From the article you will learn that varicose veins are inherited and there are reasons why the pathology can develop in ordinary people.
What are varicose veins?
Varicose veins of the lower limbs are a chronic deformation of the veins, most often of a hereditary nature, with constant expansion of the lumen of blood vessels, reduced vascular tone, destruction of the valvular apparatus, impaired regional blood supply, pain syndrome and constant pastiness of the tissues.
Where do varicose veins come from?
Normally, blood that supplies organs and tissues with oxygen and removes waste carbon dioxide from them travels from the periphery to the heart, overcoming gravity.For this, helpers are needed, which are the muscles of the legs, capable of acting as a kind of pump, contracting 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 the liquid, tightly blocking the lumen of the vessels.Blood flows through the vessels in only one direction.
If the work of the valves is disturbed for some reason, a gradual deformation of the veins is formed: the blood overflows 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 the age of 18.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 the parents had varicose veins under the skin, then both children and grandchildren have a chance of developing varicose veins.The disease is inherited through the female line - a gene that weakens the venous wall is linked to the sex X chromosome.
Hormonal changes in the body characteristic of women are of great importance: menstruation, menopause, taking contraceptives, pregnancy, breastfeeding.Men are also susceptible to hormonal imbalance, but much less often and after 40 years.Jumps in female hormones: estrogen and progesterone - relax the venous wall, which leads 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 constant 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.
Being overweight 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 the normal outflow of blood.
Lack of physical activity stimulates the formation of varicose veins of the lower limbs.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 loaders suffer from occupational varicose veins.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the effect of alcohol on the veins.Of course, any alcohol dilates the vascular lumen, including red wine.In other words, this is another factor predisposing to 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 regard.
Main signs of the disease
The first symptoms of varicose veins appear in the early stages of the disease: the legs begin to tire quickly, begin to swell, the veins become painful, the legs cramp at night, a feeling of heat and heaviness appears in the legs.
Sometimes this picture continues for decades, until visual signs of venous insufficiency develop: ankles and legs in the evening, itchy skin, curved 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 trophic disturbance, 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, clog the pulmonary vessels and provoke an AMI with a fatal outcome.
Venous thrombosis - blocking the lumen of a vein with a thrombus causes severe pain, prevents free movement and can provoke tissue necrosis.
Pulmonary embolism (PE) - blockage of the pulmonary artery by a single blood clot leads to death within the next half hour.A small blood clot can cause a pulmonary infarction requiring resuscitation.The condition is accompanied by pneumonia and CHF.
Is it possible to treat varicose veins?
Answer: yes, but only operationally.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 blood circulation and emptying without cosmetic skin defect, laser coagulation - destroying the vein with heat and sealing the lumen (practiced when the diameter of the vein is no more than 10 mm).
Prevention
- regular leg exercises when sitting for a long time;
- 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;
- correct drinking regime: 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.