Treatment of varicose veins with folk remedies

Patients often try to treat varicose veins at home with folk remedies - based on plant extracts, there are even preparations for external use and oral administration, many of which are positioned as a means to completely get rid of vascular diseases.They are widely advertised and sold without a doctor's prescription.But, unfortunately, in the case of varicose veins, this attitude towards traditional methods is completely incorrect.

Phlebologists do not consider traditional methods the main method of treating varicose veins of the lower extremities - traditional medicine can be effective in complex therapy and only reduce symptoms.

Why does herbal medicine not treat varicose veins?

The use of various herbal remedies is not able to free the patient from varicose veins even in the initial stages of the disease.This cannot be achieved with drug treatment and other conservative methods recommended by official medicine.

Changes in the walls of the veins with varicose veins are irreversible.No product of natural or pharmaceutical origin can eliminate these characteristic disorders or at least reliably stop their development.Currently, there are no drugs that can cause the regression of phlebosclerosis and the restoration of the normal structure of the vessel wall.

In many cases, patients have a hereditary tendency to varicose veins of the lower extremities.

Factors leading to the development of varicose veins:

• The genetically determined "weakness" of the venous walls, in fact, can withstand only a normal level of intravascular pressure without consequence.
• A small number of intravesical valves are present in childhood, which may be a familial or even racial trait.

Of course, it is impossible to eliminate all these with the help of herbal remedies or other non-surgical methods.Therefore, regardless of what advertisements and publications promise, there is no need to talk about the treatment of varicose veins with the help of conservative therapy.

When taking drugs or herbal remedies, the improvement of the condition only indicates the compensation of the existing venous insufficiency.The duration of this remission period depends on many factors.Continuation of herbal medicines does not guarantee a low probability of symptom recovery and prevention of complications.

However, herbal products can still be used in the complex treatment of varicose veins of the lower extremities.Moreover, some medicinal extracts have formed the basis of a number of modern medicines.Thus, patients can refuse to prepare an independent decoction and infusion for oral administration.Many people prefer standardized pharmaceutical products that offer adjustable dosage, ease of administration, and predictable action.

What are the effects of herbal medicines and traditional methods?

For varicose veins, chamomile, horse chestnut, aromatic rue, horsetail, dandelion, meadow lumbago, knotweed and several other plants are most often used for medicinal purposes.

Chamomile helps to relieve the symptoms of varicose veins in the early stages - it reduces the inflammatory process and the visibility of the affected veins.Chamomile tea and compresses have minimal contraindications and can be recommended by specialists in complex therapy.

Dandelion is a popular remedy for varicose veins.Dried roots and stems are added to tea, as well as when taking a bath.It relieves mild pain, but does not have a therapeutic effect.

The effect of folk remedies

The herbal medicine has a limited effect on the affected vessels:

• Phlebotonic effect - increases the tone of the vessels.But remember that the structure of the veins affected by varicose veins changes irreversibly.In their walls, not only the amount of connective tissue increases significantly (this is called phlebosclerosis), but also the structure of the muscle layer is disturbed.Therefore, already deformed vessels will respond insufficiently to phlebotonic agents.Their lumen can be narrowed mainly with the help of strong compounds - for example, ergot alkaloids.However, the side effects of such herbal medicines will be significant.Therefore, phlebotonic plants are mostly used to reduce the severity of venous insufficiency and for preventive purposes.
• Compression of the vessel, therefore, the process of deformation is somewhat limited.This effect can be used in complex prevention in persons at risk.However, it will still not be possible to stop existing varicose veins and return them.
• Antithrombotic and disintegrating effect, which reduces the risk of thrombosis and has a beneficial effect on microcirculation.However, this effect can be expected only with long-term use of decoctions and infusions.In addition, blood thinning will occur not only locally in the area of varicose veins, but throughout the body.In some patients, it can cause complications of other diseases.
• For trophic ulcers and eczematous venous dermatitis, it has an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect, which is mainly manifested in local herbal medicines.However, it will not be possible to achieve permanent normalization of the skin condition without eliminating venostasis (the main cause of these complications).

As you can see, the symptoms of the disease will only temporarily decrease and varicose veins will not disappear completely.

Apitherapy for varicose veins

Apitherapy or "bee therapy" is the use of bee venom and various bee products for medicinal purposes.Recommendations for the use of honey and propolis as a compress for trophic ulcers and visible varicose veins are quite common.Some also resort to apitoxin therapy sessions, deliberately achieving bee stings in the projection of the most affected vessels.

Honey and propolis in the form of compresses are used to relieve swelling and pain.

Apitherapy is a classic folk method of treating varicose veins of the legs, let's consider the expected effect and the probability of its occurrence:

