Stages of varicose veins

Being a fairly common disease of the veins and arteries, varicose veins are accompanied by characteristic manifestations that make it possible to diagnose the disease early and prevent its worsening. There are certain stages of varicose veins, which are accompanied by certain symptoms and can become indicators of both the neglect of the pathological process and the opportunity to detect current changes.

However, phlebologists today do not have a consensus on the isolation of the stages of the disease, as the rejection of manifestations and their characteristic course are not fixed values: each case has its own characteristics of the manifestation and course of this disease and in the backgroundof current faults in the body, there is a high probability of manifestations of lubrication, which may affect the correct diagnosis.

The main parameters for determining the stage of varicose veins

The stages of varicose veins are usually formed depending on the set of certain manifestations that characterize the degree of neglect of the current pathological process, as well as their effect on the patient's body as a whole. Classifying the manifestation of this disease is the simplest method of preliminary diagnosis and determination of the treatment regimen.

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To determine the stage of this disease, it is necessary to answer some specific questions that will allow the understanding of the existing symptoms and, with their help, to determine the degree of deterioration of the process, which largely determines the therapeutic possibilities. treatment.

These topics include:

  • the presence of characteristic manifestations of varicose veins and their degree of manifestation;
  • location and severity of symptoms;
  • the presence of external manifestations of changes in the condition of the veins and large arteries,
  • recognition of concomitant manifestations that worsen the patient's condition.

However, even without a detailed diagnosis by a venologist, during an external examination of the patient, it is possible to make a preliminary diagnosis, which will make it possible to draw up a regimen of therapeutic results and, depending on the individual specific characteristics of the body. of the patient, the presence of current co-morbidities and sensitivity to ongoing exposure, make some adjustments to treatment. It is important during the diagnosis of the patient's condition to determine what types of varicose veins appear, their location and the degree of neglect of the pathological process.

Most often, varicose veins affect the lower extremities, as this is the area of the human body that receives the most significant loads. At the same time, not everyone is aware of this load on the legs, and it does not protect them even in the presence of many events that signal the need for more careful posture in the limbs and veins. Therefore, in order to understand how the stages of varicose veins differ, it is necessary to obtain at least general ideas about the manifestations of this pathology, which is distinguished by the severity and major risks to the health of the legs and the human body as a whole.

The peculiarities of the classification of varicose veins

The stages of varicose veins can differ in the form and location of the current pathological process in the veins. This approach is more convenient for understanding the degree of neglect of the disease and also makes it possible to determine the cause of the onset, which will eliminate earlier the current manifestations of this condition and the characteristic symptoms.

The types of varicose veins differ in various specific parameters. The use of a specific classification allows you to determine the existence of an existing disease in a group, which facilitates further diagnosis and selection of a treatment system. The modern classification according to the position of the main nodes of the varicose veins is as follows:

  1. Varicose veins are located in the superficial layer of the skin and in the deep veins, while the external manifestations are characterized by segmentation - changes in the condition of the veins are noted only in a specific area of the veins.
  2. The varicose veins of the superficial and perforated veins, which is also observed in some parts of the skin.
  3. Changes in the condition of the veins, in which varicose veins are diagnosed and pathological changes in the superficial veins in an unexpressed form, regress.
  4. Varicose veins are observed in the deep veins, the development of reflux.

The presence of reflux indicates the presence of a specific pathology, as with reflux, the blood flows in the opposite direction. This phenomenon usually exacerbates the pathological process of changes in the veins, stimulating the deterioration of the varicose veins, followed by covering an increasing area of veins and arteries. All types of varicose veins can have signs of reflux, which is already a specific pathology and requires medical intervention.

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Understanding the severity of the disease makes it possible to start treatment early, and even the initial stage of the process, which has a relatively small number of external manifestations, is dangerous for the health of the feet. Grade 1 varicose veins can be virtually asymptomatic, but this does not mean that there is no need to treat the disease.

An external examination of the affected veins with damaged veins will allow the specialist to approximate the possible cause of this disease. However, in order to clarify the diagnosis, a full range of diagnostic procedures must be performed that will allow the degree of prevalence of the autologous procedure to be determined, as well as the correction of the desired therapeutic result in order to achieve the most intense and long-lasting positive results. The classification will help in the diagnosis according to the external manifestations of the disease, as well as in the determination of the system of therapeutic effects.

