Varicose veins do not spare anyone; it can overtake a young girl or a mature man. There are many methods of dealing with this ailment, but, as with other diseases, complications can arise. There are several ways that you can prevent the development of the disease.
The causes of varicose veins on the legs
Varicose veins occur due to a malfunction of the vascular valves. With such a prolonged state, atrophy of muscle fibers develops, which are responsible for the direction of blood flow. Constant stagnation of blood provokes stretching of blood vessels, which leads to their fragility and fragility. The nutrition of the lower extremities is impaired, which entails many pathologies.
There are several provoking factors that cause varicose veins:
- overweight;
- passive lifestyle;
- heredity;
- chronic constipation;
- thrombophlebitis;
- smoking and alcoholism;
- diabetes;
- diseases of the cardiovascular system.
If you know these nuances, you can avoid the development of varicose veins. The risks should be taken into account and a healthy lifestyle should be maintained.
Interesting!
Sometimes varicose veins come unexpectedly and develop quickly. This is facilitated by the intake of hormonal agents that impair the quality of the blood, making it viscous, less fluid.
How to recognize varicose veins in time
This insidious pathology can be masked for a long time under the banal tiredness of the legs. Often, the disease gives external signs only at a late stage, which makes treatment difficult. Having shown vigilance, you can help yourself, it is enough to undergo an examination, even a preventive one. Modern methods allow detecting the disease at an early stage, as well as curing the veins in the legs, in the small pelvis. In this case, drug therapy will be sufficient.
First signs
The initial signals of varicose veins include:
- Fatigue, heaviness in the legs. They can appear when walking long distances. As the situation worsens, the person will feel these symptoms even at a short distance.
- Leg cramps. A common thing with varicose veins. Often the legs pull together at night with a prolonged position in one position.
- Telangiectasia.
- Swelling. They appear towards the end of the day.
Symptoms get worse as they progress. To them are added external defects - spider veins. Visually, you can assess the protruding nodules, discoloration of the lower leg. In this case, it is necessary to urgently treat the veins in the legs, otherwise conservative therapy will be powerless.
Stages of varicose veins on the legs
Officially, pathology has 4 stages of development. At the initial stage, there is a feeling of pain, heaviness, which disappears after rest or massage. Sometimes telangiectasias occur. At the second stage, the symptoms become more pronounced, external defects appear. There are pains, itching in the legs. At this stage, the doctor notes tissue pastiness and obvious edema.
The third stage of the disease leads to deformation and thickening of the veins. The pains become constant. At this point, blood clots and trophic ulcers may form, which are difficult to treat. The fourth stage of the disease cannot be treated with medication. In this case, surgical methods are used. The patient feels constant pain, heaviness, leg cramps. Externally, trophic ulcers with exudate appear. Concomitant complications associated with poor blood circulation appear, heart pathologies occur, and sleep is disturbed. Surgery is used to prevent death from thromboembolism.
Treatment of varicose veins with folk remedies
Such treatment is possible at any stage of the disease, but the benefit will be only at the 1st and 2nd stages of the development of pathology. You should not count on a good result with an advanced form of varicose veins. However, it is better to combine traditional methods of treating varicose veins with medicinal ones. You can treat varicose veins at home with improvised means, combining them with pharmaceutical preparations.
Attention!
Before using traditional methods of treating varicose veins, make sure that there is no hypersensitivity to the components used, herbs.
Apple cider vinegar treatment
Use special foot baths with the addition of this component. To do this, take 8-10 liters of cool water into the container and add 0. 5 liters of vinegar to it. The duration of such a foot bath should be no more than 8 minutes. The course reaches three months, after which you need to take a break. After such treatment, edema goes away, the normal color of the skin is restored, the vascular walls are strengthened.
Compresses are also used with apple cider vinegar. To do this, dilute acid with water in a ratio of 1: 4, dip a gauze napkin there, then apply it to the area affected by varicose veins. It is better to wrap such a compress in plastic. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour, after which the bandage is removed and any cream for the treatment of varicose veins is applied. The course of procedures is 1-2 weeks with the application of a compress every other day.
Clay treatment
For the procedure, use blue or green clay. It is diluted to the consistency of thick sour cream, then applied to a napkin, applied to the sore spot. The compress is kept up to an hour and a half. The procedure is carried out every other day for three months.
