Today we will talk about varicose veins in the legs, varicose veins of the lower limbs - a very common vascular disease, causes, symptoms, prevention, therapeutic exercises with a set of exercises.
Varicose veins (varicose veins) - what kind of disease is this, photo
venous disease(see photo of manifestations of varicose veins in the legs) is a scourge of our times; If earlier this progressive disease of impaired blood flow and valve weakness affected the very elderly, now the first signs of this peripheral vascular disease appear twenty years later. -year old.
Spider veins (telangiectasias) appear first. At that time, the superficial veins become less elastic, twist, become visible, and protrude on the skin of the legs and thighs. Blood flows more slowly and increases poorly. Venous congestion and swelling develop and disappear after a night's rest. There is a risk of blood clots forming.
And during pregnancy and childbirth, when the level of female hormones that weaken the vessel walls increases rapidly, this venous pathology of the lower extremities is diagnosed in every third woman.
However, not only the limbs, even at the age of 30-35, varicose veins of the pelvic organs (begins to develop due to fluctuations in intravascular pressure during contractions), hemorrhoidsand varicocele (dilated spermatic cord veins in men) appear en masse.
There are varices of the esophagus and stomach.
Varicose veins – ICD-10 code
The ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) code for this disease is 183
- If varicose veins are complicated by ulcers - 183. 0
- If varicose veins have inflammation, stasis dermatitis - 183. 1
- If the first two conditions are combined - 183, 2
- If varicose veins are uncomplicated - 183. 9
Symptoms of varicose veins of the lower limbs
Lymphadenopathy, swollen veins in the legs, blue network of small blood vessels, spider veins, swelling in the evening, persistent, aching pain along the veins, burning, sometimes itching, heaviness in the legs at the endday, night cramps, paresthesia - goosebumps and numbness appear.
And with significant progression of the disease, the following often develop:
- thrombophlebitis (manifested by the appearance of sharp pain along the vein, redness, local temperature increase, swelling, sometimes you can feel painful areas with blood clots blocking the lumenvessels, in severe cases chills begin, a transitional state of inflammation from superficial to deep veins is observed),
- Nutritional ulcers on the background of chronic venous insufficiency.
Maybe no one will like this photo. And then there's still the phenomenon of the blood clot dislodging and then the stroke or heart attack, tissue necrosis. . . But this is already quite sad.
Since to reduce the load on our veins, it would be evolutionarily unacceptable for us to return to walking on all fours, we will have to look for methods to unload our legs by other means. natural law.
Causes of varicose veins and influencing factors
- Genetics (heredity).
- Changes in hormone levels (pregnancy, hormonal contraception).
- Heavy physical activity, especially static, standing, or sedentary work.
- Excessive weight.
- Chronic cough.
- Smoke.
- Injuries to the legs damage the valves in blood vessels.
Women have successfully provoked the onset of varicose veins by standing and wearing high heels for long periods of time and sitting at a table in a cross-legged position.
Wearing thongs and tight synthetic underwear is not good.
Which doctor treats varicose veins in the legs?
A phlebologist deals with veins. If surgical intervention is required - vascular surgeon.
Diagnosis of varicose veins
In addition to external examination of the lower extremities and collection of history (complaints), the following are done to make a diagnosis:
- Doppler ultrasound (determination of quality, speed of blood flow, presence of obstacles in the form of blood clots, blood clots),
- light transmission (intravenous light transmission, even with changes not yet visible to the eye).
In addition, the diagnosis of varicose veins will not be complete without taking blood for clotting.
Modern medicine does not offer effective treatment of this disease, radical removal of superficial veins does not count. There are also radiofrequency ablation, laser therapy and sclerotherapy, but they are not suitable for everyone, have contraindications and they are indicated mainly in the early stages of the diseaseThis.
But what can we do with varicose veins at home to combat this unpleasant vascular disease?
Exercises to treat varicose veins in the legs
Prevention of varicose veins mainly consists in physical exercises, and this is not surprising, because the vessels just need to be trained.
The most favorable functional position of the legs for varicose veins is elevated, elevated. But you cannot spend all the time with your legs in the air and must somehow avoid stagnation in the venous network, because it is this that leads to heaviness in the legs, cramps and swelling.
And it turns out that it is more useful for a person to walk and even run than to sit for hours in an office or in front of a computer; At rest, the blood practically does not move, the liquid is sweated into the body. tissue, and swelling increases.
That's why we don't go crazy at work, we often take breaks while working, stand up, stretch, walk around the desk, walk to the bathroom if possible, climb a few floorsTake the stairs and do some exercises.
Such a warm-up and stay away from sedentary work is also very useful for diseases of the eyes and spine (the neck and lower back are the most affected in this).
A set of exercises for varicose veins
- We sit on a chair so that our feet do not touch the floor. We turn the leg at the ankle, bend and straighten until strong tension, then do the same with the toes, each exercise 15-20 times. In addition, for varicose veins in the legs, foot massage will be very useful.
- Walk vigorously in place for one minute.
- We stand close to the wall, palms at shoulder level, pressing firmly against the wall. We tiptoe and tiptoe, 10-15 rolls like that.
- Slowly stand on tiptoes, feet shoulder-width apart, arms raised.
- "Bicycle" with your legs from a supine position.
- "Scissors" (cross legs and straighten them like scissors).
- Rotate your legs slowly from a side-lying position, alternating with the right then the left.
- Pull your knees all the way to your chest. Repeat 20 times.
In addition to therapeutic exercises, sports activities for the treatment of venous diseases of the lower extremities are extremely useful - swimming, water aerobics (in water the pressure on the veins is reduced by 2 times! ), skiing, cycling, walking.
It is also important to note that some exercises can only harm the veins - strength training with weights, jumping rope, long and intense runs as well as long exercise on an exercise bike are contraindicated. Team sports with jumping and running - football, basketball, volleyball (injured valve apparatus) are not recommended for weak blood vessels in the legs.
Prevent varicose veins at home
How to prevent varicose veins in the legs?
- In addition to exercises, contrast showers and compression hosiery are useful for blood vessels.
The latter has disadvantages: first, it is quite expensive, second, after prolonged wear and tear, the tanks become completely soft and stop working independently.
Therefore, I recommend using it not for regular wear but for heavy lifting, standing work, hiking, and during pregnancy.
- It is useful to put pressure on your legs by going up stairs, doing lunges or jumping (quickly tiptoe and gently touch your heels to the floor two or three times a day, 30-60 times, lifting your lower heels1-2cm).
- You should not abuse prolonged exposure to sunlight, in the bathroom or in hot water baths.
- Drinking at least 2 liters of liquid per day, you should control your weight and ensure that plant-vegetable composition prevails in your diet. You should give up alcohol, spicy, smoked and salty foods or at least significantly reduce their composition in your diet.
- Do not wear tight underwear, shoes, socks, or socks with tight elastic bands.
- During the holidays, avoid drinking champagne as it tends to make your condition worse.
- Don't wear high heels every day. Over 4 cm - already tall.
- Don't squat.
- Do not cross your legs, in this position, blood vessels are compressed and blood circulation from the already poor limbs becomes even more difficult.
- Try not to stand still, even in line; it's better to switch from one foot to the other.
- Remember that vitamin C maintains the elasticity of vessel walls.