Allopathic or conventional treatment for varicose veins or varicosities
The conventional or allopathic treatment for varicose veins includes the following :
In conventional or allopathic treatment the superficial varicose veins or varicosities are usually ignored. For occasional swelling and pain aspirin or ibuprofen is prescribed which has dangerous side effects.
Sclerotherapy : A mild case of superficial varicose veins is treated by sclerotherapy. It requires injecting a special chemical known as sclerosant precisely into the damaged vein. The side effects include :
Discoloration of the skin along the cured varicose veins.
Patients using sclerotherapy for removal of varicose veins may also experience pain, bruising, itching and blistering at the site where the aethoxysklerol injections have been administered.
Blood clotting may occur.
It can injure the deep vein system.
If aethoxysklerol injection is shot outside the varicose veins, it may result in ulcers or death of the tissues around the area.
Surgery : Moderate to severe cases require surgical removal or stripping. The various surgeries done for varicose veins or varicositis are :
Laser surgery.
Surgical vein stripping.
Phlebectomy.
Vein ligation.
Transilluminated Powered Phlebectomy (TIPP).
Side-effects include :
The side effect of surgery under anesthesia may include nausea, vomiting and risk of infection in the incision. Surgery may cause bruises and areas of hardening near the scars in the operated leg.
Laser and pulsed light treatments also may cause scarring. Poorly performed laser surgery may cause burns and scars.
Surgeries cause generalized weakness in a patient.
Homeopathy and varicose veins or varicosities
For Samuel Hahnemann (the founder of homeopathy) the single most driving reason to develop homeopathy was to have a system that was completely harmless and gentle. Homeopathy is a system that would use the body’s own innate healing powers to restore health.
Diseases like varicose veins or varicosities, which otherwise would require surgery is curable with the homeopathic treatment. A controlled study done in Germany on 62 patients (suffering from varicose veins or varicosities) about a decade ago proved the high efficacy of this system in treating varicose veins.
Homeopathy works very well for mild to moderate cases of varicose veins. It helps to reduce pain, control further varicosity, reduces swelling.
Homeopathy also helps significantly in the cases which have varicose ulcers. Homeopathic remedies often help to relieve discomfort that comes with varicose veins, and may help to prevent their worsening. Individuals with serious cases may benefit from a constitutional remedy, prescribed by an experienced homeopath.
The actions of homeopathic medicines on varicose veins or varicosities are :
Action of homeopathic medicines on the vein walls : The homeopathic remedies or treatment work at relieving stagnation of blood and help in its recirculation by improving the elasticity of the veins walls. They help to relieve congestion in the peripheral veins. They also help in relieving the pressure, pain and swelling in the enlarged veins and indirectly help curing the eczema due to accumulation of blood and varicose ulcers, a complication due to fluid buildup in the skin tissue.
Action of homeopathic medicines or remedies on improving valve tone and muscle contraction : Homeopathic medicines help in improving the tone of the venous valves and muscle contraction which helps in pumping blood upwards and towards the heart. Lack of muscle tone and elasticity of the vein are the foremost reasons for developing varicose veins.
People who suffer from varicose veins are sometimes told by doctors that surgery is their only option. But, there’s a “kinder” alternative : Homeopathy.
There are 136 homoeopathy remedies which give great relief in varicose veins or varicosities. However, the correct choice and the resulting relief is a matter of experience and right judgment on the part of the homeopathic doctor. The treatment is decided after thorough case taking of the patient. Thus homeopathic medicines of varicose veins or varicosities are tailor made unlike allopathy or conventional treatment in which all patients receive the same surgery or drugs although trade names may be different.
For online homeopathic treatment of varicose veins or varicosities, you may fill in the consultation form at HomeopathicTreatment4U.com.
Varicose veins, also called varicosities appear as lumpy, winding blood vessels just below the surface of the skin. Varicose veins can be an embarrassing condition.
Veins are blood vessels that return deoxygenated blood from the outer parts of the body back to the heart and lungs. When veins become abnormally thick, full of twists and turns, or enlarged, they are called varicose veins.
Varicose veins or varicosities announce themselves as bulging, bluish cords running just beneath the surface of your skin. They can appear anywhere in the body but most often affect the legs and feet. The most common places on the legs for varicose veins to be found are the backs of the calves or on the inside of a leg. They are the visible swollen and twisted veins. Varicose veins are veins that have become dilated or bulging because of valve failure. Valves are thin membranes inside veins which prevent the blood from flowing backwards (retrograde). Leg muscles pump the veins to return blood to the heart, against the effects of gravity. The valves have leaflets. When the leaflets lose their elasticity or when veins become varicose, the leaflets of the valves no longer meet properly, and the valves do not work. This allows blood to flow backwards and they enlarge even more. Varicose veins are most common in the superficial veins of the legs, which are subject to high pressure when standing.
Red or blue veins that appear to look like varicose veins, but are smaller are called spider veins. Spider veins are superficial varicose veins.
Varicose veins or varicosities are a very common condition. Women tend to be more affected than men, with approximately 30% of women developing varicose veins in their lifetime, compared to 15% of men. In the United States, about 19% of men and 36% of women have varicose veins. They are a common condition in Western World, with about 60% of Americans being affected at some stage of their lives.
Valves in the veins prevent backward flow of blood within the vein. They keep blood in the vein moving toward the heart. There are two principal systems of veins in the body :
Deep veins, which lie among the muscles and carry about 90 percent of the blood.