Acacia treatment
For this method, take dry crushed plant flowers, pour them 30 ml of alcohol or vodka. Then insist in a cool dark place for 10 days. After that, the tincture is filtered. With the help of such a tool, rubbing of the legs is carried out. After the procedure, it is necessary to keep the legs in an elevated state, so it is better to carry out this event at night. The duration of acacia therapy with daily use is 3 months.
Horse chestnut treatment
Before starting treatment, prepare a horse chestnut tincture. To do this, take raw materials and mix with alcohol in a ratio of 1: 3. After a week of infusion in a dark place, the tincture is filtered. Further used in the form of lotions. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour. The course of therapy is at least two months.
Tomato treatment
For this method, take green tomatoes becausethey are rich in salicylates, which have antiplatelet properties. The fruits are cut and applied to the sore spot, wrapping everything with gauze and polyethylene. It is best to leave the compress overnight. The course of treatment should not exceed three months.
Cabbage treatment
Cabbage leaves are rinsed with water and applied to sore spots, fixing with a bandage. The procedure is carried out within 5-6 hours daily for no more than 1 month. Thus, you can cure varicose veins at home or achieve remission.
Potato treatment
The potatoes are peeled and rubbed. The resulting gruel is squeezed out and applied to the sites of varicose veins. The top is fixed with a bandage and polyethylene. The procedure is carried out daily for one hour. The course of treatment is 2 months.
Treatment with honey and propolis
Honey and propolis have anti-inflammatory and blood-thinning properties. For the treatment of varicose veins, honey is used in the form of a compress. It is applied to the affected areas and wrapped in tissue. Such a device is left on the feet for two hours. The procedure is carried out every other day for two months.
In the form of a tincture for oral administration, beesworm is used. To do this, take a tablespoon of raw materials and mix with 200 ml of alcohol or vodka. Such a remedy is insisted in a dark place for three weeks, after which it is taken orally 20 drops three times a day.
Good to know!
Sometimes the method of stinging bees helps from varicose veins on the legs. But such procedures are carried out under the supervision of a specialist.
Nettle treatment
Use a decoction of nettle for oral administration. To prepare such a product, take 20 g of raw materials and pour 500 ml of water. The infusion is boiled in a water bath for 15 minutes, after which it is cooled, filtered and taken orally 1/3 cup three times a day. Phytotherapy course - 1 month.
Nutmeg treatment
This method involves preparing a decoction of walnuts. To do this, mix the crushed raw materials with water in a ratio of 1: 5 and take half a glass twice a day for a month.
Soap treatment
Only laundry soap is suitable for this method. It can be mixed with Vishnevsky's ointment in the proportion of 30 g of ointment per 1 piece of crushed soap. The composition is heated in a water bath until a homogeneous mass appears. The resulting gruel is applied to the affected areas of the body and covered with polyethylene. Such a compress is kept for 9-10 hours. The course is 10-20 procedures.
Calendula treatment
To prepare a decoction of calendula, take 2 tbsp. l. raw materials and pour them with 500 ml of boiling water, then boil over a fire for 15 minutes, cool and filter. Take 1/3 cup of the broth three times a day. The course of treatment depends on the severity of the disease.
Treatment with leeches
Hirudotherapy helps to thin blood clots, improve blood circulation and relieve heaviness in the legs. The procedure is carried out by a specialist, providing for sterility. 5-7 sessions are enough to improve your well-being.
Possible consequences of home therapy
There are times when home treatment is not only ineffective, but also dangerous for a person. For some contraindications, self-medication should be abandoned. These include advanced stages of the disease, thromboembolism, exacerbation of varicose veins with signs of seizures. Pregnant and lactating women should not get carried away with these methods.
If you ignore these contraindications, then unpleasant symptoms may occur:
- deterioration of the condition of the veins;
- allergy in any form;
- local burns;
- rupture of blood vessels.
Attention!
To avoid unpleasant symptoms, consult your doctor and get approval for such manipulations.
Ideally, it is better to visit a phlebologist at stages 1 and 2 of the development of varicose veins, but if you missed this moment and suspected the disease later, then you should not wait a minute. The later you discover the disease, the more difficulties will arise in its treatment.
If you do not feel any signs of illness, then undergo a preventive examination at least once a year. Pregnant women or people with vascular disease should monitor their vulnerable body more closely.
