Physical pain is an unpleasant and multifaceted sensation. The presence of a pain factor is a signal that there is a problem in the body. By locating and describing the type of pain experienced by the patient, the specialist will be able to identify the source and cause. If the presence of varicose veins is suspected, general clinical studies (blood, urine) and, possibly, instrumental examinations will be necessary for a precise differentiation of the problem.
But in order to independently determine the presence of a problem and accompany it to a specialist, it is important to highlight it against the background of the usual fatigue or malaise. What kind of pain does a person experience with varicose veins? What is their specificity? And what treatment is possible in this case? You will find answers to these and other questions in our article.
Pain in the legs with varicose veins: symptoms and causes
Pain with varicose veins is not the only manifestation of this disease, but it causes severe discomfort. How serious is leg pain with varicose veins? Of course, there are differences in the individual sensitivity thresholds, but the intensity of most pain syndromes is due to the peculiarities of the actual pathological process.
Expert opinion
Pain in the legs with varicose veins includes a wide range of unpleasant sensations: body aches, spasms, cramps, burning, distension and pressure along the venous bed. They are of a sudden, painful and thrilling character.
As a rule, pain syndrome is felt less or more acutely, depending on the position in which the body is located, whether or not it is loaded with a load at the time. Pain also has such a characteristic as time addiction. This means that with the arrival of a certain time of the day, the pain syndrome begins to intensify. So, severe pain with varicose veins occurs from the second half of the day. Varicose veins of the uterus and varicose veins of the small pelvis, in which strong aching pains are often felt in the lower abdomen, also depend on the weather.
An insidious disease like varicose veins covers the entire limb and can create pain in the joints of the lower leg, calf muscles and popliteal cavity. The person experiences the most acute unpleasant sensations in the field of neurovascular formations. In the area where the vascular bundle is located more superficially, edema of the legs may additionally occur. This is another sign that varicose veins are progressing, and there is already a violation of lymphatic outflow. Does the swelling make your leg pain worse? Yes of course. Pockets, formed as a result of disorders of the venous system of the lower extremities, are characterized by compaction on the affected vessel and even 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 provoking factors of this vascular disease and its exact symptoms.
Even the presence of any of the following symptoms should alert you and prompt you to seek medical attention:
- a feeling of heaviness in the legs and a feeling of muscle weakness;
- tingling and burning along the veins;
- feeling of internal pressure or "bloating";
- the appearance of telangiectasias and an increase in the venous pattern;
- bulging of deformed veins;
- trophic skin changes;
- long, non-healing wounds on the legs;
- edematous phenomena;
- numbness of the lower limbs;
- muscle cramps in the legs;
- pain syndrome.
No disease occurs on its own. There are certainly factors which can be characterized as provocative. Varicose veins are no exception, so its occurrence can be caused by:
- hereditary predisposition;
- congenital weakness of connective tissue and vascular walls;
- inactive lifestyle and static sports;
- excessive physical activity;
- forced standing or prolonged sitting (for example, at work);
- inappropriate nutrition and overweight;
- the presence of bad habits;
- pregnancy and childbirth;
- Hormonal imbalance;
- soft tissue injuries;
- surgical intervention;
- liver disease.
Based on the presence of these factors in a person, it 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 have pain in your legs? How and how to relieve or reduce pain in the leg with varicose veins? How to help relieve the symptoms of varicose veins and how to treat the blood vessels, later in our article.
Leg pain with varicose veins: prevention and treatment
Before you start to engage in the prevention and treatment of vascular disease, it is worth understanding a little about why there is pain in the legs with varicose veins. Pain in the legs with varicose veins occurs 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 measures and treatment will be aimed at strengthening the walls of the veins, and not exclusively getting rid of pain. With varicose veins, the legs require special care and attention. What to do when the first signs of the development of pathology begin to appear?
The very first thing to do when something hurts is to see a doctor.
If, after a series of manipulations, a specialist finds out that the pain is caused by varicose veins, the appropriate treatment will be selected. It will help to eliminate the manifestations of varicose veins and improve the quality of life, because varicose veins are not a phrase.
In the treatment of absolutely any disease, first of all it is recommended to change your lifestyle. It is simply impossible to be a healthy person with a passive lifestyle, bad habits, imbalance in daily routine, and poor diet. Therefore, the first step that will help eliminate pain in the legs with varicose veins will be a qualitative change and the formation of a healthy lifestyle. It is necessary to harmonize the mode of work and rest. Work 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 in the great outdoors and playing sports. These include swimming, fitness walking, aerobics. All non-hitting and not overloaded with powerful physical activity classes.
Expert opinion
For the venous walls to be strong and elastic, it is important to eat well. Here, depending on the stage of the disease and its dynamics, a specialist can suggest a therapeutic regimen. The main principle on which it is built is balance. The diet should include foods enriched with vitamins, fiber, vegetable fibers, flavonoids, etc. It is useful to eat lean meat of chicken or beef, as well as lean white fish, berries and fruits with vitamin C, dried fruits (raisins, dates), almost all vegetables, nuts andlegumes, cereals, as well as natural non-carbonated drinks. It is necessary to exclude fried, salty, smoked and spicy.
If for some reason an additional source of nutrients is required, a specialist will prescribe it - a complex of venotonic vitamins and plant extracts, simultaneously acting in several directions, due to the content of active natural components in its composition. By taking this remedy, you can strengthen and clean the walls of venous vessels, improve blood circulation, reduce capillary permeability and fragility.
In addition, depending on the specialist who determines the stage of the disease, it will also depend on how the disease is treated - conservative or radical.
Conservative treatments include:
- to take pills;
- the use of external products;
- physiotherapy;
- wear medical compression stockings.
The use of drugs will stop the damage to the venous bed, control the level of blood viscosity and the formation of blood clots, and also have an antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effect. Taking drugs in combination with the use of local remedies will increase the positive effect on the veins. You can use ointment or cream for varicose vein pain not only for treatment, but also for prevention. The action will depend on the composition of the product. The components it contains can be both synthetic and natural. Products with a synthetic composition are used not only to eliminate swelling, fatigue and pain, but also to recover from venous surgery. Varicose veins in their early stages, during pregnancy or at risk can be combated by using products with a natural composition. Their effectiveness is directly linked to the natural active ingredients entering into the composition. Foot cream with extracts of chestnut, green tea and ginkgo biloba has a venotonic effect, which will help to eliminate pain in the legs with varicose veins. Through the use of this cream, you can relieve inflammation and pain, as well as improve the appearance of the skin.
Medical gymnastics will make an important contribution to improving the venous system.
Daily exercise, no more difficult than morning exercises, will help to eliminate the unpleasant sensations of numbness in the limbs, cramps and feelings 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 on the shoulder blades. In an office environment, sitting at a desk, you can also stretch your legs by simply rotating your feet, bending and unfolding your toes.
To improve blood circulation, relieve unpleasant symptoms such as swelling and pain, the daily wearing of compression stockings is recommended. The type of product and the degree of its compression are chosen taking into account the dynamics of the disease.
Radical therapy includes both invasive and minimally invasive methods. Specialists try to resort to it last, in cases where conservative treatment does not help or the situation is considered difficult.
Take care of your health!