in the legs. And the drug is absorbed into the body.
The main advantage of the method of eliminating the disease is the absence of scars and bruises after the procedure. It is also important that it is not too painful and can be performed under local anesthesia. After the procedure, the integrity of the circulatory system is not disturbed, as the veins are not removed. Such an intervention can be an ideal option both when it is dangerous to use surgical methods - with thrombophlebitis, periphlebitis, and in the treatment of recurrences of the disease, when the veins are fragile and twisted.
The method has a number of contraindications. First of all, it's pregnancy and breastfeeding. Serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes, chronic liver and kidney disease, allergies - all this will also become a contraindication to the use of sclerotherapy, it is better to think about how to treat varicose veins in different ways. .
If the doctor prescribes sclerotherapy, then he should be informed of possible contraindications. When the patient has chronic diseases of any nature, then the possibility of using sclerotherapy remains in question.
Surgery
Surgery is a traumatic and painful way to effectively treat severe varicose veins in the legs. However, only its efficiency reaches 100%. In addition, it sometimes takes significantly less time than any other. Of the disadvantages can be noted large scars and scars, a long period of rehabilitation. There are several types of surgery:
- Undressing involves removing a section of vein with a thin probe. It is injected at the beginning of the vein and withdrawn at the end. In this case, the area fixed on the probe is turned from the inside out and becomes easy to remove;
- Phlebectomy is a traditional surgical method for treating varicose veins that involves cutting the tissue with a scalpel. It is performed both in case of impossible minimally invasive intervention, for example, when significant areas are affected or there is strong inflammation, and for other indications;
- Microphlebectomy is considered a minimally invasive procedure. Helps to effectively treat varicose veins. In type of execution it is similar to the previous method, only the skin incisions are made very small. This makes it less traumatic. It can be performed when the lesion is not so severe and it is not necessary to remove a large part of the vein.
This method has a number of indications and contraindications. So pregnant women and those who have recently given birth cannot be involved. After birth, you must wait at least a month and a half. You should also not use this method in the early stages of varicose veins.
Surgery is no guarantee that there will be no recurrence of varicose veins in the leg. You have to take care of your health.
Many methods of curing varicose veins in the legs allow the doctor to choose the best for each case. The more the disease starts, the more radical method will have to be chosen. Therefore, you should not delay a visit to the doctor if you notice the first symptoms of varicose veins in the legs.