Prevention of varicose veins of the legs

It is necessary to begin prevention of varicose veins of the legs when the first signs of dilation of the vessel walls are detected. If the therapy is neglected, the disease will continue to develop, which will lead to serious complications. Lifestyle changes are essential to prevent the development of varicose veins. The patient needs to balance his daily life, to reconsider his wardrobe and food system. Next we will tell you about all the methods to prevent varicose veins.

Causes of varicose veins

Prevention of varicose veins affects all people, ie every person is exposed to negative factors that provoke the development of the disease. In the first place among them is the lack of physical activity. Most modern people spend 80% of their time in the office. Being in a sitting position adversely affects the functioning of the muscular system. That is why people who are thinking about how to protect their legs from varicose veins are obliged to include daily gymnastics in their schedule. The reasons for the development of the disease include:

• abuse of fatty and sweet foods;
• significant overweight;
• serious leg injuries;
• bad habits;
• taking hormonal drugs;
• excessive strain on the legs.

Before you start preventing varicose veins in your legs, you need to determine the degree of risk of developing the disease. There are certain groups of people who are most likely to experience this disease. They should visit a phlebologist 1-2 times a year to prevent varicose veins.

The most vulnerable groups of people

Prevention of varicose veins begins with determining whether you are a person prone to the development of this pathology or not. Only a phlebologist can answer this question right after assessing the condition of the veins, but you can try to classify yourself. The following people are at high risk of developing varicose veins:

• with a hereditary predisposition to vascular diseases;
• women who have given birth and are pregnant;
• persons engaged in hard physical labor and standing on their feet almost all day;
• women who constantly wear high heels;
• lovers of spicy and overly salty foods;
• alcohol abusers;
• people who like to take very hot baths go to the sauna;
• women with dyshormonal disorders;
• persons suffering from increased swelling of the legs.

How to prevent varicose veins

How to avoid varicose veins by 100%, doctors will not be able to say, becausethere is no such way. You can follow all the recommendations of doctors, but you still face this disease. On the other hand, the application of preventive measures contributes to the normalization of body functions and blood flow, which significantly slows the development of the disease. The most effective means of preventing the progression of varicose veins are:

• physical education;
• wearing comfortable shoes;
• balanced diet;
• normalization of body weight;
• Gymnastics;
• wearing compression stockings;
• performing foot massage;
• choice of work with more normal working conditions.

Of course, not all recommendations can be immediately applied in practice, but everyone can eat less fatty foods and exercise for 20 minutes a day. Do not be too fanatical in terms of disease prevention, so the pursuit of improving the condition of blood vessels, you can seriously harm yourself.

Moderate activity

Working with free weights and very intense physical activity will not be able to help fight varicose veins. On the contrary, they provoke the destruction of the valves and the stretching of the vessel walls. Prevention of varicose veins involves performing specialized exercises that normalize blood flow. Classes should be held at a strong pace and not cause you pain. Sports methods for the prevention of varicose veins include:

• aqua aerobics and swimming;
• competitive walking;
• easy running;
• stretching.

Quality shoes

To prevent varicose veins, many doctors recommend wearing orthopedic insoles. They contribute to an even distribution of the load when walking. An important aspect is the shoes themselves. To prevent varicose veins at home, you can wear sneakers with footrests. The type of insole and the height of the rise should be chosen by the doctor. Purchased shoes must meet the following characteristics:

1. Do not have a flat sole and heel height of more than 6 cm.
2. Sit well on your feet. Loose-fitting shoes increase the likelihood of injuring your ankle, and pushing down will result in poor circulation.
3. The sole / heel must be stable. Even summer shoes should have a non-slip coating.

Appropriate work

When it comes to preventing varicose veins in the legs, doctors recommend normalizing work and rest. For many patients, this is due to a change of job or specialization. Not everyone agrees to take such a radical step, but if you are now working, then when choosing a new job, try to take into account the following recommendations:

1. Work should not be associated with hard physical labor.
2. You cannot stay in one position for 7-8 hours. Look for companies where employees have the right to get up every 2-3 hours and are allowed to do light warm-ups.

