From the article you will learn that varicose veins are hereditary, and there are reasons why the pathology can develop in ordinary people.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins of the lower extremities are a chronic deformation of the veins, most often of a hereditary nature, with continuous expansion of the lumen of the blood vessels, decreased vascular tone, destruction of the valve apparatus, impaired regional blood supply, pain syndrome and continuous tissue pastosity.
Where do varicose veins come from?
Normally, blood, which supplies organs and tissues with oxygen and removes carbon dioxide waste from them, travels from the periphery to the heart, overcoming gravity.For this, assistants are needed, which are the muscles of the legs, able to act as a kind of pump, which contracts during movement, which moves the blood higher and higher.An equally important role is played by the valves of the veins, which block the reflux of fluid, tightly blocking the lumen of the blood vessels.Blood flows through the vessels in one direction only.
If the functioning of the valves is interrupted for some reason, a gradual deformation of the veins is formed: the blood floods the vessels, which causes them to stretch and deform.As the pathology progresses, trophic ulcers and blood clots may form in the area of the altered veins.
Varicose veins of the legs in women and men are quite common, in 50% of all vascular patients over 18 years of age.At the same time, the number of patients with varicose veins is increasing every year.The reason is the sedentary nature of professional activity.
The main cause of varicose veins in men and women is a genetically inherited weakness of the connective tissue that forms the framework of the veins.Its failure leads to loss of vascular tone, stretching of the walls and deformation.If parents had dilated veins under the skin, then both children and grandchildren have a chance to develop varicose veins.The disease is inherited through the female line - a gene is linked to the X sex chromosome that makes the venous wall weak.
Hormonal changes in the body that are typical for women are of great importance: menstruation, menopause, taking contraceptives, pregnancy, lactation.Men are also susceptible to hormonal imbalances, but much less often and after 40 years.Jumps in female hormones: estrogen and progesterone - relax the venous wall, leading to its deformation.
Another cause of varicose veins is prolonged standing or sitting in a static position.In this case, the valves of the veins open and a continuous increase in intravascular pressure occurs.In addition, the longer the legs, the higher the blood column in the vessels, which means a risk factor for the development of varicose veins.
Excess weight also does not contribute to the health of blood vessels.Excess weight increases the pressure in the veins of the legs, and fat deposits, especially in the abdominal area, interfere with normal blood flow.
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 pathologies of the heart and blood vessels.Surgeons, teachers, cashiers, salesmen, drivers, programmers, flight attendants and porters suffer from occupational varicose veins.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the effect of alcohol on the veins.Of course, any alcohol expands the vascular lumen, including red wine.In other words, this is another predisposing factor for varicose veins.With regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, varicose veins are inevitable, it is only a matter of time.Moreover, if there is a hereditary predisposition to venous insufficiency.There are no gender differences in this matter.
The main signs of the disease
The first symptoms of varicose veins appear in the early stages of the disease: legs begin to tire quickly, begin to swell, veins become painful, legs cramp at night, a feeling of heat and heaviness appears in the legs.
Sometimes this appearance persists for decades until the visual signs of venous insufficiency appear: ankles and legs cleaned in the evening, itchy skin, tortuous veins protruding above the skin, bluish in color, dense.Over time, trophic ulcers appear that are resistant to therapy.
Why are varicose veins dangerous?
In addition to the destruction of trophism, varicose veins threaten the development of thrombophlebitis - when blood clots in the veins can break away from the walls, block the lumen of the arteries, block the pulmonary vessels and provoke AMI with a fatal outcome.
Venous thrombosis – blockage of the lumen of the vein with a thrombus causes severe pain, does not allow free movement and can provoke tissue necrosis.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) - blockage of the pulmonary artery by a dislodged blood clot leads to death within the next half hour.A small blood clot can cause a pulmonary infarction, requiring resuscitation.The condition is associated with pneumonia and CHF.
Is it possible to cure varicose veins?
Answer: yes, but only surgical.There are three modern methods for alleviating the problem: phlebectomy - complete removal of the deformed vein, sclerotherapy - injection of a special sclerosant into the affected vessel, which glues the walls of the vein, excluding the vessel from the blood circulation and emptying without a cosmetic defect in the skin, laser coagulation - breaking the heat of heat and with destruction the diameter of the vein is not more than 10 mm).
Preventing
- regular leg exercises during prolonged sitting;
- a balanced diet based on tomatoes, carrots, olives, apples, blueberries;
- prevention of constipation;
- adequate 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 you spend a short time in the open sun, minimizing stressful situations.