Varicose veins of the lower extremities is a chronic disease, which is expressed in a violation of the mechanism of blood outflow in the veins. Because of this, the venous walls are under constant pressure, gradually become thinner, and nodular enlargements form on the veins.
As a result of stagnation of blood 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 sinuous and take on a bluish tint. There are severe aching pains in the legs.
Varicose disease progresses without treatment, complicated by thrombophlebitis and trophic ulcers. Treatment of varicose veins should be started at the first symptoms in order to prevent the development of the disease.
First of all, for the treatment of varicose veins in the legs, doctors use conservative methods. If those do not bring results, then they resort to surgical treatment.
Physiotherapy treatment
In how to treat varicose veins on the legs, a significant place is given to methods of physiotherapy. The main ones are as follows:
- Electrophoresis;
- Lymphatic drainage;
- Hyperbaric oxygenation;
- Galvanization;
- Magnetotherapy;
- Darsonvalization;
- Exposure to ultraviolet light;
- UHF and others.
The most popular procedure is darsonvalization. It is carried out with a special apparatus that generates weak electrical discharges. Moving it along the legs from bottom to top for 15 minutes for each limb. The course of treatment for varicose veins is about 20 sessions (depending on the degree of development of the disease). As a result, the vascular tone returns to normal, the lymph outflow and microcirculation in the legs improves.
Pulse magnetotherapy is carried out using a generator of magnetic fields, which induce 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 extremities, 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 kind of massage. A device resembling a boot is put on the patient's leg. It is pressurized by the gas supply. However, the method should be discarded for those patients with varicose veins who have a tendency to thrombosis.
Balneotherapy is an effective method of treating varicose veins on the leg, which consists in conducting baths with mineral waters. Baths themselves are appointed local or general. Hydrotherapy is a contrasting local bath. These methods are especially effective in the early stages of the disease. Manifestations of varicose veins to treat these methods at this stage is quite effective.
Oxygenation
In addition to local physiotherapy procedures, others are also carried out that affect the entire body as a whole. For example, bubble bath oxygen improves blood circulation, relieving the symptoms of leg varicose veins. Hyperbaric oxygenation is helpful. During the session, the patient inhales pure oxygen at a pressure of more than one and a half atmospheres.
Ozone therapy is related to this method. Inhalation of ozone activates many processes in the patient's body: microcirculation improves, metabolism normalizes, and regeneration is accelerated. In therapeutic doses, ozone also prevents thrombus formation, slightly thinns 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. Physiotherapeutic procedures should be prescribed by a phlebologist.
Drug treatment
Medication in how to defeat varicose veins on the legs is of secondary importance. They are the key to successful treatment and high efficiency of the main method. Medicines are prescribed during physiotherapy and other methods of conservative treatment, and after surgery.
There are many drugs for the treatment of varicose veins. They can be used in combination or separately. A phlebologist should appoint a suitable one. All medicines can be divided into several groups:
- Phlebotonics;
- Anticoagulants;
- Decongestants;
- Disaggregants;
- Antioxidants
- Fibrinolytics.
Phlebotonics allow you to increase the tone of the walls of blood vessels and veins, and therefore are effective in how to treat varicose veins on the leg. The walls become stronger and denser. The effect of treatment by other methods is fixed. The blood circulation in the legs improves, the lymphatic outflow improves. They are prescribed for preparation for surgery and as rehabilitation after it, relief of inflammation in the vein with varicose veins.
Anticoagulants are drugs that work to reduce the ability of the blood to clot. This prevents the formation of blood clots, which is of great importance for varicose veins of the leg. They can be taken as 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. In the form of tablets, diuretics are mainly used. Such drugs significantly reduce the soreness 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, however, do not belong to anticoagulants. They stop the clotting process only at the earliest stages, and therefore do not belong to anticoagulants. They do not have a significant effect on the indicators of general coagulation. When used as an additional 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 is strengthened. As a result, the cure for varicose veins of the leg is much faster.