In principle, any work can be done appropriately by heating every hour. If you do not want to change the field of activity or specialty, then you can simply engage in physical education in the workplace. The main thing is not to allow an increase in blood in the lower legs caused by the immobility of the lower leg.

Healthy diet

If you have thoughts on how to avoid varicose veins in your legs, then pay attention to your diet. People who abuse fatty, salty and very sweet foods are more likely to suffer from this disease, as they are more likely to experience high cholesterol and overweight. To normalize the work of the intestines, you need to eat a lot of vegetables with fiber. If you have not eaten raw carrots or cabbage so far, then you should not consume them immediately in pounds. It is enough to eat 300 grams of such vegetables a day.

People with a tendency to varicose veins should take care to maintain water balance. At least 1, 5 liters of clean water should be consumed per day. Juices, soups, teas are not included in this norm. They are perceived by the body as food, so they are quickly excreted by the kidneys and intestines. It is not desirable to use still water. If you are prone to varicose veins, carbonated and sweet drinks will need to be excluded. A similar rule applies to beverages high in caffeine.

Normalize weight

Maintaining a normal body mass index is important for the prevention of varicose veins. Simple physics works here. The more weight a person has, the stronger the pressure on the vessels. Of course, you need to compare body weight with muscle volume, height and your own physique. At the same height, the difference in weight of the mesomorph and ectomorph can reach 15 kg.

If you decide that the amount of fat in your body predominates over muscle, reduce the calories in your daily diet. This approach will allow you to lose weight without feeling a strong desire for food. If you change your diet drastically, it will lead to breakdowns and re-accumulation of mass. To reduce calories in your daily diet, you need to include more vegetables that contain fiber. They will not only help you lose weight, but will also help you normalize digestion.

Rejection of bad habits

Prevention of varicose veins in the legs affects all areas of human life. Bad habits are also on this list. Smoking, alcohol and the tendency to overeat have a detrimental effect on blood vessels. This includes a state of constant stress. Although it is relatively easy to deal with overeating, a strong addiction to alcohol and smoking requires medical attention. Hobbies or group therapy can help relieve stress.

Unloading gymnastics

To prevent varicose veins in the legs, it is imperative to perform exercises that help relieve excessive tension from the muscles of the lower extremities. The maximum duration of such training is 5-10 minutes. Doctors recommend doing them at least once a day, but preferably twice a day. The following physical activities are considered useful:

• Bicycle ergometer. Lie on a hard surface, lift your legs, and then begin to make movements similar to riding a bicycle. If you can't immediately interact with your legs one by one, just take turns pulling them toward your body.

• Flexion / extension of the foot. The exercise is performed in a sitting position. It is necessary to perform 20 movements with each leg.

• Rollers from heel to toe. They contribute well to the dispersal of blood if a person has been in a sitting position for a long time.

• Get up to your toes. First, the actions are performed simultaneously with two legs, and then sequentially. At the highest point you should hold for 10-15 seconds and then descend to the starting position.

Foot massage

If you are not sure how to prevent varicose veins on your legs, try a gentle massage. In itself, the reflex effect on the skin and blood vessels has a tonic effect on the whole body. Due to short manipulations the blood and lymph flow increases, the nutrition of the epithelium is normalized. The foot massage can be performed independently or entrusted to a specialist. In case of predisposition to varicose veins during the procedures, squeezing and pinching movements should be avoided. The self-massage is performed as follows:

1. The patient should sit on the floor or on a bed / sofa, slightly bending the knee.
2. Rubbing movements should be performed from the toes to the lower leg.
3. The foot should be wrapped around the toes so that the toe is at the back of the foot and everyone else is on the inside.
4. The segment wrapped around your arms should be pressed lightly, moving slowly toward your upper leg.
5. The side surface of the heel should be wrapped with toes on both sides and then pressed for a few seconds. Then you need to move up from the Achilles tendon to the knee.
6. The procedure ends with stroking the feet.

