A light gait, long walks without fatigue even in heels, beautiful ankles and hips that you don't want to hide from others - these are the benefits of healthy legs without signs of venous disease. Gradually, the way and rhythm of life changes if a person neglects the prevention of varicose veins.
This is true for both women and men. The disease develops in different ways and the stage of varicose veins in medicine on the issue of identification in the patient is always a matter of debate. But you need to understand the classification so as not to miss the moment when varicose veins are treated without surgery.
The essence of the problem
Varicose veins are disorders of blood flow in the saphenous veins. Due to problems with the venous valves, which must hold the portions of blood to move further to the heart, the plasma flows in the opposite direction and stagnates.
Pressure cannot push blood through the veins in the lower extremities, causing the walls to stretch. A pattern of stripes and zigzags of a blue hue gradually appears on the legs, supplemented with puffiness and bulge at an advanced stage.
But varicose veins are not immediately noticeable. The problem can progress without visual symptoms, and therefore people who experience discomfort in their legs but do not find protruding veins attribute the discomfort to fatigue.
Varicose veins do not occur on their own as a separate disease. This is just a symptom of dysfunction of the circulatory system as a whole, which appears even at a young age. It is wrong to consider varicose veins of the lower extremities as a sign of old age. Many girls in their 20s hide their legs under trousers and long skirts due to varicose veins.
Various circumstances are the reasons for the disturbance of the circulatory system:
- Genetic inheritance from parents. If the mom (most often) or dad has problems with the outflow of blood from the legs to the heart, then the children should conduct an examination and prevention of the vascular and venous system. But genetics does not work in all cases if there is no motivating factor - a sedentary or standing lifestyle due to the peculiarities of the profession, unbalanced diet, diseases with complications;
- Neglect of the rules of a technical break when employed in certain areas of work, where there is a heavy load on the legs, but there is no movement (hairdresser, specialist in the sales department, accountant, programmer, driver). Warming up the legs every 30 minutes prevents blood from stagnating;
- Some health problems affect blood vessels and veins - diabetes mellitus, cardiac disorders, injuries of the legs, spine, obesity;
- Pregnancy for many women is the impetus for the first symptoms of varicose veins. The embryo not only increases the weight of the expectant mother, which puts stress on the legs, but also puts pressure on the internal organs and vital systems of the pregnant woman.
Varicose veins are a serious signal of internal problems that have not declared themselves, but require at least a standard examination by a therapist.
Different stages of development of venous insufficiency
Despite the fact that veins in humans are localized not only in the legs, but throughout the body, varicose veins of the lower extremities are more common. Both women and men suffer from the disease, but a greater percentage of the beautiful half of the population.
There are several stages of varicose veins, which are classified according to their severity.The division is conditional, so that the attending physician makes a diagnosis and knows which treatment regimen to prescribe to the patient for specific complaints.
Among medical experts, there are a number of classifications of the stages of varicose veins. The international community identifies seven stages of varicose veins, drawing a line within the framework of narrow symptoms. But in practice, varicose veins are diagnosed in 3 stages of the disease gradation:
- First degree (compensation stage) - the deterioration of blood flow from the legs to the heart is predetermined by lifestyle or genetically, but the patient has time to return the venous valves to normal functionality. Symptoms of varicose veins at the initial stage are mild and not taken seriously;
- Second degree (subcompensation) - there are visual signs of venous insufficiency, which are difficult to confuse with other changes. Discomfort in the legs disappears after a long rest or accompanies a person constantly. At this stage, patients most often seek help from a doctor. Vascular and venous changes are significant, but it is possible to relieve tension and pain from the lower extremities;
- The third degree (decompensation) is the last stage of varicose veins, when the thinned walls of the circulatory system begin to burst from excess blood. The tissues of the skin do not receive nutrition and they die off. Skin ulcers develop that are difficult to treat. In some cases, at grade 3 of varicose veins, bacteria join the ulcerative foci. Stabilization of the patient's condition requires time, effort and complex therapy.
The listed stages of varicose veins are a conditional division. Within each group of venous insufficiency, there is a mild, moderate and severe degree of the disease, which is determined by the symptoms described by patients at the reception. Based on the fact that the pathology of the veins is individual in each case, the line of transition from one stage to another is insignificant, especially in cases of 1 and 2 degrees.
Features of the initial stage of pathology
1 degree of varicose veins is diagnosed by a doctor in rare cases, because people do not go to the clinic when short-term edema or heaviness in the legs appears. Folk remedies help them relieve fatigue, the puffiness goes away by itself after sleep or changing high heels to slippers. Varicose veins of 1 degree in many people do not go to another stage until old age, if there is no provoking factor.