Surface or superficial veins, which are often visible just under the skin. Surface veins do not have the protective muscular surrounding of deep veins. This means they are weaker and more likely to become varicose. Surface veins carry blood from the skin and surface areas into the deep veins via connecting channels called perforator veins.
Abnormal valve functions in the veins can be due to :
Hereditary factors : Recent studies suggest that hereditary factors cause some people to have too few valves or valves that do not function properly. People with a family history of varicose veins or varicosities are at greater risk of developing the condition.
Inborn errors in the valves : Some people may be born with abnormalities of the vein wall. The resulting weakness may predispose the valves to separate and become leaky. The result is that when a person with poorly functioning valves stands up, the blood flow actually reverses and flows down the superficial veins, when it should be flowing up, toward the heart.
Many factors which can aggravate the situation of varicose veins or varicosities are :
Prolonged standing can aggravate varicose veins.
Pregnancy is associated with an increase in blood volume. Also, added pressure on the veins in the legs by the weight of the growing uterus and the relaxation effects of the hormones estrogen and progesterone on the vein walls contribute to the development of varicose veins or varicosities during pregnancy.
Obesity.
Prior surgery or trauma to the leg : These conditions interrupt the normal blood flow channels.
Straining : Chronic constipation, urinary retention from an enlarged prostate, chronic cough, or any other conditions that cause you to strain for prolonged periods of time causes an increase in the forces transmitted to the leg veins and may result in varicose veins. These mechanisms also contribute to the formation of hemorrhoids, which are varicosities located in the rectal and anal area.
Esophageal varices are 'varicose' or swollen veins in the walls of the esophagus (gullet or swallowing pipe leading to the stomach). They result from the higher than normal pressure in the system of veins that arise from the region of the liver, and which are known to be affected by liver disease.
Age : Generally, most elderly individuals show some degree of varicose vein or varicosity occurrence.
Diagnosis of varicose veins or varicosities is based on a physical exam alone. Sometimes tests or procedures are done to find out the extent of the problem and to rule out other disorders. The various tests are :
Doppler ultrasound : Doppler ultrasound is done to check blood flow in your veins and to look for blood clots. A doppler ultrasound uses sound waves to create pictures of structures in your body.
Angiogram : Although rare, your doctor may order an angiogram to get a more detailed look at the blood flow through your blood vessels. For this procedure, dye is injected into your veins. The dye outlines your veins on x-ray images.
Bleeding : The thin-walled varicose veins or varicositis protrude just under the skin. Bumping or scratching a large varicose vein may cause severe bleeding. Varicose veins bleed more than healthy veins because of abnormally high pressure within the damaged veins.
Phlebitis : Phlebitis means inflammation of a vein. A form of phlebitis that sometimes affects varicose veins or varicositis is superficial thrombophlebitis, an inflammation of a vein just below the surface of the skin, which results from a small blood clot.
When clots form in veins near the surface of the body, swelling and redness appear along the affected area of the vein. This condition is not considered life threatening, as opposed to deep vein thrombosis.
The most serious consequence of phlebitis is the development of postphlebitic leg. This condition is also called stasis syndrome. It is usually the result of long-term phlebitis involving deeper veins. The involved area in a postphlebitic leg may become discolored, scaly, and swollen, with hardened areas beneath the skin and the development of painful ulcers.
Leg ulcers : Ulcers (open sores) are one of the most troublesome complications of varicose veins or varicosities. They tend to occur most often in the elderly.
There is a popular saying that “Prevention is better than cure.” So to avoid the sufferings from the symptoms of varicose veins or varicosities, kindly avoid the following :
Maintain the normal weight.
Wear support or compression stockings.
Avoid long periods of standing or sitting.
Don’t cross your legs when sitting.
Exercise regularly, for example walking.
Eat high-fiber foods like bran cereals, whole grain breads, fresh fruits and vegetables.
Varicose veins or varicositis are becoming a bigger problem in Western society, while in societies that consume mostly nutrient rich, unprocessed food, varicose vein are very rare. The low-fiber Western diet leads to constipation.
Nowadays people are fond of the fast foods available in the market. In developing countries like India people are more into these kinds of foods which lead to problems like constipation which in turn gives birth to many problems like varicose veins. Straining during bowel movements puts intense pressure on the veins of the lower body; over time, it can cause veins to weaken and enlarge. Therapies that encourage regular elimination are an important part of the treatment for varicose veins or varicositis.
A high-fiber diet is your best weapon against varicose veins. Reduce your risk of constipation by eating plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and nuts and seeds.
Consume 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds, along with 10 ounces of water, daily to obtain healthful fiber.
Certain kinds of flavonoids will strengthen the walls of the veins and improve their elasticity. Berries that have a bluish-red color - cherries, blueberries, and blackberries, for example are rich in the flavonoids you need, so enjoy them often as snacks or dessert.
Buckwheat, as a food and in tea forms, is a good source of a flavonoid called rutin, which increases the strength of capillaries.
To improve circulation, flavor your meals with garlic, onions, ginger, or cayenne pepper. Vitamin E is good for the circulation and also helps prevent blood clots. Wheat germ is an excellent source, as are soybeans and leafy greens.
Foods to be avoided
Saturated fats, along with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, slow down your circulation and worsen the inflammation of the blood vessels. Avoid them.
Sugar and other refined carbohydrates can lead to weight gain and constipation. Dramatically reduce your intake of sweets and refined foods.
Caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating, and they worsen varicose veins or varicosities.
