What Are Varicose Veins and How Do You Treat Them

Varicose vein disease is a chronic venopathy of the superficial veins and communicators of the lower limb, characterized by permanent venous dilatations, as well as morphological and parietal alterations.

Women are the most affected, the incidence ratio by sex being 3/2 women – men. Heredity is the main cause of varicose veins, namely 8 cases out of 10, followed by hormonal fluctuations.

Venous diseases can be located in any organ or tissue but the most common manifestations are detected in the lower limbs. The most common location of the disease is in the veins of the lower limbs, due to the anatomical configuration, which promotes blood stagnation and dilation of the veins.

Normally, to help the blood rise to the heart against gravity, the veins of the lower limbs have valves inside that fragment the blood column. When this valvular system deteriorates, the blood stagnates and, due to changes in the venous wall, it dilates.

In about 95% of the cases, varicose veins are transmitted genetically but may evolve differently in each person. This makes the varicose vein treatment different for each patient.

• Prophylactic treatment – consists in avoiding prolonged orthostatism, sedentary lifestyle.
• Drug treatment – consists of the administration of phlebotonic drugs that reduce edema and inflammation of the blood vessels.
• Sclerotherapy – is applied to small varicose veins and consists of injecting a sclerosing solution into them.
• Surgical treatment (phlebectomies, endoscopic venous surgery).