Varicose veins are a vascular pathology associated with thinning of the blood vessel wall and the formation of aneurysm-like dilatations. The disease occurs in young and old, more often in women. The main method of treating varicose veins is surgical. However, the operation is performed only for patients with severe forms of the pathology. The initial stages of varicose veins are amenable to drug therapy and drug therapy from the arsenal of traditional medicine. How are varicose veins in the legs treated with folk remedies? What does this require? When should you stop using herbal prescriptions and consult your doctor?
The root cause of varicose veins is the weakening of the venous valves in the leg vasculature and the decrease in muscle tone of the vascular wall. The phenomenon described leads to the fact that part of the blood in the venous vessels begins to flow downwards, overloading the vessels and stretching them. Subsequently, the muscle fibers responsible for the direction of blood flow atrophy and the nerve endings that innervate the tone of the veins die. The disease passes to an incurable stage by therapeutic methods.
Varicose veins do not develop spontaneously, without the influence of triggering factors.
The latter include:
Of course, the presence of a provocative factor does not guarantee the appearance of the symptoms of the disease. However, the likelihood of such event development increases significantly.
Note:Varicose veins can also be iatrogenic. The changes occur under the influence of hormonal drugs that are used to treat osteoporosis, as well as in menopause. If signs of varicose veins appear in such a situation, the existing pharmacological therapy regimen should be canceled and a new one selected. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to correct the condition of the veins.
The timely diagnosis of varicose veins allows successful treatment of the veins without the use of complex medical techniques. Unfortunately, the first signs of the disease often go unnoticed, which makes the patient seek help too late.
To avoid this, consult your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
In a more advanced stage of the disease, patients notice the appearance of transient pain, aggravated after long walks and prolonged standing in the orthostatic position. Visually, in the region of the ankles, there is pasty swelling. At this stage, conservative therapy is still possible, but not for the process, it just delays it.
Do not rely on folk remedies and pharmacological therapy for people who have constant severity and pain, leg cramps, itchy skin, which is evidence of trophic disorders. The patients' veins are significantly dilated, deformed and strongly elastic. Only one operation will help to correct the situation.
Leg dilation has 4 stages of development. In the first stage of the disease, your symptoms may not appear at all. In some cases, there is a feeling of heaviness in the legs, rapid fatigue and the appearance of telangiectasias. Patients complain of recurrent swelling in the legs, which, however, can easily be relieved by taking a mild diuretic.
At the beginning of the second stage, the symptoms of the disease intensify, its signs become more vivid and noticeable. Patients complain of the appearance of noticeable lumps in the veins, numbness and periodic itching in the pathological zone, transient pain. Examination of the legs reveals edema, tissue mass.
In the third stage of development of varicose veins, the patient's condition is significantly worsened. The affected veins become significantly thick, deformed, hard and painful. Painful sensations become permanent. There is a high risk of thrombosis and thromboembolism. The formation of trophic ulcerations is possible.
Note:damage to varicose veins in the third stage of varicose veins can cause profuse bleeding, which can only be stopped in a medical institution.
Primary varicose veins are a form of the disease in which vascular changes develop independently, under the influence of triggering factors and the patient's genetic predisposition. The main ones include extensions that occur in women during pregnancy, standing work and obesity. In addition, the disease can be the result of wearing very tight underwear that constricts blood vessels and disrupts normal blood flow.
Secondary varicose veins are the result of another disease, in which the structure of the venous valve, its tone, as well as the structure and muscle layers of the vascular wall are interrupted. Secondary disease develops after some infectious processes, with tumors or vascular lesions.
As mentioned above, folk remedies for varicose veins are effective only in the early stages (1-2 stages) of the disease. The use of traditional medicine techniques should be done after consultation with the attending physician and a qualified assessment of the effectiveness of the selected medication. Today, herbalists consider the following herbal remedies to be the best:
To eliminate swelling, vinegar is used topically, in the form of a compress or bath. The tool helps to increase the tone of the vascular wall, relieve edema and activate blood circulation. The medicine must be handled with care, because if used incorrectly, it can cause chemical burns on the skin.
For a foot bath with apple cider vinegar, put 10 liters of cold water in a bowl and add 0. 5 liters of vinegar. After that, you must lower your legs in the resulting solution. The duration of the procedure is 7 minutes, the frequency is daily. The course of treatment can be 2-3 months or more. The water temperature for baths should not be below 20 ° C.
