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 extremities are a chronic deformation of the veins, most often of a hereditary nature, with persistent expansion of the vessel lumen, reduced vascular tone, destruction of the valvular apparatus, disturbed regional blood supply, pain syndrome and constant tissue pastiness.
Where do varicose veins come from?
Normally, blood, which supplies organs and tissues with oxygen and removes waste carbon dioxide from them, travels from the periphery to the heart, overcoming gravity.For this, assistants are needed, which are the leg muscles, which can act as a kind of pump, contracting during movement, which moves the blood more and more.An equally important role is played by the valves of the veins, which block the reflux of fluid, tightly blocking the lumen of blood vessels.Blood flows through the vessels in one direction only.
If the operation of the valve is disturbed for any reason, gradual deformation of the veins occurs: blood overflows the blood 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 grows every year.The reason is the sedentary nature of the 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 varicose veins under the skin, then children and grandchildren have a chance to develop varicose veins.The disease is inherited through the female line - the gene is linked to the sex X chromosome which makes the vein wall weak.
Hormonal changes in the body that are typical for women are of great importance: menstruation, menopause, taking contraceptives, pregnancy, breastfeeding.Men are also susceptible to hormonal imbalance, but much less often after 40 years.Jumps in female hormones: estrogen and progesterone - relax the vein 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 there is a permanent increase in intravascular pressure.Moreover, the longer the legs, the greater the column of blood in the veins, which means a risk factor for the appearance 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 heart and vascular pathology.Surgeons, teachers, cashiers, salespeople, drivers, programmers, flight attendants and loaders all 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's just 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: the legs get tired quickly, they start to swell, the veins become painful, the legs cramp at night, a feeling of heat and heaviness appears in the legs.
Sometimes this picture lasts for decades until visual signs of venous insufficiency develop: tight ankles and legs in the evening, itchy skin, tortuous veins protruding above the skin, bluish in color, thick.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 - when blood clots in the veins can detach from the walls, block the lumen of the arteries, clog the pulmonary vessels and cause AMI with fatal outcome.
Venous thrombosis - blocking the lumen of a vein 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 leads to death within half an hour.A small blood clot can cause a lung infarction, requiring resuscitation.The condition is accompanied by pneumonia and CHF.
Is it possible to cure varicose veins?
Answer: yes, but only surgically.There are three modern methods of getting rid of the problem: phlebectomy - complete removal of the deformed vein, sclerotherapy - injection of a special sclerosant into the affected vein, which glues the vein walls, excluding the vein from the blood stream and emptying without a cosmetic defect on the skin, laser coagulation - destruction of the vein shell with heat and heating of the vein.diameter not greater than 10 mm).
Prevention
- regular leg exercises during prolonged sitting;
- balanced diet based on tomatoes, carrots, olives, apples, blueberries;
- prevention of constipation;
- proper rest, especially for women who need three times more 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.