With varicose veins, blood stagnates within the valves of blood vessels, which causes the veins to expand and swell. The process is accompanied by a color change. The veins, as a rule, in the legs, acquire a purple or bluish tint, become noticeable (they project above the surface of the skin). Varicose veins are considered a cosmetic defect, but some people susceptible to this pathology have physical diseases.
Medicines for varicose veins relieve the following symptoms:
- pain (particularly when walking);
- swelling;
- feeling of heaviness (or fullness) at the location of the varicose veins;
- seizures (most often at night);
- skin modification and appearance of concomitant pathologies (dermatitis, eczema).
Important! It is impossible to completely cure varicose veins, but several therapeutic methods help to contain the manifestations of the pathology and its subsequent development.
How to recognize the first signs of varicose veins?
To start treating varicose veins in time, you need to know which symptoms indicate an impending illness. There are 6 stages of varicose veins:
- the onset of the disease, which is indicated by edema, heaviness in the legs and nocturnal cramps in the leg muscles, nocturnal change in the temperature of the legs - they are hot or cold;
- the first stage is characterized by the appearance of spider veins;
- in the second, thickening of the veins and formation of nodules in them;
- the third adds severe swelling of the legs at night.
The last two stages are the formation of trophic ulcers. The change in the skin color of the legs in the affected areas should also alert. It has a brown tint. The greatest success in treatment can be achieved in the early and early stages. Therefore, at the first symptoms, it is necessary to consult a doctor and start treatment.
The problem of varicose veins is especially acute for pregnant and lactating women. The manifestations of the disease worsen the condition and the possibilities of treatment are limited. Therefore, when evaluating drugs for varicose veins, we will pay attention to the possibility of their use in these periods.
Groups of drugs used to treat varicose veins
For the treatment of varicose veins, several types of drugs are used: ointments, creams, pills, injections. All medicines belong to one of the following groups:
- Disintegrating. Medicines that relieve pain and concomitant symptoms (fever, burning, headache). They also tend to thin the blood. With varicose veins, drugs in this group are often prescribed in the form of tablets or injectable solutions.
- Phlebotonic. They are used in the treatment of chronic varicose veins. The drugs increase the elasticity of blood vessels and strengthen their walls, in addition to improving blood microcirculation. With prolonged use, phlebotonics interrupt the symptoms of varicose veins and prevent the development of pathology.
- Anticoagulants. Medicines to thin the blood. They are used to reduce the visibility of veins, reduce swelling. They have a predominantly cosmetic effect.
- Antioxidants. They are used to accelerate fluid flow, increase elasticity and strengthen blood vessels. Antioxidants help to combat the cosmetic manifestations of varicose veins (reticular veins), but they also have a therapeutic effect.
Also during treatment, the doctor may prescribe decongestants and saline injections.
Important! In addition to medication, compression stockings are used to combat the manifestations of varicose veins. They can be special socks or tights that impede the progression of the pathology.
Disintegrating
Disinfectants or antiplatelet agents should only be used after consultation with the doctor or for a short period of time. The drugs in this group make the blood more fluid and can cause several side effects:
- prolonged bleeding;
- drops in blood pressure (blood pressure);
- dizziness, malaise.
Important! An absolute contraindication to its use is heart failure (regardless of the stage of the disease).
Taking acetylsalicylic acid alone is dangerous, as side effects can occur (in particular, a marked decrease in the rate of blood clotting).
Important! Antiplatelet agents, associated with anticoagulants, increase the risk of thrombosis, therefore, the use of drugs in these categories is recommended separately.
Phlebotonic
The phlebotonic group preparations have a complex effect on the body. With varicose veins, they perform the main therapeutic functions: they increase the elasticity of blood vessels and stabilize blood flow.
Most effective substances in this category:
- Rutoside. It refers to the group P vitamins. The substance is contained in several dosage forms (in particular, in tablets). Rutoside is found in vegetables, fruits and berries.
- Pentoxifylline. It has a positive effect on blood microcirculation and its rheological properties (fluidity, viscoplasticity). Pentoxifylline medications also act on blood vessels to increase their elasticity.
- Hesperidin. A substance that reduces the elasticity of veins, reduces blood congestion and the permeability of capillary walls. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
The preparations in this group are extracted from natural compounds. Due to their natural origin, medications have minimal side effects.
Anticoagulants
Preparations from the anticoagulant group have anticoagulant properties. A popular drug in this category is heparin. It is a direct-acting drug. It is presented as a solution for injection. It is administered intravenously (in especially severe cases) or subcutaneously (as part of a complex therapy).