• Improving tissue trophism and providing them with vitamins and trace elements contained in honey.In fact, there is no improvement - the penetration of the components through the skin is insignificant to talk about a significant therapeutic effect.In addition, a dense mass of honey can block the pores and thereby worsen the condition of the dermis.
• In case of trophic ulcer - the antimicrobial effect of applying honey compresses.The highly digestible carbohydrates of this beekeeping product can become a breeding ground for opportunistic microorganisms.This can cause the exact opposite effect, especially in conditions of skin dysbiosis, which occurs with varicose veins, and against the background of a decrease in local immunity.
• Anti-inflammatory effect of honey compresses.Yes, honey can reduce the severity of non-specific inflammation.However, in the case of varicose veins, the main changes occur in the wall of the subcutaneous vessel, and biologically active substances are still not absorbed well enough through the skin.Honey is a highly allergenic product;the development of local allergic reactions similar to inflammation is possible - this will not improve the condition of the feet.
• Combating thrombosis (with apitoxin therapy) explained by the presence of a hirudin-like substance in bee venom.Apitherapists trying to use this effect often plant stinging bees in areas of veins affected by thrombophlebitis.In some cases, it actually activates thrombolysis (resorption of a blood clot).However, such an extremely aggressive and completely uncontrolled effect can cause thromboembolism and increase the severity of phlebitis.
• Improvement of microcirculation under the influence of peptides contained in bee venom.Indeed, these biologically active substances contribute to the expansion of capillaries and blood flow to the inflamed areas after a bee sting.Bee sting sessions can potentially improve the condition of the soft tissues of the legs affected by varicose veins.However, apitoxin therapy is also accompanied by inflammation and swelling that aggravate existing disorders.Wounds formed after the removal of the pin serve as an entrance door for bacteria - the risk of developing erysipelas and other very undesirable infectious complications.
• Restoration of venous walls under the influence of bee venom.The peptides and other substances in the composition change all the tissues in the area of inflammation, which develops with repeated stings.The skin thickens, the subcutaneous tissue becomes coarser, the walls of the subcutaneous veins thicken, and varicose veins become less noticeable.However, this does not mean that uneven phlebosclerosis and nodular deformations of the vessels arising in its background completely disappear.They are compensated only with temporary stabilization of the course of chronic venous insufficiency.Sclerosis of the valve is not eliminated by apitherapy.

Apitherapy is indeed a very powerful tool in traditional medicine, but it is fraught with the development of infectious complications with varicose veins.With such treatment, it will not be possible to restore the walls of the vessels;it is only possible to stabilize the course of the disease and eliminate the symptoms.

Do leeches treat varicose veins?

Leech has been used in the treatment of blood and vascular diseases for a long time.The risk of thrombosis is reduced and the pain is temporarily reduced.

Treatment with leeches (hirudotherapy) is a popular method of treating varicose veins and other vascular diseases, it relieves symptoms, improves tissue trophism, but the effect is limited by time:

• Reduces puffiness and visible pigmentation.
• Sucking a leech reduces the risk of thrombosis.This is explained by the antithrombotic effect of several substances in its saliva: the anticoagulant hirudin, collagenase and apyrase enzymes with cleavage properties.However, leech cannot affect the blood clots already present in the vessels and does not reduce the possibility of thromboembolism in thrombophlebitis.In addition, the proteins from saliva break down quite quickly, so a long-term antithrombotic effect cannot be expected from hirudotherapy.
• Swallowing blood with a leech reduces intravascular pressure.This release of local blood flow is temporary and cannot relieve the patient from venous stasis with varicose veins.
• Some substances in leech saliva have a vasodilating effect and cause dilation of small vessels.In some cases, it helps to improve microcirculation.Venous insufficiency caused by varicose veins is accompanied by excessive stretching of the end parts of the venous network due to blood stagnation.Thus, additional expansion of small vessels may not have the best effect on the condition of microvessels.This effect caused by the use of leeches with spider veins can make the situation worse.

Currently, hirudotherapy refers to physiotherapeutic methods rather than traditional methods.But phlebologists are still very wary of such treatment due to the high probability of complications - erysipelas.

Venous occlusion, which develops with varicose veins, causes a violation of the nutrition of all surrounding tissues, including the skin.The effectiveness of local immune factors decreases, the composition of the microflora on the surface of the epidermis changes.All this is a prerequisite for the development of infectious complications.

Ingestion of leeches further impairs skin barrier function.A wound opened after separation can even become a gateway for pathogenic and opportunistic bacteria.And the most likely infectious complication of hirudotherapy will be erysipelas.In addition, proteins from leech saliva are foreign to the human body and can potentially act as allergens.

Hirudotherapy cannot eliminate varicose veins of the lower extremities or cause permanent compensation for venous insufficiency.It increases the risk of infectious dermatitis and redness.

How to cope with the disease?

Any conservative therapy for varicose veins is only symptomatic relief.The main effect is aimed at reducing the severity of venous congestion and correcting complications.No conservative technique can prevent further progression of the disease and eliminate the main cause of chronic venous insufficiency.

Self-medication is dangerous!

Late visits to the doctor and self-treatment for varicose veins significantly increase the likelihood of complications:

• Thrombosis of superficial and deep veins with the possible development of thromboembolism.Migrating blood clots clog arteries, which can lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, and multiple organ failure.Pulmonary embolism is one of the deadliest conditions.
• Prone to trophic ulcer, chronicity and recurrence.
• Venous eczema is a severe protracted dermatitis of infectious-allergic basis.This significantly worsens the quality of life and can be complicated by erysipelas.
• Spontaneous rupture of varicose veins with risk of blood loss.

In hospitals, varicose veins are treated surgically - the entire affected vein and its main branches are removed (or completely cut off from the bloodstream).As a result, the patient eliminates pathological blood discharges, eliminates venous congestion, and improves tissue nutrition.

Currently, patients have the option of choosing equally effective minimally invasive intravenous interventions instead of classic operations.These include:

1. EVLO is the obliteration (i.e., irreversible closure of the lumen) of the affected vein after intravascular laser treatment.
2. RFO is destruction caused by exposure to radio frequency waves.
3. Sclerotherapy is the introduction of a special sclerosant drug into the lumen of the vessel, which causes adhesion and subsequent obliteration of the vessel.

The treatment method is selected according to the indications, taking into account the stage of varicose veins and the presence of accompanying diseases.Uncomplicated varicose veins are usually removed with sclerotherapy or RFO, while advanced ones can be removed with laser technologies. Laser treatment of varicose veins gives excellent results at any stage of the disease.