Varicose veins of the lower extremities (from the Latin varix - “knot”) is one of the most common vascular diseases of the lower extremities; according to various sources, it affects from 20% to 40% of the adult population of developed countries.One of the main symptoms of the disease is the appearance of varicose veins, the formation of varicose nodes, and thinning of the venous wall, which leads to the appearance of valvular insufficiency of the veins and the development of symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency (CVI).In turn, the manifestation of CVI is accompanied by a whole complex of symptoms such as heaviness in the legs, swelling, fatigue, burning, cramps at night, impaired trophism of the skin and soft tissues (dermatocellulitis).Venous insufficiency, sooner or later, develops in all patients with varicose veins.
Modern medicine has achieved stunning results in the treatment of varicose veins with a good cosmetic effect from the treatment, long-term results, and a minimal frequency of disease relapses.
However, part of the population is still afraid of surgical interventions and does not go to see a specialist.Our article is dedicated to this part of the population.
The most common folk methods for treating varicose veins of the lower extremities to this day remain hirudotherapy (or treatment of varicose veins with leeches), herbal medicine (herbal medicine), contrast foot baths, all kinds of ointments and rubs, and, of course, diet therapy.Let's look at each of these methods in more detail.
Hirudotherapy
Treatment with leeches has long been used by doctors for a variety of diseases.Wall paintings discovered in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs of the 18th dynasty (1567-1308 BC) already contain information about treatment with leeches.They were widely used by doctors of Ancient India, Greece, Rome, as evidenced by the works of the classics of ancient medicine - Claudius Galen (II century AD), Antillus (IV century), Avicenna (X-XI centuries) and many others.The healing properties of leeches have been used for atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease, varicose veins, inflammatory processes, joint diseases and many other pathological processes.
The healing properties of leeches are associated with their saliva, which, when bitten, enters the patient’s bloodstream.Saliva contains about 30 enzymes and biologically active substances, including hirudin, which helps thin the blood, and this in turn prevents the formation of blood clots and improves microcirculation at the site of the bite.
The most common place for placing leeches for varicose veins are points located in a checkerboard pattern on both sides of the vein and retreating from its edge by 1-3 cm. Many hirudotherapists also recommend placing leeches in those areas of the lower third of the leg where the skin has undergone the greatest trophic changes.The number of leeches used ranges from 6 to 10 and depends on the length of dilated veins and the severity of local pathological changes.The course of treatment can include from 5 to 15 sessions.At the end of the procedure, an elastic bandage or compression stockings must be applied.
Our attitude to this type of treatment is very skeptical, since the treatment is aimed only at preventing thrombosis, which often occurs with varicose veins, but nothing more.Hirudotherapy only smoothes out the symptoms of the disease and does not imply elimination of the main cause of the development of varicose veins - elimination of reflux (discharge) of blood through pathological veins, and therefore cannot be considered as the main method of treating varicose veins.In the case of pronounced trophic changes in the patient’s skin, treatment with leeches can lead to serious complications, infection and necrotization of the skin.
Herbal medicine (herbal treatment) for varicose veins
Currently, herbal medicine as an independent method of treating varicose veins is not seriously considered by either herbalists or their opponents.Herbal medicine can only be used as a supplement to the main course of treatment or it can be recommended as a preventative measure.Certain combinations of herbs, when used correctly and regularly, help strengthen and increase the tone of the venous wall, help prevent the formation of blood clots, and have an anti-inflammatory effect.The most famous and proven herbal medicine, long accepted in classical medicine, is horse chestnut.Various remedies are prepared from flowers, fruits or leaves for external or internal use, strengthening the venous wall, relieving inflammation, thinning the blood and reducing its coagulation activity.Verbena and red grape leaves are also among the well-known venotonics.Horsetail, knotweed and lungwort help strengthen the venous wall and normalize metabolic processes in connective tissue.Dandelion has approximately the same properties thanks to phospholipids, which are part of all parts of the plant.
To improve blood circulation in the capillaries and prevent thrombosis, plants are used that contain various groups of substances - coumarins or salicylates that reduce blood clotting: sweet clover, toadflax, meadowsweet, raspberry, peony and others.
To one degree or another, almost all of the herbs listed have an anti-inflammatory effect, but this property is most strongly expressed when using plants rich in tonins and gallic acid: bergenia root, buckthorn leaf or oak bark.
Thus, herbal medicine can be used in the treatment of varicose veins, but only as an addition to surgical or other (more or less) radical treatment.
Anti-varicose ointments and gels
If we talk about varicose veins and treatment with ointment or gel, then this dosage form, used for the purpose of thinning the blood, anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) effect, improving the reparative properties of the skin against the background of chronic venous insufficiency, is widely used among patients.What is important is the quick effect, safety and harmlessness of its use.Varicose veins treated with ointment may stop or slow down if these topical medications are used correctly.The effectiveness of existing ointments depends on the components that form its basis.However, using ointments, you will not be able to completely stop the progress of varicose veins, but you will be able to alleviate the clinical symptoms of the disease.You should not regard any remedy and information about it as a direct guide to getting rid of varicose veins on your own; we strongly advise you to consult a phlebologist for recommendations.
Diet therapy for varicose veins.
Diet therapy for varicose veins is a very important component of successful treatment of the disease.If you are overweight, then you definitely need to lose weight.If your position, or rather money, allows you, then you can simply treat yourself to seafood, such as squid, shrimp, seaweed, and so on.In addition to protein, they contain many useful substances, such as copper and bioflavonoids.Seafood will promote elastin production.This is a substance that strengthens the walls of blood vessels and prevents them from stretching; when the vessels are saturated with such a substance, they will be more resistant to changes in blood pressure.The diet for varicose veins should also be rich in vitamins, so let’s move on to them.Rutin (or vitamin P) is found in chestnuts, hazelnuts, and chokeberry.It has a very useful property: it reduces the permeability of veins, thereby reducing swelling of the legs.Another vitamin that can help in the fight against varicose veins is vitamin C. Its useful property is to prevent blood clots.Eat more foods containing vitamin E, legumes, sprouted grains of rye and wheat, egg yolk, liver, green onions, olive, corn and soybean oil.
In case of varicose veins, it is necessary to exclude marinades from the diet, any rich, spicy and smoked foods.Coffee, no more than one or two cups a day and with milk, and it is best to replace it with green tea.Drinks containing alcohol are contraindicated, since alcohol retains water in the body, which increases the load on the venous system.You should give up sweets and flour (any baked goods), be it a cake or a bun.
Foot baths, contrast showers, physical therapy for varicose veins.
With varicose veins, as with any vascular pathology, physical activity is of great therapeutic importance.Currently, specialists have developed a set of physical exercises for varicose veins, regularly performing which can reduce the manifestations of venous insufficiency, slow down the development of varicose veins and seriously reduce the risk of developing dangerous complications of varicose veins.Regular physical exercise will help strengthen the veins of the lower extremities.All of the above can be fully attributed to foot baths and contrast showers.
And yet, in conclusion, let us once again recall that the treatment of varicose veins is a complex of therapeutic measures, the sequence and volume of which can only be determined by an experienced specialist.None of the methods we have listed above guarantee a 100% cure for this disease.Avoid complications of varicose veins.