Changes in the vascular system occur not only in adults, but also in modern adolescents who are deprived of mobility and prefer a computer, telephone and other gadgets to active leisure.
Only arms and brain are trained, and the rest of the body does not change position for a long time. Blood circulation slows down, especially in the lower part of the skeleton. Bent knees, crushed muscles, veins and blood vessels in the thighs, buttocks lead to stagnation.
Teens often complain of leg pain and cramps. In some cases, edema is visible, especially when overweight. There are no clear symptoms of varicose veins of the 1st degree, but the initial stage is started and its progressiveness depends only on the attention of children or their parents to themselves.
Teenage girls choose uncomfortable high-heeled shoes in an effort to attract attention. The pressure in the veins of the lower extremities increases and leads to the initial degree of pathology. The inability to stand and move in high heels deforms the feet, increases the load on the spine and bones of the legs, hip joints. Curvatures negatively affect the vessels because they are compressed.
The initial degree of varicose veins in young people is not alarming, because the symptoms disappear after rest or a little warm-up. Signs of grade 1 varicose veins are as follows:
- Heavy legs even without physical activity;
- Slight puffiness in the second half of the day, when a foot is too large to fit into the shoe or when the edges are noticeably digging into the skin. The symptom disappears in the morning if the legs were given rest or a procedure was carried out to relieve swelling and tension in the muscles - the vertical position of the lower limbs, foot baths, massage, change of uncomfortable shoes;
- Short-term convulsions in rare cases.
In rare cases, with grade 1 varicose veins, external signs of venous pathology appear - thin strips of veins or a vascular network, which are stressed due to a reduced blood flow velocity.
It is difficult to diagnose the initial stage of pathology on your own, because the listed symptoms are observed in other diseases, for example, diabetes mellitus, kidney problems. For diagnosis and treatment, you should see your doctor at the first sign of discomfort.
Varicose veins are localized not only in the legs, and the initial stage can be skipped if there are no changes in the lower extremities.
Grade 2 Features
The initial stage of venous pathology in the absence of prophylaxis or therapy after some time passes into the stage of subcompensation. Symptoms of grade 1 varicose veins appear more often and lasts longer.
External changes appear on the skin - swollen veins or a large number of spider veins. At night and even during the day, cramps occur, the patient feels pain and cannot move his leg. With the hardware examination of the veins of the lower extremities, changes in the operation of the valves are observed.
The pressure in the vessels increases, but it is difficult to push the blood without closing the valves. Blood stagnation forms, which appear on the skin in the form of blue nodules.
- A symptom of stage 2 venous insufficiency is swelling that does not go away after rest and preventive procedures. Edema occurs due to the inability of blood to rise through the veins, hemodynamics is impaired. The liquid part of the blood (plasma) begins to seep under the skin through the thinned walls of veins and small vessels, because the function of its transportation is impaired;
- Skin color changes due to poor circulation and nutrient intake. The cells of the epidermis acquire a brown tint, gradually turning into black. Inflammation develops and, as a result, the initial stage of ulcerative formations;
- Patients who come to the doctor at stage 2 of the disease have complaints of severe pain, muscle numbness and itching of the skin. Symptoms are caused by the lack of adequate nutrition for the cells of the epidermis.
The stage of subcompensation for varicose veins is not considered hopeless if therapy is diagnosed and prescribed in a timely manner. If you find one or more signs of varicose veins of the 2nd degree, you can not self-medicate and listen to well-wishers. Only a doctor will help to cope with the problem.
Grade 3 Features
People reach the 3rd degree of venous insufficiency if they treat themselves inattentively and without due respect. The first stage of pathology in rare cases causes discomfort and changes the quality of life, but the 2nd degree of venous insufficiency should not be unnoticed in order to neglect the visit to a doctor and undergo a course of rehabilitation.
3 degree of pathology is the most severe and dangerous, because trophic ulcers are formed, which do not heal even with drug treatment. At the stage of decompensation, the body has exhausted its ability to maintain the veins in working order.
The walls are stretched and thinned to the limit, there is a risk of rupture in case of any injury. Another problem of grade 3 varicose veins is thrombophlebitis - blockage of the vessel, the formation of blood clots, which can come off and lead to death.