Important! The above medications should not be used for bleeding and pregnancy. In addition, anticoagulants are not recommended for women during lactation (breastfeeding).
Antioxidants
Antioxidant drugs are used more often to prevent or reduce the risk of progression of varicose veins. These drugs are optional.
Additional recommendations
To alleviate the painful symptoms of varicose veins, you need to take warm or hot baths, exercise and go to the bath more often. The set of exercises depends on the stage of the disease.
In addition, direct exposure to sunlight (and, in principle, any heating of the area where the pathology is located) helps from varicose veins. However, when using this method, it is important to use products with a sun protection factor to not accelerate skin aging and increase the risk of developing cancer.
Pills for varicose veins
Self-medication for varicose veins is the most popular method of therapy. The Internet is full of miraculous recipes about apple cider vinegar, leeches and other magical technologies, and our fellow citizens believe that. Varicose veins can now be cured cheaply or even free of charge by certified specialists, but miracle shamans are still very popular. These are probably remnants of the primitive communal system of our ancestors. Only pain can make a person run after a doctor, we will diligently clean simple varicose veins with various unpleasant things in the hope that someday they will resolve.
Remedy for varicose veins
The vast majority of people, choosing between the surgical treatment of any disease (in our case, with varicose veins) and possible non-invasive treatment, whether capsules, pills for varicose veins, gels, ointments, herbs and infusions, will choose the latter, mainly from all screens they will transmit about its effectiveness and the uselessness of any operations. The amount of information for numbing patients can be assessed by the number of advertisements for pills and creams for varicose veins across all federal channels, where happy girls run easily after rubbing their healthy legs with miracle cream or taking miracle pills.
So, what to do and take in case of varicose veins?
Before the standard offer to contact our center, we will talk about really effective methods that can facilitate the course of the disease.
In this section, we suggest forgetting the terribly effective pills that "help" with varicose veins and remember the traditional and proven methods.
Massage and bath for varicose veins
Massage, unlike many cheap phlebotonics in advertising, is a method of active treatment of varicose veins, helping to prevent edema, in the removal of swelling, fatigue of the lower extremities and reduction of general body fatigue.
The Innovative Vascular Center uses all types of modern massages, especially for pathologies of the lymphatic and venous systems. Exclusive methods - lymphatic drainage massage technology with bandage, which relieves chronic venous insufficiency very effectively.
In chronic venous insufficiency, massage is used to eliminate venous hypertension in varicose veins and in post-thrombotic syndrome. The combination of this technology with bandage allows to effectively eliminate all clinical manifestations of the disease.
Therapeutic massage is a very effective remedy for the symptomatic treatment of varicose veins in the legs, but it provides only temporary relief. We use manual lymphatic drainage in patients with severe edema in patients with lymphatic venous insufficiency. There is no need to be afraid to "pull out blood clots" with this treatment, but in case of an exacerbation it should not be used.
But bathing is a completely different matter: with varicose veins, thrombophlebitis of the lower limbs or post-thrombotic disease, it is very dangerous. Any thermal stress can cause the formation of blood clots in deep veins, transported by the bloodstream, with all the resulting consequences. Dehydration in the bath leads to "thickening" of the blood. You should not be exposed to unnecessary risks. The varicose veins in the bath will not disappear and thrombophlebitis may occur.
Laser treatment of varicose veins
Varicose veins - a disease that does not tolerate deposits in treatment. Without paying due attention to the course of the disease, the person himself unwittingly aggravates his situation, increasing the likelihood of an operation.
Medicine is developing every day and it is good that today there are alternatives to surgical intervention - treatment of varicose veins with laser.
Laser treatment of varicose veins is the same effective method as surgery, but an absolutely painless treatment.Unlike drugs, a particular advantage is speed. Laser treatment is used in hospitals, beauty salons, when it is necessary to remove a slight degree of varicose veins - spider veins.
First, the doctor injects painkillers into the patient and uses a laser to glue the damaged veins. After such a procedure, the patient must wear compression underwear for one year.
The first results are visible within 5 to 7 months after laser treatment. Many patients prefer this solution to the problem, because laser therapy, unlike pills and other medications, is quick, cheap, effective and does not hurt.
Folk remedies for the treatment of varicose veins
Sometimes it happens that, due to individual intolerance to any pills and drugs, the person is forced to abandon traditional treatments for varicose veins.You don't have to be upset, because natural ingredients are included in the same creams, ointments and other preparations from the store.Many harmful chemicals are added only to them.
