Prevention of varicose veins in the legs

It is necessary to start preventing varicose veins in the legs when the first signs of stretching of the vascular walls are detected. If treatment is neglected, the disease will continue to develop, leading to serious complications. Lifestyle changes are essential to preventing the development of varicose veins. The patient must balance the daily routine, review the wardrobe and his food system. We will tell you about all the methods of further prevention of varicose veins.

The causes of varicose veins

Prevention of varicose veins affects all people, because every person is exposed to negative factors that cause the development of the disease. In the first place among them is physical inactivity. Most modern people spend 80% of their time in the office. Being in a sitting position adversely affects the function of the muscular device. Therefore, people who are thinking about how to protect their feet from varicose veins are obliged to include daily exercise in their program. Reasons for the development of the disease include:

  • abuse of fatty and sweet foods.
  • significant overweight;
  • serious leg injuries.
  • Bad Habits;
  • taking hormonal drugs.
  • excessive loads on the legs.

Before you start preventing varicose veins in your legs, you need to determine the degree of risk of developing the disease. There are certain groups of people who are more likely to develop this disease. They need to visit a venologist 1-2 times a year to prevent the appearance of varicose veins.

bad habits as a cause for the development of varicose veins

The most vulnerable groups of people

Prevention of varicose veins begins with determining if you are a person with a tendency to develop this pathology or not. Only a venologist can answer this question right after assessing the condition of the veins, but you can try to classify yourself. The following people are at high risk of developing varicose veins:

  • with hereditary predisposition to vascular diseases.
  • women who have given birth and are pregnant;
  • people who do heavy physical work and stay on their feet almost all day;
  • women who constantly walk in high heels.
  • lovers of spicy and overly salty foods.
  • alcohol users;
  • people who like to take very hot baths, go to the sauna.
  • women with dyshormonal disorders.
  • people suffering from increased swelling in the legs.

How to prevent varicose veins

How to avoid varicose veins 100%, doctors will not be able to say, tk. there is no such way. You can follow all the doctors' recommendations, but you are still treating this disease. On the other hand, the application of preventive measures contributes to the normalization of body functions and blood flow, which significantly slows down the development of the disease. The most effective means of preventing the development of varicose veins are:

  • physical education;
  • wearing comfortable shoes;
  • balanced nutrition;
  • normalization of body weight;
  • gymnastics;
  • Wearing compression hosiery;
  • performing foot massage.
  • choice of work with more normal working conditions.

Of course, not all recommendations can be immediately implemented in practice, but everyone can eat less fatty foods and exercise for 20 minutes a day. Do not be too fanatical about preventing the disease, because in the pursuit of improving the condition of blood vessels, you can seriously harm yourself.

exercise for the prevention of varicose veins

Moderate activity

Working with free weights and very intense physical activity will not be able to help fight varicose veins. On the contrary, they cause the destruction of the valves and the stretching of the vascular walls. Prevention of varicose veins involves performing specialized exercises that normalize blood flow. The lessons should be done at an intense pace and not cause you pain. Sports methods to prevent varicose veins include:

  • water aerobics and swimming;
  • racing walking;
  • easy running;
  • stretch.

Quality shoes

To prevent varicose veins, many doctors recommend wearing orthopedic insoles. They contribute to the even distribution of the load when walking. An important aspect is the shoes themselves. To avoid varicose veins at home, you can wear sneakers with props. The type of insole and the height of the lift should be chosen by the doctor. Shoes purchased must meet the following characteristics:

  1. Do not have a flat sole and heel higher than 6 cm.
  2. Sit well on your feet. Loose shoes on your feet increase the chance of injuring your ankle and pressing down will cause poor circulation.
  3. The sole / heel must be firm. Even summer shoes should have a non-slip coating.
comfortable and uncomfortable shoes for the prevention of varicose veins

Proper work

When it comes to preventing varicose veins in the legs, doctors recommend normalizing work and rest. For many patients, this is due to a change of job or specialization. Not everyone agrees to take such a radical step, but if you are currently in employment, then when choosing a new job, try to consider the following recommendations:

  1. Work should not be associated with hard physical work.
  2. You can not stay in one place for 7-8 hours. Look for companies where employees are allowed to wake up every 2-3 hours and are allowed to warm up slightly.
warm-up at work to prevent varicose veins

In general, any work can be done by warming up every hour. If you do not want to change your field of activity or specialty, then you can simply engage in physical education in the workplace. The main thing is not to allow blood to rise in the lower legs, which is caused by immobility of the lower leg.

