Physical pain is an unpleasant and multifaceted feeling. The presence of a pain factor signals that there is a problem in the body. By locating and describing the type of pain the patient is experiencing, the specialist will be able to identify its source and cause. If the presence of varicose veins is suspected, then for an accurate differentiation of the problem, general clinical studies (blood, urine) and, probably, instrumental tests will be necessary.
But to independently determine the presence of a problem and refer it to a specialist, it is important to highlight it in the context of usual fatigue or malaise. What kind of pain does a person experience with varicose veins? What is its specificity? And what treatment is possible in this case? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.
Leg pain with varicose veins: symptoms and causes
Pain with varicose veins is not the only manifestation of this disease, but it causes serious discomfort. How severe are leg pains with varicose veins? Of course, there are differences in individual sensitivity thresholds, but the intensity of most pain syndromes is due to the peculiarities of the actual pathological process.
Opinion of an 'expert
Leg pain with varicose veins includes a wide range of unpleasant sensations: pain, spasms, cramps, burning, distension and pressure along the venous bed. They are sudden, painful and throbbing.
As a rule, the pain syndrome is felt less or more acutely, depending on the position in which the body is found, whether or not it is currently overloaded with some load. Pain also has a characteristic like time dependence. This means that, with the arrival of a certain time of day, the pain syndrome starts to intensify. Thus, intense pain with varicose veins occurs from the second half of the day. Varicose veins in the uterus and varicose veins in the small pelvis, in which severe pain is often felt in the lower abdomen, also have a similar dependence on time.
An insidious disease such as varicose veins covers the entire limb and can cause pain in the leg joints, calf muscles, and popliteal cavity. The person experiences the most acute unpleasant sensations in the area of neurovascular formations. In the area where the vascular bundle is more superficially, edema of the legs may occur. This is another sign that varicose veins are progressing and there is already a violation of lymph flow. Does swelling make leg pain worse? Of course. Swelling, formed by disturbances in the venous system of the lower limbs, is characterized by compaction of the affected vessel and even by a local increase in temperature. The combination of signs such as pain in the vein and its deformation, persistent and persistent edema, and trophic changes indicate stage II varicose veins. This stage is considered an advanced form of the disease. To avoid this, it is important to know the triggering factors of this vascular disease and its exact symptoms.
The presence of at least one of the following symptoms should alert you and prompt you to seek medical advice:
- a feeling of heaviness in the legs and a feeling of muscle weakness;
- tingling and burning along the veins;
- feeling of internal pressure or "swelling";
- appearance of telangiectasias and increased venous pattern;
- bulge of deformed veins;
- trophic skin changes;
- long, non-healing wounds on the legs;
- edematous phenomena;
- numbness of the lower extremities;
- leg muscle cramps;
- pain syndrome.
No illness occurs on its own. There are definitely factors that can be called provocative. Varicose veins are no exception, therefore, their appearance can be caused by:
- hereditary predisposition;
- congenital weakness of connective tissue and vascular walls;
- inactive lifestyle and static sports;
- excessive physical activity;
- standing or sitting for an extended forced period (eg at work);
- inadequate nutrition and overweight;
- the presence of bad habits;
- pregnancy and childbirth;
- Hormonal imbalance;
- soft tissue injuries;
- surgical intervention;
- liver disease.
Due to the presence of these factors in a person, he/she is included in the risk group for the development of vascular pathology. How to minimize the risk of developing the disease? What can you do if you start to feel pain in your legs? How and how to relieve or reduce leg pain with varicose veins? How to help relieve symptoms of varicose veins and how to treat blood vessels later in our article.
Leg pain with varicose veins: prevention and treatment
Before starting to dedicate yourself to the prevention and treatment of vascular diseases, is it worth understanding a little why there are leg pains with varicose veins? Leg pain with varicose veins is due to the fact that an irreversible pathological process occurs in the veins, under the influence of which they stretch and deform, blood circulation is disturbed and venous stasis occurs. Therefore, preventive and treatment measures will be aimed at strengthening the walls of the veins, and not exclusively at eliminating pain. With varicose veins, the legs require special care and attention. What to do when the first signs of the development of the pathology start to appear?