Venous insufficiency reaches its final stage in extreme cases. The reasons for this attitude of people towards themselves are not clear. It seems strange to endure pain, feel discomfort for aesthetic criteria and not be able to walk easily. Timely diagnosis of the problem and compliance with the doctor's recommendations will not allow varicose veins to cross even 1 stage of pathology.
Having considered in detail the classification of varicose veins of the lower extremities, it is worth noting that venous insufficiency occurs in other parts of the body and internal organs. Such a problem is more difficult to notice, but when discomfort in the legs appears, one can also think of disturbances in the venous blood flow elsewhere.
How to diagnose pathology
At the first signs of discomfort in the legs, you should contact a medical institution. The diagnosis and treatment of venous insufficiency is handled by a phlebologist, but the initial consultation can be obtained from a therapist.
- A visual examination of the condition of the integument on the legs, the presence of orthopedic changes and other signs is carried out;
- Palpation of problem areas not only of the legs, but also of the groin and abdomen;
- Patient complaints are heard;
- A detailed medical history is compiled in the form of a survey interview. The questions are focused on identifying the cause that has become the starting point in the formation of varicose veins;
- A referral for general blood and urine tests is required to determine the general state of health of the patient;
- Functional testing to determine the degree of venous dilatation (Schwarz, Perthes, sole testing);
- In case of varicose veins, a hardware examination of the patency of the veins and the condition of the venous valves is carried out - duplex ultrasonography (DUS), plethysmography, phlebography, rheovasography.
After all the measures for diagnosing venous insufficiency and determining the degree of varicose veins, prophylaxis, conservative therapy, treatment with alternative methods and, in extreme cases, surgical intervention, elimination of pathology using a laser are prescribed.
How to deal with varying degrees of venous dysfunction
The earlier the signs of varicose veins are noticed, the easier and faster it is to cope with the problem. The initial stage of pathology can be completely nullified without the use of medications if timely prevention is started:
- Change your rhythm and lifestyle. Often the cause of impaired blood flow in the veins is a sedentary or standing lifestyle due to professional activities. It is necessary to add movement to enhance hemodynamics and prevent high pressure in some areas. With excess body weight, you should tackle its normalization, but gradually;
- Choose comfortable and correct footwear. In the presence of orthopedic deformities, shoes are selected taking into account this problem. High heels on special occasions only;
- Give up bad habits that provoke problems in the vascular system;
- Reduce weight if it is overweight and gives additional load to the legs;
- Choose the right exercise to help blood flow from the legs to the heart.
At the initial stage, the doctor prescribes venotonics, cream, pills to reduce the load on the venous walls and restore their elasticity. Medical jersey must be individually tailored to relieve tension in the legs.
When external signs appear that create aesthetic discomfort, a special composition (sclerotherapy) is introduced into the vein, but this is rare at an early stage.
The second stage of venous insufficiency requires more attention so that the problem does not develop into stage 3. The specificity of eliminating pathology of the 2nd degree is similar to the treatment of varicose veins at the initial stage. Medication is prescribed to reduce the risk of blood clots, reduce tissue swelling, and restore blood flow.
Surgical therapy for varicose veins of the 2nd degree is resorted to in the presence of obvious changes on the skin - convex veins, venous mesh, vascular pattern. In the treatment room, radiofrequency or laser therapy is performed. Shown including sclerotherapy, when the external defect disappears in the eyes after injection into the problem site of the injection.
Compression garments are a must to improve blood flow and reduce stress on the legs.
How to treat grade 3 varicose veins, when the condition of the veins and tissues is in a terrible state and the body is unable to correct the situation? Treatment is only surgical to prevent thrombosis, rupture of veins and restore hemodynamics throughout the body.
Usually a phlebectomy procedure is performed - removal of the affected vessels. The operation is performed using surgical instruments (classical method) or a laser without a single incision (modern method of treating varicose veins of the 3rd degree).
The course of the disease is complicated by the formation of ulcers, which do not heal even with drug therapy. Therefore, a surgeon is indispensable at this stage. After a successful operation, an individual course of medicines, dressings and medical linen is selected.
In conclusion
Varicose veins are not a harmless cosmetic defect on the legs and other parts of the body, but a serious pathology that, with the connivance, will turn a person's life into torment and constant walking around the clinics.
The initial stage of venous insufficiency is inherent in most of the population, but diagnosis is rarely carried out due to the lack of awareness of people about the possible consequences.
If professional activity involves a sedentary image or constant standing on your feet, there are examples of pathology in relatives, you need to take preventive measures and exclude the progression of the disease at the initial stage. Leaving the problem unattended, you may not notice how the veins will cause other pathologies.