What are the earthworms crawling on your legs? In fact, these "earthworms" are the legendary "legs killer" - varicose veins of the lower extremities.
Varicose veins, the "earthworms" that grow on the legs
Varicose veins are the tortuous expansion of veins due to congenital venous wall weakness, venous valve insufficiency, or prolonged standing work, which leads to accumulation of blood in the veins, and increased pressure in the veins.
In terms of appearance, it is often characterized by twisted and curved veins like earthworms, and sometimes there is atrophy of the calf skin, flaking, hyperpigmentation, etc.
The veins can also be seen as a result of the weakness of the vein walls.
Varicose veins not only affect the aesthetics, but more importantly, lead to skin nutritional disorders, dermatitis, rash, skin pigmentation, followed by skin breakdown, chronic ulcers, infections, and other problems, and never heal.
At the same time, blood stagnation is prone to venous thrombosis, thrombus dislodgement may cause pulmonary embolism, serious and fatal.
Two types of people are at high risk of developing varicose veins
Varicose veins of the lower limbs have a high incidence in adults. Initially, capillary dilatation occurs under the skin of the limb, i.e., the vein lines are very visible, and over time there is dilatation of the blood vessels under the skin, which become tortuous and clustered.
Soreness and pain occur after prolonged standing, after which there will be swelling of the limb, concave edema, itching of the skin, dermatitis, hyperpigmentation, and ulcers in the boot area.
If early attention is not paid, further development, the following manifestations will occur:
Skin darkening
Long-term venous hypertension leads to an increase in the permeability of the capillaries in the calf area, the red blood cells rupture after oozing out, and ferritin is deposited in the dermis, which makes the skin darken, develop from point to sheet, and in the end, even skin fibrosis occurs.
Bleeding
The skin in the area through which the varicose veins pass is very fragile due to lack of nutrition and can easily lead to rupture of the varicose veins, which can cause hemorrhage.
The bleeding is often unnoticed by the patient as it is not accompanied by other symptoms such as pain, and if it occurs during the night when the patient is sleeping, it can lead to very serious consequences.
Ulcers
Varicose veins cause nutritional changes in the skin, leading to ulcers, which can last for a long time and are very painful with a bad odor and pus.
Venous thrombosis
manifests itself as localized redness, swelling and pain, hard lump formation, and pain that interferes with walking.
If left untreated, the thrombus may spread upward or through the transportation veins to the deep veins, resulting in deep vein thrombosis, which carries a life-threatening risk of pulmonary embolism. Of these, 75% of DVTs occur in the leg with the superficial vein thrombosis, 9% in the other leg, and 18% in both legs.
There are two main groups of people who are at high risk for this disease. Elderly people are old, with reduced elasticity of blood vessels, decreased tension in the walls of blood vessels, and venous valve insufficiency, which leads to varicose veins.
People engaged in sedentary occupations such as teachers, traffic police, drivers, medical personnel, manual laborers, etc., the blood flow is subjected to the continuous effect of gravity resulting in reflux, reflux of blood for a long time on the venous valves to cause pressure, and slowly there will be valvular insufficiency, high pressure in the veins leading to varicose.
Varicose veins can not be treated indiscriminately some patients are prone to listen to rumors and remedies, or the use of some inappropriate treatment, not only did not help, but aggravate the condition, making it difficult to cure.
Doctors remind that the following 3 points should be noted when treating varicose veins.
1. Hot water foot soak is not recommended
The main role of hot water foot soak is to improve the local microcirculation and eliminate the fatigue due to swelling caused by venous insufficiency. Inappropriate hot water foot soaking may aggravate the condition.
2. Improper massage can aggravate the condition
Theoretically, improper massage can have no effect on varicose veins. Because massage mainly follows the blood vessels and meridians for pressing, if the method is not proper it is likely to induce venous damage and secondary superficial vein thrombosis, which will also lead to the need of surgery for those who don't need surgery.
3. Watch out for complications when you get well
There are three main complications of varicose veins: bleeding from ruptured veins, thrombosed superficial phlebitis, and stasis ulcers. Although most complications improve and even heal when varicose veins are resolved.
However, patients with particularly large ulcers, like those that are particularly large, will require further treatment before they can heal on their own. If you have varicose veins, don't participate in activities like square dancing, mountain climbing, hiking, and activities that require standing and walking for long periods of time; change your work habits and characteristics.
Choose compression stockings of the right length, pressure, and size; elevate the end of the bed by 3 to 5 centimeters to maximize the restorative effect of sleep on varicose veins; or use medications that can restore the elasticity of blood vessels.
Varicose veins can be prevented early
Functional exercises for veins
You can sit in a chair and lift one leg parallel to the ground. Press the foot plate straight down, stay for 5 seconds, then press the foot plate to bow up towards the body, stay for 5 seconds, repeat this action for 5 times, do the left leg and do the right leg.
This action can exercise the inner calf gastrocnemius muscle, to promote blood circulation in the legs.
Then stand up, stand on the right and left feet cross, slowly downward pressure bending, hands vertically down close to the ankles, pay attention to slowly, so as to avoid muscle strain, stay 5 seconds, and then get up.
This action can be avoided blood accumulation in the legs and veins caused by increased pressure.
Single foot straight and flat on a chair, toes hooked in the direction of the body, bend forward with one hand touching the toes to stay for 5 seconds, and then the body tilted down to the toe area. This action is repeated 10 times, and then change the other side.
This action can exercise the leg muscles to stretch, promote blood circulation to prevent varicose veins.
Dietary attention to the six "to"
To more intake of fresh fruits and vegetables
Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a large number of vitamins and minerals, which can improve the oxidation of tissues, increase blood circulation, and improve the immunity of the body.
To eat more protein-rich food
Sufficient protein can maintain the balance of nutrients in the body, enhance immunity, protect the cells, but also emulsify fat, promote blood circulation.
To moderate intake of food rich in vitamin E
can improve blood circulation, reduce the heavy feeling of legs.
To eat foods containing fiber
This can achieve the role of preventing constipation, constipation can increase the pressure in the veins, further exacerbating the impact of blood on the valves and the pressure on the walls of the veins, resulting in varicose veins.
To control weight properly
As a large amount of adipose tissue in obese people can squeeze the blood vessels, resulting in slowing down the blood flow and destroying the venous valves, thus inducing varicose veins.
To avoid smoking and alcohol
To avoid greasy, spicy, irritating and other foods, alcohol and smoking to avoid blood stickiness, resulting in slowing down of blood flow, dilation of blood vessels and varicose veins after blood stagnation.
Usual maintenance, you should use about 30 ℃ of warm water to clean. Hand wash using neutral detergent, rinse with clean water, do not wring, dry naturally, can not be exposed to the sun or drying. Once the elastic stockings lose elasticity, they should be replaced in time.