Varicose veins - what are they?

Many people think of varicose veins as a cosmetic problem. Spider veins, or bulging veins, can make your legs look unsightly, but they can also be a sign of more serious health problems. Promptly detecting the signs of varicose veins, treating them and preventing their recurrence are the main tasks for those who want to stay healthy and keep their legs beautiful for as long as possible.

What are varicose veins

To answer this question, many people would say that the main symptom of varicose veins is unsightly, protruding veins. This happens because the vein walls dilate, stretch, and the blood vessels lose their tone. It is true that venous dilation is the main symptom of varicose veins, but why does this happen?Blood flows through veins from bottom to top. In this case, the leg muscles act as a kind of pump: by contracting, they "lift" blood through the veins to the heart. But if you sit most of the day and move little, your muscles contract poorly and the mechanisms that help blood rise through your veins fail. The blood in the blood vessels stagnates, which creates the prerequisite for the occurrence of varicose veins.The second important mechanism that ensures proper blood flow in the veins of the legs is the presence of valves in the walls of the veins. Normally, they close and prevent blood from flowing from top to bottom. If the valve weakens, regurgitation—the backflow of blood—can occur. As a result, it causes blood vessels to stagnate and stretch. Loss of tone, the vein walls dilate, and the blood vessels can no longer perform 100% of their function. This condition is called varicose veins.Therefore, varicose veins are the result of weakened vein valves, which begin to allow blood to flow in the opposite direction, causing blood to stagnate. Varicose veins most commonly affect the superficial veins of the legs. The affected veins are clearly visible under the skin and appear gnarled and tortuous.

What factors influence the formation of varicose veins

Risk factors that influence the development of varicose veins can be divided into several groups:

• Chronic load on the vessel wall - this may be a monotonous load (forced to sit or stand during the day) or a high load associated with weightlifting (for example, in athletes).
• Hormonal imbalances can affect the condition of your vein valves. This is why varicose veins often accompany pregnancy, and teens and young adults who are actively experiencing hormonal changes are also at risk. Varicose veins also threaten women who take hormonal contraceptives.
• genetics. Blood vessel walls contain so-called structural proteins - collagen and elastin. Their proportions ensure the elasticity of the veins. A person may have a congenital disorder of the ratio of these proteins, resulting in weak vein walls. This determines the innate tendency to develop varicose veins.

Pay attention to the following points: the presence of varicose veins in close relatives, the presence of hormonal fluctuations (taking birth control pills and other hormonal drugs, pregnancy, breastfeeding), and adequate physical activity during the day.

Why are varicose veins dangerous?

If not promptly diagnosed and treated correctly, late-stage varicose veins can lead to the following serious complications:

• Rupture of dilated veins, followed by massive bleeding;
• Phlebitis - inflammation of the blood vessel wall;
• Thrombophlebitis - an inflammatory process in the walls of blood vessels, the formation of blood clots (thrombi) on their inner surfaces;
• Thrombosis - a blood clot blocking the lumen of a vein, impairing blood flow;
• Thromboembolism - A condition in which a blood clot breaks away from the site where it formed and travels with circulating blood to other structures in the body, blocking smaller blood vessels and causing ischemia;
• Nutritional ulcers are long-term wounds on the skin of the legs that do not heal and are caused by impaired blood circulation and tissue nutrition.

Many complications are difficult to treat, significantly reduce a person's quality of life, and may lead to irreversible consequences.

Varicose veins: what to watch out for

Therefore, varicose veins are one of the most common vascular lesions. Many of us, especially office workers, are at risk. To know if you should see a phlebologist, answer a few questions:

• Do your feet swell at the end of the day? Do you feel heaviness, pain, or leg cramps at night?
• How much of the day do you spend in the same position (sitting or standing)?
• Does your relative suffer from varicose veins?
• Do you have spider veins, twisty red capillaries on your legs?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, we recommend seeing your doctor. In a specialized medical center for the treatment of varicose veins, you can undergo a diagnostic ultrasound (which takes about 20 minutes), which will identify varicose veins, if any, or allow you to assess your risk of developing them. A phlebologist will provide recommendations for effective prevention or treatment.

What to do if you have varicose veins

After a phlebologist diagnoses varicose veins, he or she will choose a treatment strategy based on the stage of the disease and the severity of clinical symptoms. Treatment measures may combine conservative, medical, and surgical techniques.As part of conservative treatment, the following is prescribed:

• Dietary nutrition to improve blood rheological properties, strengthen blood vessel walls, prevent edema, normalize digestive processes and reduce weight (if necessary);
• Wear a compression garment (stockings, socks, or tights) with a specific compression level.

Additionally, as part of a comprehensive treatment, your doctor may recommend external therapies to eliminate signs of the disease. They come in the form of ointments, gels, and creams and are divided into three main categories:

• Venous tone (venotonics) - improves the tension of the blood vessel wall, thereby restoring the dilated veins to their original state;
• Heparin - reduces blood viscosity, reduces the risk of blood clots, and increases blood flow;
• Anti-inflammatory – Helps eliminate inflammation and pain.

The basis of drug therapy is intravenous drugs. Such substances improve the outflow of lymph fluid, improve blood microcirculation, reduce the permeability of blood vessel walls and increase their tone.The gold standard for treating varicose veins is non-surgical methods. They prevent the progression of pathological processes, block blood flow in damaged veins, eliminate unpleasant symptoms of the disease, and also restore the appearance of the legs, without scars and long-term recovery.Modern phlebology centers use all modern treatment methods:

1. Sclerotherapy. A modern procedure that eliminates varicose veins by injecting a special substance called sclerosing agent. With the help of this drug, the dilated blood vessels "stick together", then the general blood flow is cut off, and blood begins to circulate through healthy veins.
2. Laser and Radiofrequency Vein Removal. Both methods are very similar; they are based on thermal damage to the vein wall, the result of which is a "seal" that turns into a scar and then disappears. The procedure is a proven alternative to traditional surgery and is performed under ultrasound guidance. This makes it possible to act only on pathological lesions without damaging healthy tissue.
3. If surgery is required, the clinic performs mild, minimally invasive procedures: phlebectomy, phlebectomy, dissection, transection. They are almost always applicable even in difficult situations.

Varicose veins are often treated using a combination approach. For example, radiofrequency and laser treatments are used to cut off large dilated veins from blood flow, and sclerotherapy is used to cut off smaller superficial vessels with tributaries. In this case, conservative treatment is performed simultaneously.