Proper nutrition

If you have thoughts about how to avoid varicose veins in your legs, then pay attention to your diet. People who abuse fatty, salty and very sweet foods are more likely to suffer from this disease, because they are more likely to develop high cholesterol and overweight. To normalize bowel function, you need to eat plenty of fiber-rich vegetables. If you have practically not eaten raw carrots or cabbage up to this point, then you should not eat them immediately in kilos. Just eat 300 grams of such vegetables a day.

People with varicose veins should take care to maintain water balance. At least 1. 5 liters of clean water should be consumed per day. Juices, soups, teas are not included in this rule. They are perceived by the body as food, so they are quickly excreted by the kidneys and intestines. It is not desirable to use non-carbonated water. If you are prone to varicose veins, carbonated and sugary drinks should be excluded. A similar rule applies to beverages with high caffeine content.

Weight normalization

Maintaining a normal body mass index is important for preventing varicose veins. Simple physics works here. The heavier a person is, the stronger the pressure on the blood vessels. Of course, it is necessary to compare body weight with muscle mass, height and your own physique. At the same height, the difference in the weight of the mesomorph and the ectomorph can reach 15 kg.

Weight control to prevent varicose veins

If you decide that the amount of fat in your body is greater than the amount of muscle, then reduce the calories in your daily diet. This approach will allow you to lose weight without having a strong craving for food. If you drastically change your diet, it will lead to damage and re-increase in mass. To reduce the calories in your daily diet, you should include more vegetables that contain fiber. They will not only help you lose weight, but will also help normalize digestion.

Rejection of bad habits

Prevention of varicose veins in the legs affects all areas of human life. Bad habits are also on this list. Smoking, alcohol and the tendency to over-consume food have a devastating effect on blood vessels. This also includes a state of constant stress. Although it is relatively easy to deal with overeating, strong addiction to alcohol and smoking requires medical attention. A hobby or group therapy session can help relieve stress.

Discharge exercise

In the prevention of varicose veins of the legs, it is imperative to perform exercises that help relieve excessive tension from the muscles of the lower extremities. The maximum duration of such training is 5-10 minutes. Doctors recommend doing them at least once a day, but preferably twice a day. The following physical activities are considered useful:

  • Exercise bike. Lie down on a firm surface, lift your legs, and then begin cycling-like movements. If you can not immediately interact with your feet one by one, then just pull them alternately towards the body.
  • Exercise bike for the prevention of varicose veins
  • Bend / extension of the leg. The exercise is performed in a sitting position. It is necessary to make 20 movements with each leg.
  • bending and stretching of the legs to prevent varicose veins
  • Rolls from the heel to the toes. They help to disperse blood if a person is sitting for a long time.
  • rolling exercise to prevent varicose veins
  • Lift up to the toes. First, the actions are performed simultaneously with two legs and then alternately. At the highest point, you should stay for 10-15 seconds and then lower to the starting position.
  • Exercise on the toes to prevent varicose veins

Foot massage

If you are unsure about how to prevent varicose veins on your feet, try a gentle massage. By itself, the reflex effect on the skin and blood vessels has a tonic effect on the whole body. Due to short manipulations, blood and lymph flow is increased, the nutrition of the epithelium is normalized. The foot massage can be performed independently or assigned to a specialist. With a predisposition to varicose veins, pressure and stinging movements should be avoided during the procedures. The self-massage is performed as follows:

  1. The patient should sit on the floor or on a bed / sofa, bending the knee slightly.
  2. Rubbing movements should be done from the toes to the lower foot.
  3. The foot should be wrapped around the toes so that the thumb is on the back of the foot and everything else is inside.
  4. The part that wraps around your arms should be pressed lightly, moving slowly towards the top of the foot.
  5. The side surface of the heel should be wrapped with your toes on both sides and then squeezed for a few seconds. Next, you need to climb from the Achilles tendon to the knee.
  6. The process ends with stroking the feet.
self-massage of the feet to prevent varicose veins

Compression garments

The means of preventing varicose veins are different. Compression therapy is also one of them. If you wish, you can follow specialized physiotherapy procedures, when the pressure shock is performed with the use of specialized devices, but it is easier to buy medical socks and tights.