However, it should not be forgotten that all folk remedies are effective only in the initial stage of varicose veins. Prescriptions for traditional medicines, like traditional medicines, aim to improve blood circulation.
Before effective drugs to combat varicose veins appeared, our ancestors used homemade creams, ointments, infusions, birch leaf lotions, chestnuts, burdock, apple cider vinegar, hops, calendula. These drugs didn't treat sore legs any worse than many modern drugs and expensive pills.
For example, a natural medicine from crushed infused Kalanchoe leaves was rubbed on the legs for a month, the pain syndrome disappeared and the venous nets became less visible. A similar natural preparation worked very well and was clearly not inferior to the tablets.
With pronounced symptoms that bring discomfort and discomfort to everyday life and suspicion of varicose veins in your legs, you do not need to prescribe pills and medications independently. It is recommended to visit a phlebologist who will professionally select an individual remedy for the treatment of varicose veins.
Horse chestnut
In folk medicine, the first place belongs to horse chestnut. The effectiveness of the treatment of varicose veins is due to the content of several substances in the plant:
- escina strengthens the walls of blood vessels, dilutes blood and has an antibacterial effect;
- esculina prevents the formation of a vascular network (strengthens capillaries and other small vessels) and blood clots;
- tannins have the ability to bind proteins and fix them on the vascular wall, thus increasing their resistance;
- rutin reduces the permeability of the vascular wall;
- Kaempferol helps in tissue regeneration, heals ulcers and has anti-cancer effects.
The result of using folk remedies based on horse chestnut is obtained with natural treatment. It is expressed in the reduction of edema, swollen veins, feeling of heaviness, itching and pain disappear. The disadvantage of the horse chestnut is the impossibility of treating it during delivery and breastfeeding. Like any folk remedy, it is just a complement to drug therapy. Effective remedies were created based on horse chestnut extract.
Apple cider vinegar
Even official medicine recognizes its benefits in the treatment of varicose veins. A large amount of useful substances - acids, amino acids, vitamins and minerals - make it possible to fight various manifestations of varicose veins at the same time. The application of apple cider vinegar allows:
- normalizes vascular tone;
- increases skin elasticity and avoids the thinning that usually accompanies the disease;
- removes the swelling;
- to increase the smooth muscle tone;
- relieves inflammation due to the antiseptic properties of apple cider vinegar.
Commercial apple cider vinegar is not suitable for treating varicose veins. The homemade version is easy to make with fresh apples. There are two possible forms of use - external and internal. For baths, compresses, packages and baths, concentrated vinegar is used. For oral administration, it must be diluted. The tool can only be used in the absence of a threat of blood clots.
Compression aids
Compression stockings and high tops are 50% of the success of varicose veins treatment. Its main objective is to improve the functioning of the venous valve mechanism, the venous-muscular pump and the microcirculation, that is, the capacity of the capillaries to absorb extracellular fluid. These goals are achieved by applying pressure to the muscles at specific locations. There are preventive underwear, there are doctors. The more severe the disease stage, the more pressure must be exerted by the socks. The prophylactic is available for free, the drug is sold only on prescription.
Bandages for wound healing
The final stages of varicose veins are characterized by the appearance of trophic ulcers. This is a serious condition that often requires hospital treatment and nursing care. To help with trophic ulcers, different means are used, depending on the condition and the stage of treatment. One is a dressing to help clean the wound and absorb the exudate.
Our review is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation for using the above treatments for varicose veins. Specific consultations can only be made by the attending physician, according to the patient's condition and individual body characteristics.
Effective drugs for the prevention of thrombosis in varicose veins
Thrombophlebitis is a common complication of varicose veins in the lower limbs, especially during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Low molecular weight heparin is a proven medication for the prevention of vascular thrombi. For the prevention of thrombophlebitis after treating varicose veins in our clinic, pills are used. The course of treatment with tablets is 7 days after the intervention with laser or radiofrequency.
It is best to consult a phlebologist and then, as a specialist with a higher medical education, he will do a comprehensive examination and prescribe the appropriate treatment, including drug therapy (the best pills for odious varicose veins), but still a curemost effective for varicose veins will be - laser coagulation.
Remember that the best medicine for any disease, even for varicose veins, is an active and healthy lifestyle. Therapeutic exercises, walking outdoors strengthen the venous wall better than any pill. The right way to work and rest, the use of an elevated position to relieve tension in your legs, swim in the sea and in the pool - these measures are the best preventive and curative means. Do not assume that if the packaging of the antistax pills says "made from grape leaves", they are no longer chemical preparations. Why poison yourself with ineffective drugs, if it is impossible to remove varicose veins with their help.