Compression clothing

The means for the prevention of varicose veins are different. Compression therapy is also one of them. If you wish, you can attend specialized physiotherapy procedures when the pressure is performed with specialized devices, but it is easier to buy medical socks and tights.

Compression knitwear must be chosen individually. In the absence of predisposition, it is sufficient to wear underwear with an initial degree of compression. If you have symptoms of varicose veins, then the doctor should decide on the jersey. The recommendations for choosing medical underwear are as follows:

1. It should be comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable during the first installation, then this underwear is not suitable for you.
2. The compression class should be in accordance with the doctor's recommendations. If you have been told to wear first-class compression stockings, then you cannot buy knee-high socks with zero grade.
3. The products must be of high quality. It is better to buy compression stockings in specialty stores, rather than on the market or any sales, as it is very likely that you will encounter a counterfeit, which over time will stretch and cease to have a therapeutic effect on the legs.

Additional recommendations

Measures for the prevention of varicose veins include the use of specialized external cosmetic products (gels, creams, etc. ). They cool the surface of the feet, which contributes to the natural contraction of blood vessels. People with a tendency to varicose veins in the legs should avoid overloading the muscles of the lower extremities. Hygiene is important to prevent the onset of the disease. It is recommended not only to thoroughly clean the skin of the feet, but also to take a contrast shower. It also has a local irritating effect on blood vessels, which improves skin tone.

How to stop varicose veins

Prevention and treatment of varicose veins are closely related. The spread of the disease can be stopped in the early stages with the help of medication and alternative therapy, but in rapidly progressing disease, only surgery can help. A phlebologist should develop a treatment plan for a patient with varicose veins. It is impossible to choose medicines on your own and to engage in any oriental practices. Any rash can worsen the condition of the blood vessels.

Drug therapy

Medications are able to stop the development of varicose veins in the initial stage. As a rule, the disease begins to form because the vessels do not have enough nutrients to keep the walls elastic. In this case, there is often an increased accumulation of blood in the limbs. Venotonics / phlebotonics - drugs that improve the outflow of fluid from the legs. They also help to restore the vessel walls. They are:

• natural;
• combined;
• synthetic;
• based on rutoside.

At high blood viscosity, patients are prescribed drugs with heparin. They help improve blood flow, but are contraindicated in people with a tendency to bleed.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help to reduce the pain in the second stage of varicose veins. They also help relieve the itching and burning sensation that often accompanies this disease. External means promote skin healing. The duration of medication should be determined by your doctor, but often the standard course of treatment is 6-8 months, so you should not expect that all symptoms of the disease will disappear within 2 weeks after taking the medication.

Traditional therapy

In the initial stages, the disease is not considered life-threatening, but it should also not be allowed to be carried. Sclerotherapy is a traditional minimally invasive method to prevent further development of varicose veins. Can be used to remove asterisks and small vessels. Traditional therapy includes:

• echosclerotherapy;
• microsclerotherapy;
• thermocoagulation;
• electromagnetotherapy;
• darsonvalization;
• electrical stimulation;
• manual lymphatic drainage;
• the use of elastic compression of the legs;
• hydrotherapy;
• balneotherapy;
• pressure therapy.

All these techniques help prevent further development of the disease. They activate the natural process of vascular regeneration.

Unconventional methods

You can improve the condition of your feet with the help of mud therapy. The patient must remember that the membranes should only be cold. Heating the veins with varicose veins is very harmful to the body. Ayurveda helps to get rid of chronic stress, which provokes dilation of blood vessels. This is one of the varieties of alternative medicine built on the Hindu philosophical system. Various plants are used there as medicines. Non-traditional methods of treating varicose veins include:

• yoga;
• homeopathy;
• naturopathy;
• Tibetan gymnastics.