To apply a compress, the vinegar is diluted with cold water in the proportion of 1: 4 (vinegar: water). A soft cloth or gauze is dipped in the resulting solution, after which it is removed, squeezed until wet and applied to the shins. A plastic film is placed over the fabric and a bandage is applied. The duration of the procedure does not exceed one hour. The compress should be applied every other day, for 1-2 weeks.
Note:If you experience a strong burning sensation or discomfort during the procedure, treatment should be stopped. Vinegar in the wrong concentration can negatively affect the skin and can cause burns.
Blue or green clay is used to treat varicose veins. Before use, it is diluted with water until it forms a liquid mass. The resulting composition is applied to the soft tissue and applied to the diseased areas. For convenience, a bandage can be applied to the fabric, but this is not necessary. It is necessary to resist the compress for 40-80 minutes. The procedure should be performed on alternate days, 2-3 months or more, until a satisfactory result is achieved.
The dye is easy to make yourself. To do this, take 8 tablespoons of dried and crushed white acacia flowers, place them in a container of sufficient size and pour 20 ml of vodka. The resulting mixture is closed tightly with a lid and placed in a dry, dark place for 10 days. For better extraction of medicinal substances, it is recommended to stir the liquid daily. The final dye is filtered through a layer of gauze and used to scrub the legs.
Use the tincture before bed, after rinsing your feet with cold water. Cinnamon sticks and other areas where varicose veins are enlarged are carefully rubbed with the composition and allowed to dry. After that, it is recommended to place the members on the roll so that they are in an elevated position. The duration of treatment is 3 months, the frequency of treatment is daily.
For the treatment of varicose veins, horse chestnut is used in the form of alcohol tincture. For this, the crushed fruits are mixed with 96% ethyl alcohol in the proportion of 1: 3 and infused for two weeks. After that, the agent is filtered and used to apply compresses.
To apply a chestnut tincture compress, wet a piece of soft tissue in the preparation, squeeze well and apply to the affected area. Then the fabric is covered with polyethylene, and several layers of cotton or thick fabric are applied on top. The compress is kept for 30-40 minutes, after which the legs are wrapped in a warm blanket.
It is recommended to perform the procedure before bedtime, on alternate days. The course of treatment is 1 to 2 months, but if necessary, it can be extended.
Green tomatoes are used to treat varicose veins, which contain substances similar to acetylsalicylic acid. They have antiplatelet and anti-inflammatory effects. For treatment purposes, tomatoes are cut into circles, applied to diseased areas and fixed with cling film. The duration of the procedure is 8-12 hours (a compress with tomato is applied at night). The course of treatment is daily before bed, until the external manifestations of the disease disappear (usually not more than 3 months).
Cabbage, like tomatoes, has some vasoprotective effect. The leaves of the vegetables are sprinkled with water and then placed in a common cold room for a day. After the required period, the product is applied to the legs and fixed with polyethylene. The duration of the procedure is 5 to 6 hours, the frequency is daily. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
To eliminate the symptoms of varicose veins, several large potato tubers are peeled, washed and grated on a fine grater. The vegetable should acquire porridge consistency. The resulting product is applied to the legs and feet, spreading it over the skin. No additional porridge fixation is performed on the legs. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour, the frequency is daily, the duration of the course is 2 months.
Both bee submore and honey, propolis and other bee products contain anti-inflammatory and heparin-like substances that help to thin the blood. For the treatment of varicose veins, honey and propolis are used topically, submerged in their interior, poison - in the form of a bee sting in the affected areas.
Compressing with honey is applied according to the general rules for applying compresses. For this, the substance is applied on a cloth or gauze, applied to the affected area and covered with polyethylene. Then, the bandage is insulated with cotton and fixed with a bandage. Compressing with propolis by the execution technique is no different from honey. The medicinal composition is prepared by mixing propolis and vodka in the proportion of 1: 5. The duration of the procedure with honey is 2 hours, once a day; with propolis - 40 minutes once a day. The frequency of manipulation is every other day for 2-3 months.
The bee caterpillar is used in the form of alcoholic tincture. To prepare it, it is necessary to take 1 tablespoon of the medicine and mix it with 200 ml of 70% ethanol or vodka. After that, the medicine is left to infuse for 3 weeks in a dark, dry place. The tincture should be 20 drops, 3 times a day, over a 2-week course. You can repeat the course after an equal interval.