The first thing to do when something hurts is to see a doctor.
If, after a series of manipulations, a specialist discovers that the pain is caused by varicose veins, then the appropriate treatment will be chosen. It will help to eliminate the manifestations of varicose veins and improve the quality of life, because varicose veins are not a sentence.
In the treatment of absolutely any disease, first and foremost is the recommendation to change one's lifestyle. It is simply impossible to be a healthy person with a passive lifestyle, bad habits, an imbalance in the daily routine and an inadequate diet. Therefore, the first step that will help to eliminate leg pain with varicose veins will be a qualitative change and the formation of a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to harmonize the way of work and rest. Labor should not be associated with excessive physical and mental stress. Rest should include a full, healthy night's sleep. Free time should be spent actively - staying outdoors and playing sports. The latter include swimming, athletic walking and aerobics. Any not hitting and not overwhelmed with powerful physical activity classes.
Opinion of an 'expert
For the venous walls to be strong and elastic, it is important to eat properly. Here, depending on the stage of the disease and its dynamics, a specialist can offer a therapeutic diet. The main principle on which it is built is balance. The diet should include foods fortified with vitamins, fiber, vegetable fiber, flavonoids, etc. It is useful to eat lean chicken or beef, as well as lean white fish, berries and fruits with vitamin C, dried fruits (raisins, dates), almost all vegetables, nuts and pulses, cereals, as well as non-carbonated natural drinks. It is necessary to exclude fried, salty, smoked and spicy foods.
If for some reason an additional source of nutrients is needed, then a specialist will prescribe it - a complex of venotonic vitamins and plant extracts, acting simultaneously in several directions, due to the content of active natural components in its composition. By taking this remedy, you can strengthen and clean the venous vessel walls, improve blood circulation, reduce capillary permeability and fragility.
Furthermore, depending on which specialist determines the stage of the disease, it will also depend on how the disease will be treated - conservative or radical.
Conservative treatments include:
- taking medications;
- the use of external products;
- physiotherapy;
- wearing medical compression stockings.
The use of medications will stop damage to the venous bed, control the level of blood viscosity and the formation of blood clots, in addition to having an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect. Taking medications in combination with the use of local remedies will increase the positive effect on the veins. You can use a varicose vein pain ointment or cream not only for treatment but also for prevention. The action will depend on the composition of the product. The components included can be synthetic and natural. Products with synthetic composition are used not only to eliminate swelling, fatigue and pain, but also to recover from vein surgery. Varicose veins in their early stages, during pregnancy or at risk, can be resisted using products with natural composition. Its effectiveness is directly related to the natural active principles included in the composition. The foot cream with chestnut extract, green tea and ginkgo biloba has a venotonic effect, which will help to eliminate pain in legs with varicose veins. Thanks to the use of this cream, you can relieve inflammation and pain, as well as improve the appearance of your skin.
Medical gymnastics will make an important contribution to improving the venous system.
Daily exercise, no more difficult than morning exercises, will help to remove the unpleasant sensations of numbness in the limbs, cramps and a feeling of heaviness. The set of exercises is selected individually, taking into account the possibilities and the situation. At home, the most popular are "Bike", "Scissors" and a support in the shoulder blades. In an office environment, sitting at a desk, you can also stretch your legs by simply turning your feet, bending and bending your toes.
To improve blood circulation, relieve unpleasant symptoms such as swelling and pain, daily wear of compression stockings is recommended. The type of product and the degree of compression are selected taking into account the dynamics of the disease.
Radical therapy includes invasive and minimally invasive methods. Specialists try to use them last, in cases where conservative treatment does not help or the situation is assessed as difficult.
Take care of your health!