Varicose Veins -Know More About Varicose Veins
By Dr SibaSankar Dalai
The left side of the Heart pumps pure (Oxygenated) blood to all over the body through blood vessels that are known as Arteries.
The Right side of the Heart collects impure (De Oxygenated) blood from all over the body through blood vessels that are called as Veins.
The Impure blood from the right side of the Heart is then sent to the lungs for purification. The blood after getting purified in the lungs comes back to the left side of the heart for circulation in the body. This cycle continues in every individual.
In the Legs also, there are arteries which bring the pure blood from the left side of the heart and veins which takes the impure blood to the right side of the heart.
in the leg, there is superficial (Nearer to the skin) and deep (farther from the skin) veins.They are connected with each other at multiple places through one-way valve.
Due to prolonged standing teachers, Traffic Police,Bus Conductors,Machine Workers, Pregnancy, and Genetically inherited Factors, the valves standing between the deep and superficial vein get damaged. Once the Valve is Damaged (become incompetent), there is a reversal of blood flow from deep to superficial vein.
Thus the impure venous blood (De-Oxygenated) instead of going to the right side of the Heart and than to lungs for purification, they come to the superficial venous system(just beneath the skin) of the leg.
Accumulation of more and more venous blood in the superficial venous system makes the superficial veins dilated and tortuous.
This condition of dilated and tortuous veins in the leg due to damaged (incompetent) Valve between the deep and superficial venous system is called Varicose Veins
Chronic Venous Disease (Varicose Vein being the Measure Cause) of legs is one of the most common conditions affecting people of all races.
About 50 to 55 % of Women
40 to 45 % of Men suffer from venous Disease. of these nearly 20 to 25 % of the women and 10 to 15 % of men will have Varicose Veins. The Condition affects one out of two aged 50 or more.
Symptoms:
The Accumulation of Venous Blood in the leg just beneath the skin (in the superficial Vein) results in dilated, tortuous and ugly veins. They can be pain ful on continuous standing.
The Mornings will be better, but as the day progresses the venous blood accumulates more and more on the leg due to Gravitation.
This causes discomfort in the leg during the Afternoons, pain in the leg during evening and night.
Due to the prolonged venous stasis, the skin over the leg starts becoming dark or pigmented (Stasis Dermatitis) typically in the distribution of shocks. They often itch and scratching them causes ulcer, which are often chronic and non healing venous ulcers(Ulcers that does not heal for three months or more) in the leg. skin over the vein may become Dry and Thin, leading to Eczema (venous Eczema). In some people the skin above the ankle may Shrink(Lipo Dermatosclerosis) because the fat underneath the skin becomes hard.
Complications:
Most Varicose Veins are relatively being, but severe varicosities can lead to major complication, due to the poor circulation through the affected Limb. The following can be the complications of the Varicose Vein:- Dermatitis : Which could predispose skin loss
- Bleeding : life threatening Bleed From injury to the Varicose Vein.
- Development of carcinoma or Sarcoma in long standing venous ulcers. There have been over 100 reported cases of malignant transformation.
- Deep vein Thrombosis (DVT), and Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Treatment:
There is no medicine which can cure varicose vein.
The following are the treatment option available for the disease:
- Open Surgery - Stripping Ambulatory Phlebotomy and Ligation.
- Endovenous Laser Ablation
- Radio Frequency Ablation
- Sclerotherapy
