Treatment of varicose veins at home: what is the danger?
Most patients with varicose veins of varying severity do not treat their vein disease or treat it at home. This leads to sad consequences: complications develop, the patient loses the ability to move on his own legs and becomes disabled. Avoiding trouble is actually not difficult: you just need to treat varicose veins as soon as they are discovered, without starting the disease.
There are several methods of treating vein disease, an experienced doctor will tell you which one is the most suitable for you.
Many people write about how to treat varicose veins on the legs using folk remedies, but not everyone talks about the dangerous consequences. It should be remembered that traditional methods were developed when there were simply no other methods of treating veins. Now they exist and the problem can be solved much faster and easier.
- Treatment with apple cider vinegar.Apple cider vinegar is one of the most popular home remedies for varicose veins. On the Internet, readers are encouraged to dilute vinegar with honey and drink on an empty stomach, dilute with water and wipe your feet. But remember that apple cider vinegar is an acid. Taking it by mouth can negatively affect digestion. External use also raises questions, because with varicose veins the skin becomes dry, and the acid dries it even more. This can worsen the course of the disease, especially if your legs itch with varicose veins.
- Chestnut fruit treatment.Chestnut tinctures are also recommended to be taken orally and rubbed into the affected areas to get rid of pain and itching due to varicose veins. Only the horse chestnut is poisonous. In no case should it be eaten raw. Even when taking a tincture prepared from the fruits of this plant, signs of poisoning (vomiting, nausea, weakness) and spasms in the lower limbs may appear. In addition, chestnut tincture increases blood pressure. The external use of an alcohol solution dries the skin of the legs, which is not very good for varicose veins and is simply unacceptable in advanced stages of varicose veins.
- Treatment with leeches.Leeches bite the skin and introduce into the human body a mixture of useful substances that have a beneficial effect on the blood, dilute it and have an antibacterial effect. However, it is better not to put leeches at home, but to entrust it to a qualified specialist, since you need to know exactly the places where leeches can be placed and where not. In the first days after the treatment of veins with leeches, itching is often observed. The bite sites are very itchy, the person cannot resist and begins to scratch the itchy area, as a result of which an ulcer may form. In addition, after a bite of leeches, small triangular scars remain on the legs. For some - a lifetime.
- Folk remedies that can be prescribed by a doctor.In the initial stage of venous insufficiency, the doctor may prescribe contrast baths for the legs of the patient's veins. The alternating action of cold and hot water relaxes and shrinks the leg veins. This kind of gymnastic effect strengthens blood vessels, improves microcirculation and removes itching. The method can be used at home as often as you like. Especially if there is no opportunity to visit the pool. Varicose veins stop progressing and your legs stop hurting.
And, for example, clay can help to cope well with tired legs, eliminate itching and slight swelling in the initial stage of varicose veins. A heaped tablespoon of pharmaceutical clay is diluted with water to a thick slurry. The paste is then applied to the shins with a brush or cotton swab. It is important not to let the clay dry out, you must constantly add a new layer or moisten the existing layer with water. After an hour, the clay should be carefully washed off and your feet allowed to dry without drying with a towel. Course – 12 sessions, can be repeated every month.
But before treating varicose veins at home, consult your doctor. It is better not to waste time on procedures with dubious effectiveness. Rather, it will be possible not to treat the legs, but to wait for the severity to worsen and complications to develop.
Effective conservative treatment
This is ingrained in people's minds: if your legs hurt, your veins are bulging, your veins are very itchy (itching), then you need to prepare for surgery. In fact, everything depends on the stage of the disease, which is determined not only by the degree of bulging of the veins or the severity of the venous network in the lower extremities. In most cases, the doctor tries to deal with the disease by using conservative treatment methods and without surgery. An integrated approach is used for this: physical activity, dietary changes, medication and physiotherapy treatment are prescribed; Compression garments are chosen.
Physical activity.Modern man is sedentary: he sits at work and at home, he gets to the office by sitting on the subway or on the bus. All this leads to lack of physical activity and venous incompetence. The veins in the legs weaken and cannot cope with their work, and varicose veins develop. Therefore, it is important that the patient returns to an active lifestyle. The doctor may prescribe walking for at least two hours a day, Nordic walking, swimming in a pool or activities in a recreational sports group. It is better to avoid working on the feet at any stage of the disease.
Diet.This is not about a diet, but about proper nutrition with limiting the consumption of certain food groups. Animal fats, margarine, mayonnaise and fast carbohydrates (candy, pies, cakes) are prohibited. It is recommended to consume more liquid and vegetable foods. Food should be balanced, at least five times a day. Proper nutrition is important to fully control your weight. Excess weight puts additional strain on the leg veins and increases the risk of worsening chronic venous insufficiency at any stage of varicose veins.
Medication treatment.If the situation is not advanced and the varicose veins occur without complications, drug therapy is used, more often at home. Medicines from several groups are usually used:
- Venotonics (phlebotonics) are used in the form of tablets, ointments or gels. They help maintain the tone of the vein walls, facilitating the movement of blood through them. Especially good for minor ailments.
- Antiplatelet agents prevent blood components from sticking together in a clot, which minimizes the risk of blood clots in the lower extremities.
- Anticoagulants usually contain or are based on glycosaminoglycan. Maintains optimal blood viscosity - slightly dilutes it so that it moves freely through the vessels of the legs.
