Physical pain is an unpleasant and multifaceted sensation. The presence of a pain factor signals that there is a problem in the body. By localization and description of what kind of pain the patient is experiencing, the specialist will be able to identify their source and cause. If there is a suspicion of the presence of varicose veins, then for an accurate differentiation of the problem, general clinical studies (blood, urine) and, probably, instrumental examinations will be required.
But in order to independently determine the presence of a problem and come with it to a specialist, it is important to highlight it against the background of usual fatigue or malaise. What kind of pain does a person experience with varicose veins? What is their specificity? And what treatment is possible in this case? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.
Pain in the legs with varicose veins: symptoms and causes
Pain with varicose veins is not the only manifestation of this disease, but it causes serious discomfort. How severe are leg pains with varicose veins? Of course, there are differences in individual thresholds of sensitivity, but the intensity of most pain syndromes is due to the peculiarities of the actual pathological process.
Expert opinion
Pain in the legs with varicose veins includes a wide range of unpleasant feelings: aches, spasms, cramps, burning, distention and pressure along the venous bed. They are of a sudden, aching and throbbing character.
As a rule, the pain syndrome is felt less or more acutely depending on the position of the body, whether it is burdened with any load at the moment or not. Pain also has such a characteristic as time dependence. This means that with the arrival of a certain time of day, the pain syndrome begins to intensify. So, severe pain with varicose veins occurs starting in the second half of the day. Varicose veins of the uterus and varicose veins of the small pelvis, in which severe aching pains are often felt in the lower abdomen, also have a similar dependence on time.
An insidious disease like varicose veins covers the entire limb and can create pain in the joints of the lower leg, calf muscle and popliteal cavity. The person experiences the most acute unpleasant sensations in the area of the neurovascular formations. In the area where the vascular bundle lies more superficially, edema of the legs may additionally occur. This is another sign that varicose veins are progressing, and there is already a violation of lymph outflow. Does swelling make your leg pain worse? Of course yes. Puffiness, formed as a result of disorders in the venous system of the lower extremities, is characterized by compaction over the affected vessel and even a local increase in temperature. The combination of such signs as pain in the vein and its deformation, persistent, persistent edema and trophic changes indicates stage II varicose veins. This stage is considered an advanced form of the disease. To prevent this, it is important to know the provoking factors of this vascular disease and its exact symptoms.
The presence of even one of the following symptoms should alert and prompt you to seek medical advice:
- a feeling of heaviness in the legs and a feeling of muscle weakness;
- tingling and burning along the veins;
- feeling of internal pressure or "bloating";
- the appearance of telangiectasias and an increase in the venous pattern;
- bulge of deformed veins;
- trophic skin changes;
- long non-healing wounds on the legs;
- edematous phenomena;
- numbness of the lower extremities;
- leg muscle cramps;
- pain syndrome.
No disease occurs by itself. There are definitely factors that can be called provocative. Varicose veins are no exception, so its appearance can be caused by:
- hereditary predisposition;
- congenital weakness of connective tissue and vascular walls;
- inactive lifestyle and static sports;
- excessive physical activity;
- forced prolonged standing or sitting (for example, at work);
- inappropriate nutrition and overweight;
- the presence of bad habits;
- pregnancy and childbirth;
- hormonal imbalance;
- soft tissue injuries;
- surgical intervention;
- liver disease.
Based on the presence of these factors in a person, he is included in the risk group for the development of vascular pathology. How to minimize the risk of developing the disease? What can you do if you start to experience pain in your legs? How and how to relieve or reduce pain in the leg with varicose veins? How to help yourself to alleviate the symptoms of varicose veins and how to treat blood vessels, further in our article.
Leg pain with varicose veins: prevention and treatment
Before starting to engage in the prevention and treatment of vascular disease, it is worthwhile to understand a little about why there are pains in the legs with varicose veins? Pain in the legs with varicose veins occurs due to the fact that an irreversible pathological process occurs in the veins, under the influence of which they stretch and deform, blood circulation is disturbed and venous stasis occurs. Therefore, preventive measures and treatment will be aimed at strengthening the walls of the veins, and not exclusively at getting rid of pain. With varicose veins, the legs require special care and attention. What should be done when the first signs of the development of pathology begin to appear?