The compression sock must be selected separately. In the absence of predisposition, it is enough to wear underwear with an initial degree of compression. If you have symptoms of varicose veins, then the doctor should deal with the choice of the shirt. The recommendations for choosing medical linen are as follows:

  1. It should be comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable with the first fitting, then this underwear is not right for you.
  2. The compression class should be in accordance with the doctor's recommendations. If you have been told to wear first-class compression stockings, then you can not buy zero-quality knee-high socks.
  3. The products must be of high quality. It is better to buy compression stockings in specialty stores and not in the market or in sales, because there is a high probability that you will come across a fake one, which will stretch over time and will cease to have a therapeutic effect on the legs.

Additional recommendations

Measures to prevent varicose veins include the use of specialized external cosmetic products (gels, creams, etc. ). They cool the surface of the feet, which contributes to the natural contraction of blood vessels. People with a tendency to varicose veins of the legs should avoid overloading the muscles of the lower extremities. Hygiene is important to prevent the onset of the disease. It is recommended not only to thoroughly clean the skin of the feet, but also to take a contrast shower. It also has a local irritating effect on blood vessels, which improves skin tone.

How to stop varicose veins

Varicose veins prevention and treatment are closely linked. The spread of the disease can be stopped in the early stages with the help of medication and alternative treatment, but with a disease that develops rapidly, only surgery can help. A venologist should develop a treatment plan for a patient with varicose veins. It is impossible to choose medicines independently and participate in any oriental practices. Any rash action can worsen the condition of the blood vessels.

Pharmacotherapy

Drugs are able to stop the development of varicose veins in the early stages. As a rule, the disease begins to form because the vessels do not have enough nutrients to keep the walls elastic. In this case, there is often an increased accumulation of blood in the extremities. Venotonics / phlebotonics - medicines that improve the outflow of fluid from the feet. They also help to restore the vascular walls. They are:

  • natural;
  • in combination;
  • synthetic;
  • based on rutozide.

With high blood viscosity, patients are prescribed heparin drugs. They help improve blood flow, but are contraindicated in people with a tendency to bleed.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help reduce the pain of the second stage of varicose veins. They also help relieve the itching and burning sensation that often accompanies this disease. External treatments promote skin healing. The duration of use of the medication should be determined by the doctor, but often the typical course of treatment is 6-8 months, so you should not expect that all the symptoms of the disease will disappear within 2 weeks after the use of the medication.

Traditional therapy

In the early stages, the disease is not considered life-threatening, but it should not be allowed to get carried away. Sclerotherapy is a traditional minimally invasive method of preventing the further development of varicose veins. Can be used to remove stars and small vessels. Traditional therapy includes:

  • sound sclerotherapy?
  • microsclerotherapy?
  • heat coagulation;
  • electromagnetotherapy?
  • darsonvalization;
  • electrical stimulation;
  • manual lymphatic drainage;
  • the use of elastic compression of the legs.
  • hydrotherapy;
  • spa therapy?
  • pressure therapy.

All of these techniques help prevent further development of the disease. They activate the natural process of vascular regeneration.

Unconventional methods

You can improve the condition of the feet with the help of mud therapy. The patient should remember that the wrappers should only be cold. Warming the veins with varicose veins is very harmful to the body. Ayurveda helps to get rid of chronic stress that causes blood vessels to stretch. This is one of the varieties of alternative medicine, based on the Hindu philosophical system. Various plants are used there as medicines. Non-traditional methods of treating varicose veins include:

  • yoga;
  • homeopathy;
  • physiopathy;
  • Tibetan gymnastics.

Surgery

With varicose veins of the lower extremities, the most effective way to normalize blood flow is a specialized operation. The perfect methods of surgical treatment of the disease are characterized by minimal invasiveness and rapid return of the patient to normal life activity. They allow you to get rid of the affected veins completely, which slows down the development of the disease. Modern methods of surgical treatment of varicose veins include:

  • short undressing;
  • video endoscopic surgery;
  • microcephaly?
  • laser coagulation;
  • phlebectomy?
  • insurance.

These methods are most often used to treat varicose veins. The method of surgical removal of the vessel is chosen by the doctor based on the size of the vein and its general condition. Sometimes it is necessary to cut off only part of the vessel and sometimes it is necessary to completely eliminate it and create an alternative channel for blood flow.

Folk method

Folk remedies that improve the condition of the veins are divided into external and internal. If you are not sure that the cause of the development of varicose veins was the large number of platelets, the use of various tinctures should be postponed, because they contain herbal decoctions that help dilute the blood. Effective external treatments for varicose veins:

  • Coniferous salt baths. 300 grams of dry matter are added to hot water and then immersed there. If pine salt is not sold in your area, you can replace it with baking soda. It is recommended to take such baths 2-3 times a week.
  • Apple cider vinegar compresses. The product is diluted with water in a ratio of 1 to 1 and then applied to the skin. The top of the leg is wrapped with bandages and then everything is fastened with plastic wrap. You can simply apply apple cider vinegar 2-3 times a day. Irritating to veins.
  • items for a compress to prevent varicose veins
  • Rubbing with horse chestnut. A ready-made tincture based on this plant can be purchased at a drugstore or you can prepare it yourself. In the latter case, you will need cores with the skin of the plant. 400 grams of dry product is poured with 1. 5 liters of vodka and then injected for a week in a dark place. Once the tincture is ready, they begin to wipe the parts of the feet that have been damaged by varicose veins.
  • horse chestnut for the prevention of varicose veins

Prevention forecast

In women with a low predisposition to the development of the disease, in the prevention of varicose veins in the legs, it develops in only 5% of cases. The disease is mild, so it can be treated quickly. With a moderate predisposition to the disease, the disease occurs in 30% of patients. Most often it is a mild to moderate form of the disease. With a strong tendency for varicose veins, the disease progresses rapidly to a moderate form. Without prevention, the disease quickly becomes serious, which further complicates further treatment.

Clinical examination of the population

All citizens can have a free medical examination. In general, not all medical examinations are important, but only a visit to the surgeon and the results of a general blood test. The surgeon may notice the first changes in the blood vessels and then refer you to a venologist. You should also be careful if platelets dominate the printing of a general blood test, you should visit a venologist. This may indicate vascular thrombosis.

How to avoid varicose veins during pregnancy

During the transport of a baby, the load on a woman's internal organs increases greatly. During pregnancy, the risk of developing varicose veins of the legs, small pelvis and external genitalia increases. Especially the risk increases in the II and III trimester, when the fetus begins to develop actively. A venologist can tell you in detail how to prevent leg varicose veins in pregnant women. All precautionary measures should be initiated in consultation with him. Doctors recommend a woman in a position:

  • wear comfortable shoes with low heels (completely flat soles are also harmful).
  • try not to drink too much liquid.
  • go to water aerobics for pregnant women.
  • I put my feet up more often during the day.
  • wear a compression and support jersey.

Why disease prevention is important

It is much easier to think about how to prevent varicose veins in the legs than to treat an already formed condition. Many people with this condition have a genetic predisposition to develop it. The main purpose of the precautionary measures is to maintain the normal condition of the boat. This can be done in several ways. All precautionary measures can be divided into 2 types:

  • is aimed at people with a hereditary predisposition to the disease or who face adverse working conditions.
  • addressed to patients suffering from any stage of varicose veins.

About 80% of phlebologists believe that preventing a disease is much easier than treating it, so all conscientious citizens should spend at least 10-20 minutes a day caring for their feet.