Treatment of varicose veins at home can be quite effective if started in the early stages of the disease.
You need to immediately take care of the health of your feet if you have any of the following signs, as well as their combination:
- you feel heaviness, pain and a feeling of fullness in your legs, especially at the end of the working day,
- you often have swelling of your legs and feet,
- spider veins appeared,
- the skin on the ankles has changed color, become darker,
- you experience calf muscle cramps,
- dilated veins are visible under the skin.
In order for home treatment of varicose veins to give a good result, it is necessary to regularly perform the following set of measures over a long period of time:
Sports and exercises for varicose veins
Contrary to the popular belief that varicose veins and sports are incompatible things, we assure you that this is not so.
To improve the health of the venous system, those sports in which the leg muscles are actively involved, for example, cycling, skiing, are very useful.Swimming is very beneficial for venous insufficiency.
For varicose veins, only those sports that often lead to leg injuries are contraindicated.
The Association of Phlebologists of our country has developed special exercises for varicose veins to reduce the load on the veins and eliminate the symptoms of the disease.They are performed in the evenings, preferably before bed.
These exercises do not require much time and at the same time give a good effect when performed regularly:
- Lying on your back, raise your legs at an angle of 90 degrees (you can lean against the wall). Take 10-15 slow, deep breaths in and out.Keeping your legs in the same position, vigorously flex and extend your ankle 5-6 times (while squeezing your calf muscles), and then rotate your feet in and out 5-6 times.
- Stand on a thick book (with your heels resting on the floor), then slowly rise up onto your toes 10-15 times, lifting your heels off the floor.
- When you sit in front of the TV or read, roll a tennis ball with your foot
Compression garments for varicose veins
One of the effective methods of treating varicose veins at home is the use of socks, stockings and tights for varicose veins.
Compression garments, which are prescribed for varicose veins, have different compression (degree of pressure on the legs).Unlike non-medical knitwear, pressure is measured not in denies, but in millimeters of mercury.
Only a doctor can determine the required degree of compression.Tights and stockings for varicose veins should be purchased in specialized orthopedic salons or clinics.There, measurements are taken from the patient’s feet and the required size is selected.
Compression garments are used not only to prevent varicose veins, but also help in the treatment of this disease.Tights for varicose veins reduce the stagnation of venous blood in the legs.This reduces the manifestations of varicose veins, reduces the risk of blood clots and the development of trophic changes.
For varicose veins, compression underwear is recommended to be used during physical activity, sports training, while standing for a long time, during long car trips and air travel.
Stockings for varicose veins are also used after medical procedures, for example, sclerotherapy of veins, as well as in the postoperative period.
Special hospital compression stockings are used during surgical interventions and in the early postoperative period to prevent the formation of blood clots.
It is recommended to wear tights and stockings against varicose veins during pregnancy.
Hospital compression anti-embolic stockings are used during childbirth and the postpartum period.
Phlebologists who treat varicose veins will professionally select compression garments for you for this disease.It is very important to correctly calculate the load and choose the type of knitwear and degree of compression that you need.If you choose independently, the effect of using compression garments may be absent, and may even be fraught with complications of the disease.
Vein gels
One of the methods for treating varicose veins at home is the use of topical anti-varicose vein remedies (vein gels, ointments and creams for varicose veins).
The main component of all ointments and gels for veins is heparin, a blood thinning substance.
The most effective means of local treatment of varicose veins are vein gels, since when they are applied to the skin, much more of the active substance gets into the tissues.Gels and ointments for varicose veins help to successfully cope with swelling and heaviness in the legs.
Medicines for varicose veins
Medicines for the treatment of varicose veins are called venotonics.For varicose veins, medications for veins are prescribed to strengthen the venous wall, reduce the permeability and fragility of capillaries and veins.
The effect of the drugs, as a rule, begins immediately after the start of treatment and reaches a maximum after 1.5–2 months of daily use.
Only a phlebologist can select the most effective medicine for varicose veins.He will also determine the necessary frequency and frequency of treatment courses, depending on the stage of your varicose veins.
Diet for varicose veins
All patients with varicose veins need to be very careful about their diet.You should not allow yourself to gain excess weight: this can lead to overload of the venous system.
The diet for varicose veins should include a large amount of raw vegetables and fruits containing a lot of fiber.From it, fibrous fibers are synthesized, which maintain the strength of the venous wall.
Don't indulge in fatty, spicy and salty foods.This will lead to increased fluid consumption and, as a result, to an increase in blood volume and overload of the venous system.
The diet for varicose veins should be aimed at preventing constipation.Constipation leads to increased pressure in the veins and worsens the symptoms of venous insufficiency and varicose veins.
In the winter-spring period, when vitamin deficiency begins in the human body, it is necessary to take vitamins of groups A, B, C, rutin, folic acid, as well as trace elements: copper, zinc, magnesium and iron.It is best to take a balanced multivitamin complex.
The effectiveness of treating varicose veins at home
If in the early stages of varicose veins you begin to regularly apply the above measures to treat varicose veins at home, then you will most likely be able to avoid surgery and limit yourself to conservative treatment methods.
However, for the optimal selection of some types of home treatment for varicose veins, you need to consult a phlebologist.It is strictly not recommended to choose compression stockings, topical medications, and venotonic medications on your own.
To do this, it is better to consult a doctor.He will select the most effective set of treatment measures for you.