Getting rid of varicose veins by running
Running is not only possible, but also necessary, for people whose varicose veins have not reached stage 3 or 4. In this case, you need to be extremely careful, since the extra load will only aggravate the course of the disease. It is best to start by walking short distances, then increasing the distance and speed. When the body gets used to the stress, then you can move on to jogging.
It is impossible to treat varicose veins with running, however, you can stop the development of the disease and strengthen the vascular walls. Unfortunately, many begin to run from despair when varicose veins reach the late stages. In order not to start your body, go for small runs, if only for the sake of prevention.
Nutrition for varicose veins
Proper nutrition will not cure the disease, but it will help prevent complications and the development of pathology. First of all, you should forget about harmful products such as sausages, sausages, mayonnaise, egg yolks, pork, lamb, alcohol, cakes, pastries, chips, soda, fast food, flour. If you lean on such food, you will overtake not only varicose veins, but also diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis.
Enjoy light meals that are rich in vitamins and antioxidants. Remember that fruits and vegetables and at least 200 g of greens must be present in the daily diet. Recommended foods are: fish, any seafood, legumes, nuts, flaxseed oil, spinach, green vegetables. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and pomegranate juice. Try to steam or oven food, avoiding greasy ingredients.
The benefits of water treatments for varicose veins
Swimming will undoubtedly have a positive effect on vascular tone. The venous outflow will improve, the edema will go away. It is important to remember that warm or cool water is used for water procedures.
In the fight against varicose veins, a contrast shower has a good effect. Get used to this daily routine. Choose a small temperature range to start with, making the temperature more contrasting day by day. The procedure ends in cold water. At first, use a contrast shower for your feet only. In the future, you can go to the whole body or stop at pouring cool water. Such manipulation hardens the body better than drugs, invigorates the spirit and improves skin color.
It's important to know!
A contrast shower is not for everyone. If you have congenital heart disease, it is best to consult a specialist.
Compression underwear for varicose veins
Compression knitwear is an effective means of prevention in the early stages of the disease and worthy support of veins in the later stages of varicose veins. Stockings and tights of the first compression are prescribed for persons whose work is associated with a long stay on their feet. The product keeps the legs toned, preventing the stretching of the veins and the formation of edema. A tighter compression is used at 2-3 stages of varicose veins. Also, jersey can be prescribed during operations to prevent the separation of a blood clot during the intervention.
Modern stockings are not only useful for this disease, but also aesthetic. They look like nylon tights and outwardly do not at all pretend to be an orthopedic product. Of course, they are not able to cure the disease, but they can prevent the progression of the disease.
Prevention measures
Preventive measures involve an active lifestyle. Change transport to walking. If there is no time for walking, then pay attention to leg gymnastics during the working day. Try to warm up every 2 hours. Don't forget about the right shoes. Some boots and shoes contribute to improper walking, as a result of which trophism worsens.
Don't ignore proper nutrition. Eat healthy antioxidants daily. These include sour fruits, berries, green vegetables. Give up bad habits that provoke blood clots.
If your work greatly affects leg fatigue, then be sure to purchase compression hosiery to maintain the tone of the veins. And most importantly, consult a doctor in time for treatment. Do not forget about the effective treatment of varicose veins at home.
Reviews
- Woman, 57 years old. For 10 years I have been trying to treat varicose veins on my legs with the help of pills, but I do not notice any improvement, the disease only subsides for several months, after which it returns again. Recently, I have been practicing herbal medicine with acacia and horse chestnut and I feel a little better than before. I will try other methods as well.
- Male, 48 years old. I began to notice that there were symptoms of hemorrhoids, I ran to the doctor. He upset me that this is varicose veins of the lower extremities. He prescribed venotonics, suppositories and advised him to lead a more active lifestyle. I started swimming, and I want to say that hemorrhoids no longer bother me. Go in for sports friends!
- Woman, 38 years old. Varicose veins overtook me during pregnancy. I felt constant burning in my legs and pain. Gels and ointments saved a little, but for a short period of time. When I went to the orthopedic department for a maternity bandage, I was advised to use compression tights. It was they who became my salvation, and I still wear them now. I think that the treatment of varicose veins on the legs at home does not bear fruit.
Despite the possible treatment options for varicose veins, it still carries a considerable threat to humans. In neglected situations, there is only one way out - to go under the knife. Do not bring the pathology to a peak situation and visit a specialist on time.