Varicose veins are diseases that quickly become chronic. The disease causes changes in the length and diameter of veins, the appearance of lymph nodes, and the thinning of vein walls. Varicose veins usually appear during pregnancy. At this time, women's bodies are under a huge burden against the background of hormonal changes.
Reason
If we consider the causes of varicose veins during pregnancy, we can distinguish the following main reasons:
- Weight change.During pregnancy, due to a weight gain of ten kilograms or more, veins appear on the legs, which leads to increased pressure and load on the blood vessels.
- Hormonal changes in the body.In the process of fetal formation, women’s hormonal background is constantly rebuilt, which damages blood vessels-blood vessels lose their elasticity, become fragile, and are prone to varicose veins.
During pregnancy, veins appear on the legs due to a weight gain of ten kilograms or more.
- During pregnancy, as the amount of circulating blood increases, the function of the venous valve changes. It should be noted that the varicose veins after pregnancy will not disappear without treatment.
- Genetic factors. If the parents of a pregnant woman have varicose veins, they are likely to show the same disease.
- Choosing the wrong clothes and shoes. Sometimes mothers-to-be may be surprised at the origin of varicose veins, but they did not expect tight clothes and high-heeled shoes to cause it;
- Reduced physical activity. Pregnant women are in the veins of the legs. If the pregnant woman does not move much and does not perform special exercises, blood stagnation will begin to occur.
Some causes of varicose veins during pregnancy are easy to eliminate-just change your habits.
Symptoms and signs
Varicose veins in early pregnancy are difficult to detect because there are no obvious symptoms.
However, if you experience the following symptoms, it is worth contacting your doctor:
- The feeling of heaviness and pain in the legs;
- Edema, especially at night, if you sit for a long time;
- convulsions, especially at night;
- Redness or darkening of the skin;
- The appearance of the vascular network;
- Sealed on the skin, trophic ulcers appear;
- It is easy to touch the veins and get inflammation during pregnancy.
Types of varicose veins during pregnancy
There are several types of varicose veins during pregnancy. The most common diseases are:
- in the groin;
- on the leg;
- in the vagina;
- in the womb.
The symptoms of small pelvic varicose are similar to some gynecological diseases, so it is the most difficult to diagnose. With every pregnancy, the risk of labial varicose veins also increases (the symptoms are most obvious after physical exercise or sexual intercourse).
Diagnosis
Varicose veins and pregnancy have a great impact on a woman's body and cause extra stress on many organs. Therefore, it is important to detect the disease as early as possible.In order to identify varicose veins in pregnant women, duplex ultrasound is currently used. This modern diagnostic method has replaced the previously performed ultrasound blood vessel scanning and Doppler mapping. Perform a duplex ultrasound examination within 20 minutes and provide detailed information about the condition of the deep and superficial veins.
In some cases, for other diagnostic purposes, please execute:
- Segmental Doppler.A simple but reliable test that indicates the condition of the arteries, establishing patency and narrowing.
- BMR (magnetic resonance venography).If varicose veins are diagnosed during pregnancy, this test allows you to assess the state of the blood vessels without using a contrast agent, without causing any harm to the body.
- Computed tomography venography.It uses contrast and allows you to assess the state of deep blood vessels. If the symptoms of varicose veins are not clear, such tests should be performed.
Disease treatment methods
Not all methods can be used to treat varicose veins after pregnancy. For example, during pregnancy, injections of certain drugs cannot be used; surgery is not always possible. These restrictions also apply to women who have varicose veins on their legs but plan to become pregnant within the next two years.
Surgical treatment
As mentioned earlier, due to treatment options, varicose veins during pregnancy are very dangerous. However, in some cases, if the medication is not enough, surgery is required. For example, if it expresses severe thrombophlebitis or an incurable trophic ulcer.
In most cases, surgery is performed at a gestational age not exceeding six months, and sclerotherapy or frequency ablation is used, and further surgery is performed after pregnancy. After surgery, special underwear must be worn and therapeutic exercises performed-these recommendations apply to the postpartum period.
Nowadays, if severe varicose veins are found during pregnancy, they will practice using lasers instead of scalpels. Modern technology allows you to quickly and safely defeat varicose veins.
Drugs
Doctors know very well what the risks of varicose veins are, so they recommend contacting an expert on the first manifestation of the disease. In this case, a series of venotonic drugs and means of standardizing blood density are prescribed. There are many types of special ointments and gels for external use, including those containing ginkgo biloba. Any medicine that affects venous tone is serious, so you can only take it according to the schedule recommended by your doctor.
Alternative Therapy
People have been dealing with the tandem "pregnancy and varicose veins" for a long time. Therefore, earlier and even today, folk remedies such as lotions, tinctures, ointments, baths, etc. are also widely used for treatment. Of course, if the disease is ignored, these techniques are only regarded as adjuvant therapies, but in the early stages, alternative treatments are very effective.
Compressive tincture:
- Hop Tin agent can well overcome the early stage of varicose veins during pregnancy. You need to take a tablespoon of bumps, pour in 200ml of boiling water and keep it for 20 minutes. After that, the solution was filtered and used for compression. In a similar manner, an infusion is prepared from the flowers or leaves of the horse chestnut tree. This compress can be used at night and stay on the leg until morning.
- The veins during pregnancy are treated with peeled horse chestnut powder: Pour 50 grams of this powder into 200 ml of vegetable oil, and massage the legs with the resulting composition before going to bed;
- If early varicose veins are detected during pregnancy, use scalded cabbage leaves for dressings to reduce inflammation, pain and swelling.
It is recommended that varicose veins on the legs during pregnancy be treated with a variety of medicinal infusion trays, and the choice of each pharmacy is wide enough. It is recommended to use when doing this:
- Do not exceed the temperature of the bath liquid over 38 degrees;
- Take a bath for no more than 15 minutes;
- Relaxing massage after surgery;
- Lie down for 30-40 minutes at the end of the bath, raising your legs.
Pregnant women’s varicose veins can also be treated by oral herbal medicine:
- Prepare a decoction for aquatic clover flower: Pour 1 tablespoon of chopped flowers into a thermos, and then pour 400 ml of boiling water. After two hours, strain the broth, 4 times a day, 1/2 cup each time.
- You can collect flowers from coltsfoot, strawberry and lingonberry leaves, five-leaf motherwort, and calendula and burnt flowers. Mix the ingredients in equal parts, pour 2 tablespoons of the resulting mixture into 400 ml of boiling water and keep in a water bath for 15 minutes. After that, you need to store the collection in a warm place for 40 minutes. Drink ½ cup 4 times a day.
Disease prevention
Like any disease, varicose veins in the legs must not only be treated, but also preventive measures must be taken to prevent the disease or avoid its recurrence:
- It is not recommended to sit or stand for long periods of time. It is best to lie on your side to reduce pressure on the legs and pelvic veins.
- To reduce pressure on the veins of the legs, keep your legs elevated when lying or sitting.
- To make your leg veins easier during pregnancy, please wear special compression stockings. This kind of underwear helps redistribute blood through veins, stimulate blood in leg veins, and reduce the possibility of blood clots. It is recommended to wear compression knitwear not only during pregnancy but also during the second half to two months of pregnancy.
Remember, varicose veins in the legs are rare among people who exercise and have a healthy lifestyle. Even light exercise can maintain health and reduce the risk of varicose veins.