- Angioprotectors protect the walls of the veins, making them more elastic and invulnerable to internal damage.
- Anti-inflammatory drugs prevent the occurrence of inflammatory reactions on the walls of blood vessels, especially in an advanced stage, and have an analgesic effect.
- Products based on plant components (horse chestnut, lilac, sweet clover, white acacia, etc. ) replace traditional herbal medicine.
Pharmacological forms differ in targeted action and predictable effect. They practically have no contraindications. It is used as part of complex therapy to reduce swelling and pain in the legs. Medicines are prescribed by a doctor after proper examination of the patient. He chooses not only suitable products, but also the form of release: injections, tablets, ointments, gels, foot compresses. The phlebologist recommends treatment of varicose veins at home or in a hospital, based on the stage of the disease and the degree of development of complications.
Physiotherapy treatment (PTL).In the case of varicose veins, physiotherapy devices help drugs to penetrate faster into the area of the affected vessels and enhance the effect of the drugs. As a result, the treatment time is significantly reduced, the doctor has the opportunity to transfer the patient from therapeutic doses to maintenance doses and cancel some drugs. Basic FTL Methods:
- electrophoresis helps deliver medicine to varicose veins through the action of a weak electric current;
- darsonvalization increases the tone of the veins, reduces the stagnation of the interstitial fluid and, therefore, itching with varicose veins;
- Magnetic therapy improves blood flow in the veins, significantly reduces tissue swelling;
- pneumomassage of the lower limbs increases the tone of the vein walls, reduces swelling, itching and improves blood flow;
- laser therapy reduces the severity of inflammatory reactions, improves blood microcirculation and has a venoprotective effect;
- cryotherapy (cold) tones blood vessels, improves lymphatic drainage and relieves itching;
- hydrotherapy (water treatment) tones and has a generally strengthening effect;
- Mud treatment strengthens the walls of the blood vessels of the legs and has a beneficial effect on the skin, promoting its regeneration and minimizing itching.
Physiotherapy treatment cannot be prescribed for some conditions. In addition, different stages of varicose veins require different treatment. Therefore, FTL is prescribed by two doctors at once: a phlebologist and a physiotherapist. Some procedures, especially in the initial stage of vascular damage, can be performed at home; many FTL devices are already sold in pharmacies. We recommend a pocket electrostimulator of venous outflow, which quickly and effectively helps to cope with the symptoms of varicose veins.
Compression jersey
An additional method that facilitates the movement of blood through the veins. The compression jersey is available for men and women.
The products can be in the form of socks, stockings or tights and differ in color, size and degree of compression. Outwardly, they look ordinary, but they have a pronounced therapeutic and prophylactic effect. Everything is connected with special elastic threads and a thoughtful knitting pattern.
As a result, the veins receive external support and begin to cope with their work. Pain, itching and swelling of the lower limbs decrease, the disease stops progressing.
The doctor recommends compression hosiery based on the stage of varicose veins. It also tells you how to put it on properly and how long to wear it.
The correct use of a leg tricot determines its effectiveness. We believe that Swiss compression knitwear is the most reliable and quality.
Methods of surgical treatment
When conservative therapy does not help, surgical treatment is resorted to. The doctor has the opportunity to choose the most suitable method, which will be the most effective and minimally traumatic at a certain stage of varicose veins.
- Sclerotherapy.The doctor injects a special solution into the lumen of the affected vein, which causes the walls to stick together and stop blood flow through the treated vessel. The vein stops protruding above the surface of the skin and is gradually replaced by connective tissue.
- Endovasal laser therapyknown by two names: EVLO (endovenous laser venous obliteration) and EVLC (endovasal laser venous coagulation). The essence is the same: with the help of a laser pulse, the affected vein is sealed and stops functioning. The intervention does not affect the surrounding tissues of the lower limbs and does not require general anesthesia. It can be performed on an outpatient basis. Recovery is fast, leaves no marks on the leg. Laser therapy is possible at any stage of varicose veins, except for those accompanied by complications.
- Phlebectomy.A standard surgical procedure used in severe disease and performed under general anesthesia. The affected section of the vein is removed. After the operation, scars about half a centimeter long remain, almost invisible on the skin. The recovery period after phlebectomy is long. The patient spends about two weeks in the hospital. During this time, he wears compression stockings, takes medication and visits a physical therapy office. After the stitches are removed, the patient is discharged to continue treating varicose veins at home. Complications are rare.
Surgery to remove varicose veins of the lower extremities is performed only when the patient has preserved blood flow through the deep veins. After the operation, the blood must rise freely through the bypass vessels so that there are no complications.
Prevention of varicose veins of the legs after treatment
After successful treatment of varicose veins of the legs, the patient should not lose vigilance. If the cause that led to the disease is not removed, another vein may expand and everything will repeat itself. First of all, you should give up bad habits, eat right, lead an active lifestyle, wear compression stockings during increased physical activity, choose low-heeled shoes, periodically visit a doctor for a preventive examination andto follow his recommendations.
The tips are simple and easy to follow. If you follow them, you will hardly ever face complications from varicose veins and the need for a hospital stay. And if someone from your family joins you, it will also benefit them. And remember: the best treatment for varicose veins is prevention. If you have suspicious symptoms or are at risk, contact your doctor immediately!