Fibrinolytics prevent blood clots. This is due to the destruction of fibrin, which is part of the blood clot. The use of a drug from this group allows blood plasminogen (an inactive protein) to take the form of plasmin, which causes the destruction of a blood clot. However, taking this drug does not prevent further thrombosis with varicose veins.
The pharmaceutical company has developed a whole series of drugs that combine the properties of several described groups. Such drugs should be prescribed by a doctor and taken strictly under his supervision. This is due to the fact that they have quite a few side effects.
The use of drugs for varicose veins on the legs cannot be the only measure. They are prescribed in combination with other treatments.
Laser therapy
This is an effective way to treat varicose veins of the legs. The principle of operation of the laser in this disease lies in 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 a spasm of these walls. The advantage of such an impact is its accuracy. It affects only certain tissues, without affecting the surrounding ones in any way.
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 be produced by deeper veins. In the "non-working" part of the vessel, connective tissue is formed, which will dissolve over time.
The advantage of this method of getting rid of varicose veins is its minimal trauma. Patients experience no discomfort or soreness after the intervention. In addition, there are other advantages:
- The method does not require skin incisions, unlike surgery. Thus, 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 surgical intervention, 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, nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that after it the patient does not need to go through a period of rehabilitation and stay on sick leave for a long time, or spend money on recovery.
Many diseases can be cured with the laser. It has become a good alternative to many types of procedures. Minimal trauma, painlessness and efficiency - all this makes laser treatment preferable in many situations.
Sclerotherapy
Sclerotherapy is a popular method of treating varicose veins on the legs, which is sometimes referred to as physiotherapy. Essentially, special drugs are injected into the veins. The method is non-traumatic and effective, and therefore it is popular. This method is sometimes comparable in its effectiveness to a laser and even surgical intervention. After such a procedure, the walls of the vessel are glued and strengthened, due to which it is possible to defeat varicose veins of the legs. And the drug is absorbed in the body.
The main advantage of the method of getting rid of the disease is the absence of scars and bruises after the procedure. It is also important that it is not too painful and that it can be performed under local anesthesia. After the procedure, the integrity of the circulatory system is not violated, because 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 relapses of the disease, when the veins are fragile and twisted.
The method has a number of contraindications. First of all, this is pregnancy and lactation. Serious diseases of the cardiovascular system, diabetes mellitus, chronic liver and kidney diseases, allergies - all this will also become a contraindication to the use of sclerotherapy, it is better to think about how to cure varicose veins of the legs differently.
If the doctor prescribes sclerotherapy, then he should be notified of possible contraindications. When a patient has chronic diseases of any nature, then the possibility of using sclerotherapy remains questionable.
Surgery
Surgery is a traumatic and painful way to effectively treat severe varicose veins of the legs. However, only its efficiency reaches 100%. In addition, it sometimes takes significantly less time than any other. Of the minuses, one can name large scars and scars, a long rehabilitation period. There are several types of surgical intervention:
- Stripping involves removing a section of a 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 turns inside out, as it were, and it becomes easy to remove it;
- Phlebectomy is a traditional surgical method for treating varicose veins, which involves cutting the tissue with a scalpel. It is carried out both when minimally invasive intervention is impossible, for example, when large areas are affected or severe inflammation is present, and for other indications;
- Microflebectomy is considered a minimally invasive procedure. Helps to treat varicose veins effectively. By the type of execution, it is similar to the previous method, only the incisions in the skin are made very small. Thus, it is less traumatic. It can be performed when the lesion is not so severe and it is not necessary to remove a large section of the vein.
This method has a number of both indications and contraindications. So, pregnant women and those who have recently given birth cannot be interfered with. After giving birth, you must wait at least a month and a half. In the early stages of varicose veins, you should also not use this method.
Surgical intervention is not a guarantee of the absence of recurrence of varicose veins on the leg. You should be careful about your health.
Many methods of how to cure varicose veins on the legs allow the doctor to choose the best one for each specific case. However, the more the disease is started, the more radical method will have to be chosen. Therefore, you should not delay contacting a doctor if you observe the first symptoms of varicose veins on your leg.