Surgery

In varicose veins of the lower extremities, the most effective way to normalize blood flow is specialized surgery. The perfect methods for surgical treatment of the disease are characterized by minimal invasiveness and rapid return of the patient to normal vital activity. They allow you to completely get rid of the affected veins, which slows down the development of the disease. Modern methods of surgical treatment of varicose veins include:

• short stripping;
• video endoscopic surgery;
• microphlebectomy;
• laser coagulation;
• venectomy;
• safectomy.

These methods are most commonly used to treat varicose veins. The method of surgery to remove the vessel is chosen by the doctor based on the size of the vein and its general condition. Sometimes it is necessary to cut only part of the vessel, and sometimes it is necessary to completely eliminate it and create an alternative channel for blood flow.

Folk method

Folk remedies that improve the condition of the veins are divided into external and internal. If you are not sure that the reason for the development of varicose veins is the large number of platelets, the use of various tinctures should be postponed, becausecontain decoctions of plants that help thin the blood. Effective external remedies for varicose veins:

• Coniferous salt baths. 300 grams of dry matter is added to hot water and then immersed there. If pine salt is not sold in your area, you can replace baking soda. It is recommended to take such baths 2-3 times a week.
• Apple cider vinegar compresses. The product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 1 and then applied to the skin. The top of the leg is wrapped with bandages and then everything is fixed with plastic wrap. You can just apply apple cider vinegar 2-3 times a day. Irritating to veins.

• Rubbing with horse chestnut. Ready-made tincture based on this plant can be purchased at a pharmacy or you can prepare it yourself. In the latter case, you will need nuts with the skin of the plant. 400 grams of dry product is poured with 1, 5 liters of vodka and then infused for a week in a dark place. Once the tincture is ready, they begin to wipe the parts of the legs damaged by varicose veins.

Prevention forecast

In women with a low susceptibility to the development of the disease, during the prevention of varicose veins of the legs, it develops in only 5% of cases. The disease is mild, so it can be treated quickly. With a moderate susceptibility to the disease, the disease occurs in 30% of patients. More often it is a mild to moderate form of the disease. With a pronounced tendency to varicose veins, the disease quickly progresses to a moderate form. Without prophylaxis, the disease quickly becomes severe, which significantly complicates further treatment.

Clinical examination of the population

All citizens can undergo a free medical examination. In principle, not all medical examinations are important, only the visit to the surgeon and the results of a general blood test. The surgeon may notice the first changes in the vessels and then refer you to a phlebologist. Also, you should be careful, if platelets predominate in the printout of a general blood test, you should visit a phlebologist. This may indicate vascular thrombosis.

How to avoid varicose veins during pregnancy

During childbirth, the load on a woman's internal organs increases significantly. During pregnancy, the risk of developing varicose veins of the legs, pelvis and external genitalia increases. The danger increases especially in the II and III trimester, when the fetus begins to grow actively. A phlebologist can tell you in detail how to prevent varicose veins in pregnant women. All preventive measures should begin with a consultation with him. Doctors recommend a woman in a position:

• wear comfortable shoes with low heels (completely flat soles are also harmful);
• try not to drink too much fluid;
• go to water aerobics for pregnant women;
• I put my feet up more often during the day;
• wear a compression and supportive leotard.

Why disease prevention is important

It is much easier to think about how to prevent varicose veins in the legs than to deal with the treatment of an already formed disease. Many people suffering from this disease have a genetic predisposition to its development. The main purpose of preventive measures is to maintain the normal state of the court. This can be done in different ways. All preventive measures can be divided into 2 types:

• targeted at people with a hereditary predisposition to the disease or facing unfavorable working conditions;
• aimed at patients suffering from any stage of varicose veins.

Approximately 80% of phlebologists believe that preventing the disease is much easier than treating it, so all conscientious citizens should spend at least 10-20 minutes a day caring for their feet.