Varicose veins are a vascular disease associated with a thinning of the blood vessel wall and the formation of aneurysm-like dilations. The disease occurs both in young and old, more often in women. The main method of treating varicose veins is surgery. However, the operation is performed only on patients with severe forms of the pathology. The initial stages of varicose veins lend themselves to drug treatment and therapy with drugs from the arsenal of traditional medicine. How are varicose veins on the legs treated with folk remedies? What does this require? When should you stop using herbal prescriptions and see your doctor?
The root cause of varicose veins is a weakening of the venous valves of the vascular system of the legs and a decrease in muscle tone of the vascular wall. The described phenomenon leads to the fact that part of the blood in the venous vessels begins to flow downwards, overloading the vessels and stretching them. Later, the muscle fibers responsible for directing the atrophy of blood flow 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 provoking factors.
These include:
Of course, the presence of a provoking factor does not guarantee the onset of symptoms of the disease. However, the probability of such a development of events increases significantly.
Note:Varicose veins can also be iatrogenic. The changes occur under the influence of hormonal drugs used in the treatment of osteoporosis, as well as during menopause. If signs of varicose veins appear in such a situation, the existing pharmacological treatment regimen should be canceled and a new one should be selected. Otherwise, it will be extremely difficult to correct the condition of the veins.
Timely diagnosis of varicose veins allows successful venous treatment without resorting to complex medical techniques. Unfortunately, the first signs of the disease very often go unnoticed, causing the patient to seek help too late.
To prevent this, see your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:
At a later stage of the disease, patients notice the appearance of transient pain, which is aggravated after long walks and prolonged standing in an upright position. Visually, in the area of the ankles there is a pasty swelling. At this point, conservative therapy is still possible, but it does not stop the process, but only slows it down.
Do not rely on folk remedies and pharmacological therapy for people who have constant severity and pain, leg cramps, itching, which is evidence of trophic disorders. The veins of the patients are considerably dilated, deformed and tightly elastic. Only an operation will help correct the situation.
The dilation of the legs involves 4 stages of development. At the first stage of the disease, its symptoms may not appear in any way. In some cases, there is a feeling of heaviness in the legs, fatigue, telangiectasias appear. Patients complain of recurrent leg swelling, which, however, can be easily relieved by taking a mild diuretic.
At the start of the second stage, the symptoms of the disease intensify, its signs become more vivid and noticeable. Patients complain of the appearance of visible nodes in the veins, periodic numbness and itching in the area of pathology, transient pain. Examination of the legs reveals edema, a pasty tissue.
At the third stage of development of varicose veins, the patient's condition is significantly worsened. The affected veins become considerably thickened, 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 heavy bleeding, which can only be stopped in a medical organization.
Primary varicose veins are a form of the disease in which vascular changes develop independently, under the influence of provoking factors and the genetic predisposition of the patient. The main ones include the extensions that occur in women during pregnancy, during standing labor and obesity. Also, the disease can be the result of wearing too tight underwear which constricts blood vessels and disrupts normal blood flow.
Secondary varicose veins are a consequence of another disease, as a result of which the structure of the venous valve, its tone, as well as the structure and muscle layers of the vascular wall are disturbed. A secondary type of disease develops after certain 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 methods should be done after consultation with the attending physician and a qualified assessment of the effectiveness of the selected drug. Today, herbalists consider the following herbal remedies to be the best:
In order to eliminate puffiness, vinegar is used topically, as a compress or as a bath. The tool helps to increase the tone of the vascular wall, relieve edema and activate blood circulation. The drug should be handled with care, because if not used correctly it can cause chemical burns to the skin.
For an apple cider vinegar foot bath, pour 10 liters of cold water into a basin and add 0. 5 liters of vinegar to it. After that, you need to lower your legs into the resulting solution. The duration of the procedure is 7 minutes, the frequency is daily. The duration of treatment can last from 2 to 3 months or more. The water temperature for the baths should not be lower than 20 ° C.
To apply a compress, dilute the vinegar with cool water in a 1: 4 ratio (vinegar: water). A soft cloth or gauze is soaked in the resulting solution, after which it is removed, squeezed until wet and applied to the shins. Plastic wrap 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 to 2 weeks.
Note: If a strong burning sensation or discomfort occurs during the procedure, the treatment should be discontinued. Vinegar in the wrong concentration can have negative effects on the skin, including burns.
Blue or green clay is used to treat varicose veins. Before use, it is diluted with water to obtain a liquid paste. The resulting composition is applied to soft tissue and applied to diseased areas. For convenience, a bandage can be applied to the fabric, but it is not required. It is necessary to withstand the compress for 40-80 minutes. The procedure should be carried out every other day, 2-3 months or more, until a satisfactory result is obtained.
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 tightly covered with a lid and placed in a dry, dark place for 10 days. For better extraction of medicinal substances, it is recommended to shake the liquid daily. The finished tincture is filtered through a layer of gauze and used for rubbing the legs.
Use the tincture before bed, after rinsing your feet with cold water. The shins and other areas where there are varicose enlargements are carefully rubbed with the composition and allowed to dry. After that, it is recommended to place the limbs on the roller so that they are in the raised position. The duration of treatment is 3 months, the frequency of treatment is daily.
For the treatment of varicose veins, horse chestnut is used as an alcohol tincture. To do this, the crushed fruits are mixed with 96% ethyl alcohol in a ratio of 1: 3 and infused for two weeks. After that, the agent is filtered and used to apply compresses.
To apply a compress with horse chestnut tincture, soak a piece of soft cloth in the preparation, squeeze it carefully and apply to the affected area. After that, 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, every other day. The course of treatment is 1-2 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 the purpose of processing, 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 tomatoes is applied at night). Treatment is administered daily before bedtime, until the external manifestations of the disease disappear (usually no more than 3 months).
