Probably everyone has seen people with prominent veins in their arms. Some consider this to be the norm or an individual characteristic of a person. In fact, the veins should be hidden under the skin and any change is a reason to ponder your health. In addition to swollen veins, discomfort or a change in skin tone can be a warning sign.
Are there varicose veins of the upper extremities?
Varicose veins are a vascular disease. It can affect all vessels and occur anywhere on the body. Considering that the provoking factor is excessive stress, varicose veins most often affect the limbs of the body. The disease occurs mainly on the legs, but varicose veins also appear on the hands. According to the international classification (MKB-10) it corresponds to the I86 code.
Varicose veins of the upper extremities are easy to spot - the veins on the hand and forearm swell and look like blue snakes. The disease more often affects women after age 50, as well as male athletes and bodybuilders.
Bulging and swollen veins: is the risk of varicose veins high?
Under the influence of excessive loads, the venous walls stretch and the venous valves cannot fully fulfill their functions. If your veins used to look normal but are now swollen, see your doctor for a detailed exam. The earlier a problem is identified, the easier it is to treat.
When changes occur in the veins, the risk of varicose veins is really great.
In addition to external unaesthetic manifestations, varicose veins adversely affect the patient's well-being, cause pain and provoke some complexes.
Features of varicose veins on the upper limbs
The first changes in the varicose veins on the hands appear as blue nodules. After a while, they can go away and then reappear.
This suggests that the veins may not be able to handle the increased load, but will recover quickly once the provoking factor is eliminated.
Without timely treatment, nodules are constantly observed in the veins of the arms, and then the expansion affects the longer section of the vessel. In this case, the vessel swells noticeably, which often attracts the patient's attention and forces him to see a doctor.
Other reasons
Not only excessive loads have a negative effect on the ships. Other reasons for the extension could be:
- Stress.
- Use of oral contraceptives or hormonal imbalance in a woman.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse.
- Intense exercise.
- Unbalanced diet. Read more about proper nutrition for varicose veins here.
- inheritance.
The hormonal background has a strong influence on the condition of the blood vessels. As you know, it is less stable in women than it is in men.
Symptoms of the injury - watch out!
Even if a person is unaware of the presence of a problem such as varicose veins, they should be made aware of the following changes:
- swelling.
- Burning and discomfort.
- Quick fatigue and weakness.
- numbness or pain.
- The contrast between the vein and skin color is clearly visible.
- When you raise your arms, the size of the veins decreases.
In thin people with thin skin, the veins can appear swollen. However, this is not a pathology, but a feature of the body.
If this symptom is observed from birth and is not accompanied by other symptoms, do not worry.
If you look at a photo of varicose veins on the arms and a healthy limb, you will immediately notice the difference and know what to look for.
methods of treatment
Tactics for treating varicose veins in the hands depends on the stage of development of the disease. In the initial stages conservative treatment methods are used, in later stages surgical ones.
People at risk are advised to prevent varicose veins in order to avoid dangerous complications.
Conservative treatment includes the use of special compression stockings, the appointment of special drugs, diet and physical therapy. All of this is aimed at increasing the tone of the veins, strengthening blood vessels and reducing their permeability.
Medical jersey is represented by special gloves or sleeves made of special materials. The underwear must be worn at all times in order to mechanically support the vessels and prevent their expansion. The degree of compression is selected by the doctor taking into account the neglect of the pathology.
Treatment of the late stages of varicose veins on the hands
If deep veins are affected, limb function may be impaired. The person feels heaviness, pain, discomfort and can no longer do normal work.
In later stages, surgical intervention is performed. Some of the most effective and safest methods are laser correction and sclerotherapy. Your advantages are as follows:
- Painlessness.
- No scars or scars.
- Fast tissue repair.
- Good cosmetic result.
Sclerotherapy can have a positive effect a few weeks after the procedure. It only takes a few minutes. The patient is injected into a bulging vein to inject a sclerosant.
The process is absolutely painless. The gluing of the veins occurs under the action of the drug and does not require the surgeon to cut the tissue. To avoid relapse, the patient must wear a compression garment.
The advantage of modern methods is that they do not negatively affect the surrounding tissue, eliminate the skin incision and almost never cause complications.
Hirudotherapy
Hirudotherapy is popular with many vascular diseases. Despite the fact that this is an unconventional method of treatment, there are a few rules that must be followed. It is not recommended to plant leeches yourself. Only healthy worms that are used only once are suitable for this procedure.
The medicinal secret secreted by leeches helps strengthen blood vessels and thin the blood. It helps to reduce edema, eliminate blood congestion, normalize microcirculation and restore the structure of the vein.
Treatment at home
Many patients try to cure varicose veins on their hands with folk remedies. They are only suitable as monotherapy in the first stage of the disease.
If varicose veins are strong enough, folk recipes can only be used in addition to the basic scheme prescribed by the doctor.
Chestnut-based remedies help well against varicose veins. The healing properties of this plant are also recognized by official medicine, since chestnuts are part of many venotonic ointments.
You can make your own cream at home. To do this, the chestnuts are chopped up and mixed with melted pork fat. The remedy is applied externally, with the help of light rubbing on the affected area.
Compresses made from cabbage or wormwood leaves have a positive effect on the treatment of varicose veins. They are crushed in a blender with a small amount of oil or kefir so that the beneficial substances penetrate deeper into the skin. The mixture is impregnated with gauze and applied to the enlarged areas of the veins.
One of the most popular ways to get rid of disease is by taking a bath.
Prevention of varicose veins on the hands
To prevent varicose veins in the arms, doctors recommend:
- Limit physical activity on the upper limbs. Girls shouldn't lift weights, and male athletes must wear compression garments during exercise.
- Change the type of activity. Sedentary office workers at the keyboard need to take breaks to raise their hands and stretch their joints.
- Eat right. Antioxidants and vitamins are useful in strengthening blood vessels, especially C and PP. In your daily diet you need to include more fresh vegetables and fruits and at least 1. 5 liters of clean water.
- Don't forget your hands when taking a contrast shower. Cool water trains blood vessels, prevents the formation of nodules, and allows you to achieve the desired tone of the veins.
- Check your weight. Excessive body weight puts a constant load on the vessels and over time their strength decreases.
- Minimize negative factors. Alcohol, smoking, stress - all these negatively affect the elasticity of blood vessels and their tone.
Possible complications
Hand veins are not only a cosmetic defect, but also a dangerous disease.
In the areas of enlargement, blood stasis forms, which leads to inadequate nutrition of the adjacent tissues.
An area with poor microcirculation eventually becomes the focus of an inflammatory and even infectious process.
In the future, this can lead to thrombophlebitis or a blockage of the vessel lumen by a thrombus.
The formation of a blood clot is facilitated by a slowing down of the blood flow in the expansion area, an increased coagulability and a disturbed structure of the vessel wall. More often, thrombosis occurs in the lower extremities. However, prolonged squeezing of the hand or an uncomfortable position can lead to the formation of venous arms and a thrombus.
Thrombophlebitis can be suspected if the patient complains of pain and swelling of the hand while the cyanosis increases with a clenched fist. Serious disruption of blood flow in a specific area leads to necrosis of adjacent tissues and necessitates amputation of the limb.
Male varicose veins are less common because the stronger sex is more emotionally stable. In addition to stress, other provoking factors can lead to venous dilation in young men as well.
A feeling of heaviness in the hand, evening tiredness, and the appearance of nodules are some of the first symptoms of upper limb varicose veins. Taking care of your health and getting regular medical exams will keep you healthy and looking good.