In medical practice, it is difficult to find a disease for which conventional medicine would be helpless. Most of the known pathologies are treated with traditional medical recipes, and even if this method of therapy cannot fully cope with the disease, it can increase the effect of taking drugs, suspend or slow down the development of the pathology, improve the patient's condition, etc.
As for varicose veins on the legs, in folk medicine there are a lot of different recipes for getting rid of the symptoms of the disease, containing them and maintaining the condition of the veins. This article will focus on one of the most effective folk remedies for treating varicose veins - apple cider vinegar.
Features of varicose veins on the legs
Many people when hearing the word varicose veins imagine legs with veins protruding through the skin clearly visible. This view is not wrong, but it hardly gives the full picture of the disease.
The main problem of varicose veins is not an aesthetic change, but a violation of the activity of the vessels that carry blood to the heart. With varicose veins, the veins are deformed, they expand, lengthen, their walls become thinner, and the function of the venous valves is disturbed.
As a result, with the development of the pathological process, the veins and venous networks become visible to the naked eye, and the progression of the disease leads to the fact that the vessels increase sharply, bulge and damage. The main problem of varicose veins is a violation of blood circulation, its stagnation in the vascular bed and a violation of the systemic circulation.
The effects of apple cider vinegar
First of all, it should be noted that the maximum effectiveness of apple cider vinegar in the treatment of varicose veins is achieved mainly in the early stages of the development of the disease.
Natural apple cider vinegar is made through a long chemical reaction. First, a biochemical fermentation takes place, during which the sugar in the apples is converted into alcohol. This is followed by a fermentation cycle in which the alcohol is "distilled" into vinegar. Ultimately, the chemical composition of the resulting product contains all of the beneficial trace elements of the fruit from which it is made.
To understand the benefits vinegar can bring to the body, and especially to the vessels in the legs, consider what useful elements it contains:
- Calcium - helps to strengthen bone tissue and tighten muscle fibers, with varicose veins, it prevents frequent seizures, which are often accompanied by the disease.
- Iron - has a beneficial effect on the blood, increases hemoglobin synthesis and eliminates the signs of anemia.
- Amino acid - participates in the formation of protein compounds, helps burn fat, has a positive effect on the regulation of body functions in general.
- Magnesium and potassium - these elements are essential in the fight against diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- Various vitamins and minerals to help improve the body's metabolism.
These are the main elements found in apple cider vinegar that are directly involved in fighting varicose veins, in fact there are many more trace elements.
If we talk specifically about the properties of vinegar that this product has on the veins affected by varicose veins, these are the following:
- Reduction of swelling or its complete elimination.
- Prevention of seizures and their elimination right during an attack.
- Eliminating pain or its relief, which depends on the severity of the pain syndrome.
- Decrease in blood clotting, which is very important in varicose veins, especially with a view to preventing thrombus formation.
- Strengthening the vascular walls, which prevents their deformation and violations of integrity.
- One of the signs of varicose veins is a discoloration of the skin called cyanosis. Vinegar, on the other hand, brightens the skin so that you can counteract this unpleasant cosmetic effect.
Notice! Doctors insist on using only natural apple cider vinegar for medicinal purposes, obtained by fermenting fruits with further fermentation according to the method described above.
Using acetic acid, which has only apple flavor in it, not only gives results, but it can also be harmful to your health. Natural vinegar is also sold in stores, so read the label carefully before buying.
Application methods
The main conditions in the treatment of folk remedies, including apple cider vinegar, are a systematic approach and the duration of therapy. It is necessary to use this remedy for at least a month. Vinegar gives certain results all the time, relieves unpleasant symptoms, but only if the entire course of treatment is maintained can one hope to consolidate the result.
It is also important to understand that apple cider vinegar is taken both as an external remedy and internally in the fight against varicose veins. In addition, according to patient reviews and medical insurance, the mixture of the two methods leads to better results.
External use
Most of the recipes for traditional medicine refer specifically to the topical use of apple cider vinegar, but they take into account the most effective and proven methods of treatment:
- The easiest and most effective method is the usual vinegar treatment for the feet. To do this, take a skin cleansing bath, wipe your feet dry and rub apple cider vinegar with gentle movements. Pay particular attention to the problem areas. After rubbing in, it is recommended to lie down for at least 30 minutes, it is even better to perform the procedure before going to bed;
- Compresses are even more effective. Pour a small amount of vinegar in a bowl, dip the strips of gauze, folded in two layers, in the liquid, gently squeeze them out and place on problem areas. Then wrap your legs with a bandage or other cloth, place them above body level and wake up in this state for 30-40 minutes, then remove the compress;
- The wrapping method is also very effective. Moisten the gauze pieces in vinegar as you did last time, but now you shouldn't wring the gauze out. Put it on your feet in the places of varicose veins and wrap the limb with a film, firmly fixing the gauze. On the gauze you need to wrap a warm scarf or blanket and relax after 40 minutes.
- You can only take vinegar baths with your feet submerged. To do this, take about half a bath with water that is not too hot and dilute a liter of apple cider vinegar in it. Then put your feet in the bathtub for about 25-30 minutes. This method is the gentlest due to the low concentration of vinegar; it is suitable for people with sensitive skin or an individual acute reaction to the treatment in question;
- The last, but not in terms of effectiveness, method involves making an ointment. To do this, mix the protein from 1 chicken egg with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and a teaspoon of turpentine. You need to rub the ointment directly into the problem areas every evening and move the leg upwards.
Please note that it is advisable to perform all of the procedures described so that you can rest for up to an hour after performing 30 minutes, the ideal time being the evening before bedtime. It is also important to consult with a doctor before using vinegar to adjust the duration of treatment and the frequency of daily procedures, since much depends on a number of individual factors, the main one of which is the degree of progression of varicose veins of the legs.
Internal use
Oral ingestion of apple cider vinegar isn't that diverse, there are two tried and true methods:
- You need to take a glass of purified or boiled water (250 milliliters) and stir 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into it. The full volume of the resulting liquid is drunk on an empty stomach 10-15 minutes before breakfast.
- The second recipe is to mix two ingredients in a glass of water, one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons of liquid honey (if the honey is sugared, melt it in a water bath). The solution is used in two stages, half a glass is drunk in the morning on an empty stomach, the second half in the evening before dinner.
It is very important, before using apple cider vinegar internally, to undergo a diagnosis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and to consult with a gastroenterologist not only about the approval of treatment, but also about the permissible duration of therapy. This need is explained by the fact that vinegar can cause stomach ulcers and duodenal ulcers.
Contraindications to its use
Treatment of varicose veins with apple cider vinegar cannot always be done, in some cases the harm of such therapy may outweigh the benefits. If we talk about the external use of the product, then the ban comes into force in two cases:
- Thrombophlebitis is an inflammatory process that covers the walls of veins and causes blood clots.
- Advanced forms of atherosclerosis, a disease that disrupts blood flow to peripheral vessels and is accompanied by a variety of other dangerous symptoms.
Regarding the contraindications related to the internal use of apple cider vinegar, these are the following:
- Forms of gastritis with high acidity.
- Pre-ulcer condition as well as gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer.
- Late stages of development of atherosclerosis and thrombophlebitis.
- Pathologies that are accompanied by acute or chronic inflammatory processes in the kidneys and liver.