Cabbage, like tomatoes, has some vasoprotective effect. Vegetable leaves are sprinkled with water, after which they are placed in a common room of the refrigerator for a day. After the required period, the product is placed on the legs and fixed with polyethylene. The duration of the procedure is 5-6 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 a consistency of oatmeal. The resulting product is applied to the legs and feet, spreading it over the skin. Additional fixation of oatmeal on the legs is not carried out. The duration of the procedure is 1 hour, the frequency is daily, the course duration is 2 months.
Bee submore and honey, propolis and other bee products contain anti-inflammatory and heparin-like substances that help thin the blood. For the purpose of treating varicose veins, honey and propolis are used locally, immersed inside, poison - in the form of a bee sting on the affected areas.
Honey compress is applied in accordance with the general rules for applying compresses. For this, the substance is applied to a cloth or gauze, applied to the affected area and covered with polyethylene. Then the bandage is isolated with cotton and fixed with a bandage. Compressing with propolis by the technique of execution is no different from honey. The medicinal composition is prepared by mixing propolis and vodka in a ratio 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.
Bee worm is used as an alcoholic tincture. To prepare it, you need to take 1 tablespoon of the drug and mix with 200 ml of 70% ethanol or vodka. After that, the drug is left to infuse for 3 weeks in a dark, dry place. The tincture should be taken 20 drops, 3 times a day, in 2 weeks. You can repeat the course after an equal break.
Bee venom is administered by sting. The procedure should be carried out by a competent specialized apitherapist, therefore, it is inappropriate to consider the features of its implementation 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 in the areas affected by varicose veins.
Nettle decoction is prepared from fresh or dried leaves of the plant. At the same time, the fresh leaves are ground into a porridge, the dry leaves are ground into a powder. Prepared raw materials are poured with boiling water. The ratio of solid and liquid fractions of the composition should be 1: 8. The mixture is put on low heat and boiled for 3-5 minutes. After that, it is cooled, filtered and taken orally 1/3 cup (70 ml) three times a day. The duration of treatment is 1 month.
Nutmeg decoction is prepared in a similar way to the preparation of nettle decoction. The nut / water ratio in the mixture should be approximately 1: 5. The nut is pre-crushed. It is necessary to take the finished drug three times a day. The course of therapy is 3-4 months or more.
Laundry soap itself has no noticeable anti-varicose vein effect. However, it is actively used for the preparation of multi-component ointments.
The following recipe is considered the most effective:
Duration of drug application - 10 hours, frequency of treatment - every day. The course of therapy is 20 procedures.
Broth is prepared from dried calendula flowers, 2 tablespoons of which are poured with 400 ml of boiling water, put on fire and boiled for 15 minutes. After that, the product is left to cool, filtered and taken 4 times a day, 100 ml. Treatment lasts until the symptoms of the disease disappear. A decoction of calendula is recommended as an auxiliary therapeutic method.
With the help of hirudotherapy, it is possible to reduce the level of viscosity of the blood, improve its fluidity and prevent the formation of blood clots. Leeches are applied by a hirudotherapist. You should not use this method of treatment on your own. The course of therapy is 5 sessions, after which it is necessary to take a break of 2 months.
Treating varicose veins at home is not always possible. In order for therapy to be successful, it is necessary to consult a doctor and strictly follow his instructions.
Otherwise, the possible negative consequences of the processing, 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 by surgery. In addition, traditional medicine is not applicable with a high risk of thromboembolism, exacerbation of vascular insufficiency, severe course of the disease with cramps of the calf muscles, deposition of large amounts of blood in the vesselsaffected and a high 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 heavy loads on the legs, giving preference to jogging and running walking. In the presence of thrombosis, as well as in advanced stages of the disease, jogging is not recommended.
It is possible to get rid of varicose veins by running only at the very beginning of the disease, when the veins are not yet stretched. At this stage, clinical symptoms of the disease are absent. Therefore, the patient simply does not know that it is necessary to start classes. By the time the diagnosis of varicose veins is made, jogging is no longer able to completely cure the pathology.
Consult a doctor for varicose veins should take place as soon as possible. The more advanced the disease is at this stage, the less likely the patient will be completely cured. Ideally, if a person goes to the clinic at the time when the first signs are detected: heaviness in the legs, flying pains when standing for a long time, puffiness.
With varicose veins, diet plays an important role in stabilizing the patient's condition and restoring vascular tone.
Recommended for eating:
Dietary restrictions are compatible with a generally thrifty diet. It is forbidden to take alcoholic beverages, excessively salty, spicy, acidic and other foods that have irritating properties. Also, do not consume large amounts of coffee, tea and other drinks with diuretic properties.
The basis of VVV prevention is the rejection of a sedentary lifestyle and static loads on the legs. It is recommended to take a short jog or walk a few kilometers each day. During the working day, you should take short breaks from leg gymnastics. Additionally, you should eat the foods described in the previous section and wear compression tights if necessary. Moderate compression improves blood circulation in the superficial veins.
Note:Even walking to the workplace will help prevent varicose veins, if it is located at a distance of 2 to 5 kilometers from the place of residence. Refusing a vehicle in favor of hiking will save money, prevent the development of varicose veins, and restore a good mood before starting the work day.
Despite the apparent safety, varicose veins are a disease which under certain conditions poses a threat to human life. This is especially true for the later stages of the development of pathology, in which the vascular wall becomes thinner and its integrity is very easily disturbed. Therefore, therapy using folk recipes should be started as soon as possible.
In order to avoid errors and the use of incorrect treatment methods, it is necessary to consult a doctor before starting it.