Bee venom is administered by sting. The procedure must be performed by a competent apitherapist, therefore, it is not appropriate to consider the characteristics of its application in the format of this article. Bee venom thins the blood, contains more than 50 substances useful for the human body, increases the tone of the vascular wall. The sting is performed directly on the areas affected by the varicose veins.
The decoction of the nettle is prepared with fresh or dried leaves of the plant. At the same time, the fresh leaves are turned into porridge and the dried leaves are ground to a powdery state. The prepared raw materials are poured out with boiling water. The proportion of solid and liquid fractions in the composition should be 1: 8. The mixture is placed over low heat and boiled for 3-5 minutes. Then it is cooled, filtered and ingested orally 1/3 cup (70 ml) three times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month.
The nutmeg decoction is prepared in a similar way to the preparation of the nettle decoction. The ratio of nuts to water in the mixture should be approximately 1: 5. The nut is pre-ground. It is necessary to take the medicine ready three times a day. The course of therapy is 3-4 months or more.
The washing powder itself does not have a noticeable anti-varicose effect. However, it is actively used for the preparation of ointments with several components.
The following recipe is considered to be the most effective:
Duration of application of the drug - 10 hours, frequency of treatment - daily. The course of therapy is 20 procedures.
The broth is prepared from dried marigold flowers, 2 tablespoons of which are poured into 400 ml of boiling water, burned and boiled for 15 minutes. After that, the agent is allowed to cool, filtered and taken 4 times a day, 100 ml. The course of treatment is until the symptoms of the disease disappear. The use of calendula decoction is recommended as an auxiliary method of therapy.
With the help of hirudotherapy, it is possible to reduce the viscosity level of the blood, improve its fluidity and prevent the formation of blood clots. Leeches are applied by a hirudotherapist. You should not use this treatment method alone. The course of therapy is 5 sessions, after which it is necessary to take a break of 2 months.
The treatment of varicose veins at home is not always possible. For the therapy to be successful, it is necessary to consult a doctor and strictly follow his instructions.
Otherwise, there may be negative consequences of treatment such as:
Contraindications for the treatment of varicose veins include the 3rd and 4th degree of pathology. In this case, the disease can only be eliminated through surgery. In addition, traditional medicine is not applicable with a high risk of thromboembolism, exacerbation of vascular insufficiency, severe disease with cramps in the calf muscles, deposition of a large amount of blood in the affected vessels and a large volume of the affected area.
Running with varicose veins is possible in the first and second stages. At the same time, it is recommended to avoid significant leg loads, giving preference to jogging and athletic walking. In the presence of thrombosis, as well as in the more advanced stages of the disease, running is not recommended.
It is possible to get rid of varicose veins running only at the beginning of the disease, when the veins are not yet stretched. At this stage, there is no clinical symptomatology of the disease. Therefore, the patient simply does not know the need to start classes. At the moment when the diagnosis of "varicose veins" is made, jogging is no longer able to fully cure the pathology.
Consultation with a doctor to check for varicose veins should take place as soon as possible. The more advanced the disease, the less likely the patient is to be completely cured. Ideally, if a person visits the clinic when the first signs are detected: heaviness in the legs, pain from flying when standing for a long time, swelling.
With varicose veins, diet plays a significant role in stabilizing the patient's condition and in restoring vascular tone.
Recommended to eat:
Dietary restrictions are consistent with a general preservation diet. It is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, excessively salty, spicy, sour and other foods that have irritating properties. Also, do not consume large amounts of coffee, tea and other drinks that have diuretic properties.
The basis of VVV prevention is the rejection of a sedentary lifestyle and static loads on the legs. It is recommended to do a short run or walk several kilometers every day. During the workday, you should take short breaks dedicated to leg gymnastics. In addition, you should eat the foods described in the previous section and wear compression tights if necessary. Moderate compression improves blood flow in the superficial veins.
Note:Even walking to the workplace will help prevent varicose veins, if it is located 2 to 5 kilometers from your place of residence. The refusal of a vehicle in favor of walking will save money, prevent the development of varicose veins and obtain a portion of good mood before the start of the workday.
Despite the apparent safety, varicose veins are a disease that, under certain conditions, represents a threat to human life. This is especially true for the final stages of pathological development, in which the vascular wall becomes thinner and its integrity is easily disturbed. Therefore, therapy with popular recipes should be started as soon as possible.
To avoid errors and the use of incorrect treatment methods, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting it.