Pain, swelling and a feeling of tiredness in the legs are the symptoms of varicose veins, a disease that mainly affects women. After the age of 50, varicose veins affect men and women equally.
These are superficial veins that are abnormally dilated and can range from small venules less than a millimeter thick (telangiectasias) to large, prominent dilated bundles that are easily seen on the legs.
“Family history (genetic inheritance), age (over 50 years), female sex, multiparity (two or more pregnancies), use of oral contraceptives, standing for more than six hours a day, and obesity, are among the most common factors of the disease.” points out the doctor, a vascular surgeon, of the Medical Center.
In the legs there are two venous systems, the superficial one made up of veins that go under the skin and the deep one formed by those that are found between the muscles of the legs attached to the bones.
“The function of the veins is to carry blood from the periphery to the heart. In the arms and head there is no difficulty because the force of gravity brings the blood to the heart”, says Dr. González.
In the legs, the blood must rise against gravity to the heart, that is, more than one meter. When we walk or exercise, the muscles of the lower extremities contract and press the veins, sending blood upwards, functioning as if it were a “peripheral heart”.
According to the vascular surgeon, to prevent the blood from returning, inside the veins there are valves that prevent the return of blood to the feet. However, in patients with varicose veins, these valves are damaged and the blood stagnates, causing an increase in the diameter of the veins.
As a consequence of stagnation, since blood does not circulate, oxygen and food do not reach the tissues, with which the skin changes color, dries out and becomes easily infected, giving rise to the well-known varicose ulcers.
“It is then that the patient begins to present severe pain and tremendous fatigue when walking until he is prostrated, limiting his daily activities,” says Dr. González.
Depending on the state of the deep venous system and the number and thickness of the veins, there are several types of treatment: For three-millimeter venules, sclerotherapy or injection of a liquid into varicose veins is used with excellent results.
For veins larger than three millimeters, surgery is used, which consists of extracting the veins through small incisions in the skin, as long as the deep venous system is in good condition. If it is blocked, the treatment is medical, using elastic stockings and special medications.
Specialists recommend sleeping with your legs elevated (10 to 15 centimeters), not wearing heels, not standing or sitting for long periods of time, losing weight, doing exercises such as walking, cycling or swimming, not lifting weights with your legs, not using hormonal contraceptives and not smoking.
Before the appearance of the problem, it is necessary to consult with a specialist in vascular surgery. “who knows the different diagnostic methods and the multiple treatment alternatives that exist to be able to definitively solve a problem that can be terribly disabling”, finally points out the vascular surgeon, of the Medical Center.