From the article you will learn that varicose veins are hereditary and there are reasons why the pathology appears in ordinary people.
What are varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are chronic deformations of veins, most commonly hereditary, associated with persistent dilation of the vascular lumen, reduced vascular tone, disruption of the valvular apparatus, impairment of local blood supply, pain syndromes, and persistent tissue spasm.
Where do dilated veins come from?
Normally, blood supplies oxygen to organs and tissues and removes carbon dioxide from them, flowing from the periphery to the heart against gravity.For this, an assistant is needed, namely the leg muscles, which can act as a pump and contract during exercise, thus raising the blood higher and higher.Venous valves play an equally important role by preventing fluid from flowing back and tightly blocking the lumen of the blood vessels.Blood flows through blood vessels in only one direction.
If the operation of the valve is disturbed for any reason, the vein gradually becomes deformed: blood overflows from the vessel, causing it to stretch and deform.As the pathology progresses, the altered venous areas develop trophic ulcers and blood clots.
Varicose veins in the legs are common in both women and men, affecting 50% of all vascular patients over the age of 18.At the same time, the number of patients with varicose veins is growing every year.The reason is the sedentary nature of occupational activities.
The main cause of varicose veins in men and women is an inherited weakness of the connective tissue that makes up the framework of the veins.Its failure results in loss of vascular tone, stretching and deformation of the vessel wall.If a parent has dilated veins under the skin, both children and grandchildren are at risk of developing varicose veins.The disease is inherited through the maternal line - a gene linked to the sex X chromosome that weakens vein walls.
Typical hormonal changes in women are important: menstruation, menopause, taking birth control pills, pregnancy, breastfeeding.Men are also susceptible to hormonal imbalances, but much less frequently and after age 40.A surge in female hormones: estrogen and progesterone - relaxes the vein walls, causing them to deform.
Another cause of varicose veins is standing for long periods of time or maintaining static positions.In this case, the vein valves open and the pressure within the blood vessels continues to increase.Also, the longer the legs, the higher the blood column in the blood vessels, which means a risk factor for developing varicose veins.
Being overweight is also detrimental to vascular health.Excess weight increases pressure on the veins in the legs, and fat deposits, especially in the abdominal area, interfere with the normal flow of blood.
Lack of physical activity can stimulate the formation of varicose veins in the lower limbs.Additionally, groups at risk for varicose veins include smokers, pregnant women, and patients with heart and blood vessel disease.Surgeons, teachers, cashiers, salespeople, drivers, programmers, flight attendants, and loaders all suffer from occupational varicose veins.
In addition, it is worth mentioning the effect of alcohol on veins.Of course, any alcohol will dilate the lumen of blood vessels, including red wine.In other words, this is another factor that triggers varicose veins.With regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, varicose veins are inevitable, it's just a matter of time.Also, if there is a genetic predisposition to venous insufficiency.There is no gender difference on this issue.
main symptoms of disease
The first symptoms of varicose veins appear in the early stages of the disease: the legs quickly begin to feel tired, swelling begins, pain in the veins, leg cramps at night, a feeling of heat and heaviness in the legs.
Sometimes the condition lasts for decades until the visual symptoms of venous insufficiency appear: mushy ankles and legs at night, itchy skin, and veins that protrude from the skin in a zigzag manner, are bluish in color, and are dense.Over time, trophic ulcers develop that are resistant to treatment.
Why are varicose veins dangerous?
In addition to disrupting nutrition, varicose veins can also lead to the development of thrombophlebitis - blood clots in the veins may detach from the vessel wall, block the arterial lumen, block the pulmonary blood vessels, and cause acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with fatal consequences.
Venous thrombosis – A blood clot blocking the lumen of a vein can cause severe pain, inability to move freely, and possibly tissue necrosis.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) - A dislodged blood clot blocks a pulmonary artery, causing death within half an hour.Small blood clots may cause pulmonary infarction and require resuscitation.The disease is accompanied by pneumonia and CHF.
Can varicose veins be cured?
Answer: Yes, but only through surgery.There are three modern methods to alleviate this problem: phlebectomy - the complete removal of the deformed vein; sclerotherapy - the injection of a special sclerosing agent into the affected vessel, which glues the vein walls, excludes the vessel from the blood flow and drains it without causing cosmetic defects in the skin; laser coagulation - destroys the vein with heat and seals the lumen (performed when the diameter of the vein does not exceed 10 mm).
prevention
- Exercise your legs regularly while sitting for long periods of time;
- A balanced diet based on tomatoes, carrots, olives, apples, and blueberries;
- Prevent constipation;
- Get adequate rest, especially for women who need three times the time to recover;
- The correct way to drink water: 40ml of water per 1kg of body weight.
Swimming is useful when staying in the sun for short periods of time to minimize stress.