The very first thing to do when something hurts is to see a doctor.
If, after a series of manipulations, a specialist finds out that pain is caused by varicose veins, then the appropriate treatment will be selected. It will help get rid of the manifestations of varicose veins and improve the quality of life, because varicose veins are not a sentence.
In the treatment of absolutely any disease, in the first place is the recommendation to change the lifestyle. It is simply impossible to be a healthy person with a passive lifestyle, bad habits, imbalance in the daily routine, improper diet. Therefore, the first step that will help eliminate pain in the legs with varicose veins will be a qualitative change and the formation of a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to bring harmony to the mode of work and rest. Labor should not be associated with excessive physical and mental stress. Rest should include a full, healthy night's sleep. Free time should be spent actively - staying in the fresh air and playing sports. The latter include swimming, race walking, aerobics. Any non-hitting and not overloaded with powerful physical activity classes.
Expert opinion
In order for the venous walls to be strong and elastic, it is important to eat properly. Here, depending on the stage of the disease and its dynamics, the specialist can offer a therapeutic diet. The main principle on which it is built is balance. The diet should include foods enriched with vitamins, fiber, plant fibers, flavonoids, etc. It is useful to eat lean chicken or beef meat, as well as lean white fish, berries and fruits with vitamin C, dried fruits (raisins, dates), almost allvegetables, nuts and legumes, cereals, as well as natural non-carbonated drinks. It is necessary to exclude fried, salty, smoked and spicy.
If, for any reason, an additional source of nutrients is required, a specialist will prescribe it - a complex of venotonic vitamins and plant extracts, acting simultaneously in several directions, due to the content of active natural components in its composition. Taking this remedy, you can strengthen and cleanse the walls of venous vessels, improve blood circulation, reduce capillary permeability and fragility.
Further, depending on which specialist determines the stage of the disease, it will also depend on how the disease will be treated - conservative or radical.
Conservative treatments include:
- taking medications;
- the use of external products;
- physiotherapy;
- wearing medical compression hosiery.
The use of drugs will stop the damage to the venous bed, control the level of blood viscosity and the formation of blood clots, and will also have an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect. Taking medications in combination with the use of local remedies will increase the positive effect on the veins. You can use an ointment or cream for pain with varicose veins not only for treatment, but also for prevention. The action will depend on the composition of the product. The components included in it can be both synthetic and natural. Products with a synthetic composition are used not only to eliminate swelling, fatigue and pain, but also to recover from vein surgery. Varicose veins in its initial stages, during pregnancy or being at risk can be resisted using products with a natural composition. Their effectiveness is directly related to the active natural ingredients included in the composition. Foot cream with extracts of chestnut, green tea and ginkgo biloba has a venotonic effect, which will help eliminate pain in the legs with varicose veins. Thanks to the use of this cream, you can relieve inflammation and pain syndrome, as well as improve the appearance of the skin.
Medical gymnastics will make an important contribution to the improvement of the venous system.
Daily exercise, no more difficult than morning exercises, will help remove the unpleasant sensations of numbness in the limbs, cramps and feelings of heaviness. The set of exercises is selected individually, taking into account the possibilities and the situation. At home, the most popular are "Bicycle", "Scissors" and a stand on the shoulder blades. In an office environment, sitting at a desk, you can also stretch your legs by simply rotating your feet, bending and unbending your toes.
To improve blood circulation, relieve unpleasant symptoms such as swelling and pain, daily wearing of compression hosiery is recommended. The type of product and the degree of its compression are selected taking into account the dynamics of the disease.
The radical therapy includes invasive and minimally invasive methods. Specialists try to resort to them last, in cases where conservative treatment does not help or the situation is assessed as difficult.
Take care of your health!