Classification according to the degree of deterioration

Today, the generally accepted method of classification should be considered a variant that divides the course of the disease into certain stages. Each of them has characteristic manifestations, with the beginning of the next stage, there is a greater degree and intensity of symptoms, a large prevalence of the affected area.

The classification of the disease, which is made according to the degree of neglect, is as follows:

  • Early stage of varicose veins - in the initial stage of the pathological process, there is a gradual accumulation of characteristic manifestations of the disease, which are not always observed by the patient. This stage is often called latent: a person can clear up the unpleasant sensations after a whole day spent on his feet for elementary fatigue, the presence of some excess weight. If, however, we add to the factors listed the period of expectation of the child, heredity (if there is at least one close relative with the existing varicose veins, one can safely assume his own tendency to develop this disease on his own), then acan ignore the manifested pathological changes in the veins of the lower extremities for a long time.
  • the first stage is already characterized by manifestations such as periodic numbness of the legs (especially with prolonged maintenance of one position and standing position), pain in some parts of the legs, feeling of tension in the legs and veins due to deterioration of the quality of the blood circulation process, veins simultaneously expand and strong tension. Externally, the first stage of the disease is manifested by the appearance of small areas with visible veins and blood vessels, which can bother the patient when pressing such an area.
  • Grade 2 varicose veins can have the following characteristic manifestations:
    • The pain becomes more intense, increasing until the end of the day.
    • Bruises and areas with lesions and capillaries appear on the skin, which are visible even to the naked eye.
    • the degree of deterioration increases, which is revealed by an increase in the area of the lesion.

    In the second degree of this pathological process, there is intense heaviness in the legs, there may be a feeling of bursting of veins and skin, the so-called geese in the legs and in the folk area, which is not related to external factors. Grade 2 varicose veins are still treatable. In later stages, the process of disease exacerbation continues at a faster pace and affects more and more areas of the lower extremities, while the treatment process is difficult and does not always give positive results.

  • 3rd degree varicose veins are less curable. All the characteristic symptoms worsen, the pain becomes more severe and the affected area covers most of the foot. The condition and color of the skin of the feet changes: they acquire a darker shade, the skin itself becomes an unhealthy structure, which looks more and more like dead skin. At this stage, varicose veins almost always require surgery, as there is a high risk of developing and separating a clot from the vessel wall, which can clog the lumen of the vessel and lead to serious consequences in the form of a risk of limb amputation. The third stage is the most dangerous due to the high probability of concomitant negative manifestation during treatment.

There are also capillaries, in which the small blood vessels receive load, the quality of blood circulation gradually deteriorates, characteristic signs appear in the form of increased fatigue of the limbs, the appearance of swelling of the affected tissues and a change in skin color at the site. damage.

Varicose veins have stages that gradually become more complicated, while the method of treatment is determined by both the location of the lesion and the subjective manifestations of the disease. Anyone who has noticed at least one of the signs of this terrible disease should remember that the chance of the disease going to a deeper stage in a short time and a significant deterioration in the health of the lower extremities is high. Also, in the absence of the necessary treatment, the patient may become disabled - as shown by medical statistics, this, on average, takes about 11 years from the time the first characteristic manifestations of the disease appear.

Why is treatment necessary?

Varicose veins of the lower extremities or VBNK, accompanied by a gradual deterioration of blood circulation, the appearance of increasingly profound symptoms, requires an immediate medical response. When detecting varicose veins of the lower extremities, a more detailed diagnosis of veins and blood vessels is made, the degree of neglect of the procedure is determined.

Lower extremity disease needs treatment due to the rapid deterioration of the current pathological process, affecting more and more areas. People with disabilities are more likely to stay, especially at an older age, when there is a general suppression of basic bodily functions and a reduction in disease resistance. In the presence of concomitant damage, the treatment of varicose veins in the legs is even more difficult.

As the disease is characterized by different types (or stages), which differ in the degree of aggravation of the pathological process, treatment should be carried out according to the results of diagnostics performed, as well as taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism.