What is saphenous varicose vein?
Saphenous varicose vein is a common disease that can develop all year round, mostly because the saphenous vein valve loses its “one-way valve” and the blood flows backwards, causing stasis in the saphenous vein, presenting a worm-like vein mass or greenish-purple line vessels. Female patients are troubled by the hot summer and dare not wear skirts and bare legs, and when the condition is serious, the ankle will be blackened and ulcerated, and the bleeding will not stop easily, which seriously affects people’s health. Therefore, we should pay great attention to the prevention and early treatment.
Who are more likely to suffer from saphenous varicose veins
Varicose veins are closely related to occupation and living habits, those who need to stand or sit for a long time at work, such as
l. You stand or sit for more than 2 hours a day
2. You are pregnant
3, you feel sore and fatigue in your legs after a day of work
4.You have visible capillary dilation on your legs that does not protrude from the body surface
According to the survey, the incidence of varicose veins in China is increasing year by year, and the incidence of the population has a tendency to be younger. Epidemiological statistics show that the incidence rate is about 25% or more, and individual occupations such as primary and secondary school teachers, shopping malls, bank clerks and manual laborers can be as high as 38%. Its high incidence has seriously affected the health of people. Saphenous varicose vein has become a serious public health problem and has attracted great attention from all over the world.
What are the causes of saphenous varicose veins?
The causes of simple saphenous varicose veins are
l. Congenital weakness of the vein wall
2, venous valve insufficiency: venous valve closure insufficiency → venous blood reflux → stasis → foot swelling → pigmentation → local nutritional disorders → ulcer formation.
Is saphenous varicose vein necessarily a simple superficial vein problem?
It is not correct to think so. There are many other causes that can cause saphenous varicose veins, such as
3. Primary deep vein valve insufficiency in the lower extremities: this causes blood to flow backwards, producing venous stasis and high pressure. Patients show severe clinical symptoms, namely swelling and distending pain in the lower extremities, and the skin of the lower extremities may appear red or cyanotic when standing. In the late stage of the disease, the traffic vein valves in the foot and shoe area are destroyed, and rapid nutritional changes in the skin occur, such as desquamation, atrophy, hyperpigmentation and eczema and ulcer formation.
4, lower limb deep vein thrombosis sequelae: patients appear uniform and consistent swelling of the limb, when the lower limb deep vein is blocked by thrombus, forming reflux obstruction, after which the thrombus is reopened after mechanization, the venous valve is destroyed and blood reflux; manifested as lower limb superficial static varicose, lower limb edema, heavy and swollen or sore feeling of limb and nutritional changes.
5, arteriovenous fistula: mostly occurs after trauma, occasionally congenital; in the arteriovenous fistula site can be felt and shock and hear continuous vascular murmur; pick up the limb when high, the lower limb varicose veins in the blood is not easy to empty
6, congenital venous malformation bone hypertrophy syndrome (Klippel-Trenavnay syndrome): this disease is congenital vascular malformation, varicose veins are more extensive, the affected limb is often thicker than the healthy side growth
7.Budd-Chiari syndrome: post-hepatic portal hypertension caused by hepatic venous outflow tract disorder, often with varicose veins in the back and waist and bilateral lower limbs
Doctor’s suggestion: If you have varicose veins and at the same time ①young ②lower limb edema ③bilateral lower limb varicose veins, any of the three, we suggest you go to a specialist for further treatment.
What are the clinical manifestations of saphenous varicose veins?
We cannot live and work normally without two healthy legs, and varicose veins are harmful to this.
Early manifestations.
l.After standing for a long time, the legs are sore and swollen, easily fatigued and weak
2.Generally speaking, the symptoms are lighter when you wake up in the morning, and the symptoms are aggravated at night after a busy day at work.
3, some patients will have numbness and mild pain on the inside of the ankle (also known as the “neck of the foot”)
4.There is a worm-like blue varicose vein mass in both calves
Because of the general awareness of health care is not strong, varicose veins often belong to the middle and late stage when they go to the hospital.
Late stage manifestation.
l.The legs are heavy with soreness and swelling after standing for a long time, even affecting work
2.Both calves are covered with varicose vein clusters
3.Eczema and ulcers of the ankle appear, as the varicose veins develop to the middle and late stage, ulcers of the ankle appear – commonly known as “old rotten feet”
What are the risks of varicose veins to human body?
Varicose veins, especially patients with venous insufficiency of lower limbs, have symptoms of swelling, pain and weakness of lower limbs in early stage, which affect normal work and life, and the prominent earthworm-shaped blood vessels of lower limbs also seriously affect the beauty of lower limbs; in the middle and late stage of varicose veins, ulcers, oozing, bleeding and infection of lower leg skin appear, which cause great negative impact on patients from psychological and physiological aspects and seriously affect quality of life.
How to prevent saphenous varicose vein in early stage
The key to preventing saphenous varicose veins is to use your legs healthily, which means that people who need to stand or sit for a long time should not keep one position for a long time without moving. You should move your legs or change your position every 20 minutes or so. In addition, cycling, brisk walking, and running can prompt the calf muscles to contract, speeding up venous blood flow and relieving venous pressure.
What are the treatment options for saphenous varicose veins?
Early varicose veins usually choose conservative treatment.
1.Wearing medical elastic stockings, which are made according to the physiological pressure gradient of the lower limbs, so as to protect the veins of the lower limbs when standing up.
2.Usually elevate the affected limb and avoid standing or sitting for a long time
3.If you want to eliminate the symptoms of varicose veins for cosmetic reasons or completely, surgery is the only effective way.
Does surgery have to be done for mid to late stage varicose veins?
Not necessarily, but conservative treatment is also possible. The main methods are
l.Oral medication to reduce swelling: 300mg of Mizarin taken orally 2/day
2.Actively change medication and avoid bumping to promote ulcer healing
3.Wear medical elastic stockings to reduce venous pressure and promote blood return
The above treatment can improve the symptoms and slow down the development of the disease, but it can only achieve short-term effect. It can be said that by the middle and late stages of the disease, the varicose veins have already undergone irreversible changes, and no conservative treatment method can solve the problem at root. So choosing surgery to completely remove the diseased vein is an aggressive treatment.
There are many surgical methods, the traditional high ligation and trunk stripping have a long history and are really effective; laser endovenous therapy and sclerotherapy are both minimally invasive techniques that have emerged in recent years, with the advantage of less trauma and faster recovery. In general, it seems that each treatment method has its own characteristics and needs to be carefully evaluated and chosen by the surgeon; no single method can be applied to all patients.
What do patients with saphenous varicose veins need to pay attention to and be careful of in their lives after surgery and can they continue to exercise after surgery?
l. Lie in bed and elevate the affected limb after surgery
2.Pay attention to the activity of both feet to prevent deep vein thrombosis
3.Get out of bed about 6 hours after surgery to promote postoperative recovery
4.Generally speaking, you can eat and drink normally on the same day or the next day after surgery
5.Continue to wear medical elastic stockings after discharge, recommended to wear for three months to reduce postoperative re-occurrence
6.After recovery, it does not affect life and sports