You will learn from the article that varicose veins are inherited, and there are also reasons for the development of pathology in ordinary people.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a chronic deformation of the vessels, in most cases hereditary, continuous expansion of the lumen of blood vessels, decrease in vascular tone, destruction of the valvular apparatus, disruption of regional blood supply, pain syndrome and permanent pastosia of tissues.
Where do varicose veins come from?
Blood, which normally supplies organs and tissues with oxygen and removes waste carbon dioxide from them, moves from the periphery to the heart, overcoming the force of gravity.For this, you need assistants, which are the muscles of the legs, which can act as a kind of pump, accumulate during movement, and carry the blood higher and higher.An equally important role is played by the valves of the vessels, which tightly close the lumen of the vessels, preventing the backflow of fluid.Blood flows through the veins in only one direction.
If the work of the valves is disturbed for any reason, gradual deformation of the vessels occurs: blood overflows the vessels, which causes them to stretch and deform.As the pathology progresses, trophic ulcers and blood clots may appear in the area of altered vessels.
Varicose veins of the legs are quite common among women and men, in 50% of all vascular patients over the age of 18.At the same time, the number of patients with varicose veins is increasing every year.The reason is that professional activity is sedentary.
The main cause of varicose veins in men and women is the genetic weakness of the connective tissue that forms the framework of the veins.Its failure leads to the loss of vascular tone, stretching and deformation of the walls.If parents have dilated veins under the skin, there is a chance that both children and grandchildren will develop varicose veins.The disease is inherited in the female line - a gene linked to the sex X chromosome that weakens the venous wall.
Hormonal changes in the body characteristic of women are of great importance: menstruation, menopause, taking contraceptives, pregnancy, lactation.Men are also susceptible to hormonal imbalance, but less often and after 40 years.Jumps in female hormones: estrogen and progesterone - relax the venous wall, causing its deformation.
Another cause of varicose veins is standing for a long time or sitting in a static position.At this time, the valves of the veins open and a continuous increase in intravascular pressure occurs.Moreover, the longer the legs, the higher the blood column in the veins, which is a risk factor for the development of varicose veins.
Being overweight doesn't help vascular health either.Excess weight increases the pressure in the veins of the legs, and fat deposits, especially in the abdominal area, prevent the normal flow of blood.
Physical inactivity stimulates the formation of varicose veins of the lower extremities.In addition, the risk group for varicose veins includes smokers, pregnant women and patients with heart and vascular pathology.Surgeons, teachers, cashiers, salesmen, drivers, programmers, flight attendants and porters suffer from professional varicose veins.
Separately, it is necessary to mention the effect of alcohol on blood vessels.Of course, any alcohol, including red wine, expands the vascular lumen.In other words, this is another factor that predisposes to varicose veins.With the regular use of alcoholic beverages, varicose veins are inevitable, it is only a matter of time.Moreover, if there is a hereditary tendency to venous insufficiency.There is no gender difference in this matter.
The main symptoms of the disease
The first symptoms of varicose veins appear at the initial stage of the disease: the legs begin to tire quickly, begin to swell, the veins become painful, there are cramps in the legs at night, there is a feeling of heat and heaviness in the legs.
Sometimes this picture continues for decades until visual signs of venous insufficiency appear: dough in the ankles and legs in the evening, itchy skin, crooked veins protruding above the skin, blue in color, tight.Over time, trophic ulcers appear that are resistant to therapy.
Why are varicose veins dangerous?
In addition to disrupting trophism, varicose veins threaten the development of thrombophlebitis - blood clots in the veins can break off from the walls, block the lumen of the arteries, close the pulmonary veins and provoke AMI with a fatal outcome.
Venous thrombosis - blockage of the vein lumen with a thrombus causes severe pain, prevents free movement and can cause tissue necrosis.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) - blockage of a pulmonary artery by a detached blood clot causes death within half an hour.A small blood clot can cause a pulmonary infarction that requires resuscitation.The condition is accompanied by pneumonia and CHF.
Is it possible to treat varicose veins?
Answer: yes, but only surgically.There are three modern methods of eliminating the problem: phlebectomy - complete removal of the deformed vein, sclerotherapy - injection of a special sclerosant that glues the walls of the vein into the damaged vein, removing the vein from the bloodstream and emptying it without cosmetic defects on the skin with coagulation and irritation of the skin - lumen (applied when the diameter of the vein does not exceed 10 mm).
Prevention
- regular exercises for legs during prolonged sitting;
- balanced diet based on tomatoes, carrots, olives, apples, blueberries;
- prevention of constipation;
- proper rest, especially for women who need three times as much time to recover;
- proper drinking regimen: 40 ml of water per 1 kg of weight.
Swimming is useful when spending a short time in the open sun, minimizing stressful situations.