Treatment of varicose veins with folk remedies

Patients often try to treat varicose veins at home with folk remedies - there are even preparations for external use and oral administration based on plant extracts, many of which are a means of completely getting rid of venous diseases.It is widely advertised and sold without a prescription.But unfortunately, this attitude towards traditional methods for varicose veins is not entirely correct.

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

Why does the herb not cure varicose veins?

The use of various plant-based remedies cannot get rid of varicose veins even in the initial stages of the disease.This cannot be achieved with drug therapy and other conservative methods recommended by official medicine.

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

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

Factors affecting the development of varicose veins:

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

Of course, all of this cannot be eliminated with herbal remedies or other non-surgical techniques.Therefore, there is no need to talk about the cure of varicose veins with the help of conservative therapy, no matter what advertisements and publications promise.

The improvement of the condition while taking drugs or herbs only indicates the compensation of the existing venous insufficiency.The duration of the remission period depends on many factors.Continuing the herbal treatment does not at all guarantee the low probability of the resumption of symptoms and the prevention of complications.

However, herbal products can still be used in the complex treatment of varicose veins of the lower limbs.In addition, some medicinal extracts have formed the basis of many modern medicines.Thus, patients may refuse to independently prepare decoctions and infusions intended for oral administration.Many people prefer standardized pharmaceutical products with set dosages, ease of administration, and predictable effects.

What is the effect of herbal and traditional methods?

In the case of varicose veins, chamomile, horse chestnut, aromatic rue, horsetail, dandelion, meadowsweet, bird's knot (knotweed) and many other plants are most often used for medicinal purposes.

Chamomile helps 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 poultices 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 and when bathing.It relieves mild pain, but has no therapeutic effect.

The effect of folk remedies

Herbal preparations have a limited effect on the affected veins:

• Phlebotonic effect - increases the tone of the veins.But let's not forget that in the case of varicose veins, the structure of the affected vessels changes irreversibly.In their walls, not only the amount of connective tissue increases significantly (which is called phlebosclerosis), but the structure of the muscle layer is also disrupted.Therefore, already deformed veins do not respond adequately to phlebotonic substances.Their lumen can be narrowed primarily with the help of strong compounds, such as ergot alkaloids.But the side effects from such herbs will be significant.Therefore, phlebotonic plants are used more to reduce the severity of venous insufficiency and for preventive purposes.
• Compression of the vein, due to which the process of deformation is somewhat restrained.This effect can be used in the complex prevention of individuals at risk.But stopping existing varicose veins, let alone reversing them, will still not be possible in this way.
• Antithrombotic and disintegrating effect, which reduces the risk of thrombosis and has a beneficial effect on microcirculation.But this effect can only be expected with sufficiently long-term use of decoctions and infusions.In addition, blood thinning does not occur locally in the area of varicose veins, but throughout the body.In some patients, this can lead to complications of other diseases.
• It has an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect, mainly manifested in local herbal medicine for trophic ulcers and eczematous venous dermatitis.But without eliminating venostasis (the main cause of these complications), it is not possible to achieve permanent normalization of the skin condition.

As you can see, the symptoms of the disease are only temporarily reduced, varicose veins do not disappear completely.

Apitherapy for the treatment of varicose veins

Apitherapy or "bee therapy" is the medicinal use of bee venom and various bee products.Recommendations for the use of honey and propolis as poultices in the presence of trophic ulcers and visible varicose veins are quite common.Some people also use apitoxin therapy and intentionally get bee stings to target the most affected vessels.

Honey and propolis are used as poultices to relieve swelling and pain.

Apitherapy is a classic folk method for the treatment of varicose veins in the legs, let's take into account the expected effect and the possibility of its occurrence:

• Improving tissue trophism and supplying it with vitamins and microelements found in honey.In reality, there is no improvement - the penetration of the ingredients through the skin is insignificant to talk about a significant therapeutic effect.In addition, the dense mass of honey can clog the pores and thereby worsen the condition of the dermis.
• In the presence of a trophic ulcer - the antimicrobial effect of a honey poultice.The easily digestible carbohydrates of the beekeeping product can be a breeding ground for opportunistic microorganisms.This can lead to exactly the opposite effect, especially against the background of skin dysbiosis in varicose veins and a decrease in local immunity.
• Anti-inflammatory effect of honey poultice.Yes, honey can reduce the severity of non-specific inflammation.But in the case of varicose veins, the key changes occur in the wall of the vessel under the skin, and biologically active substances through the skin are still not absorbed well enough.Honey is a highly allergenic product;it is possible that local allergic reactions similar to inflammation may develop - this does not improve the condition of the legs.
• Fight against thrombosis (with apitoxin therapy), which can be explained by the presence of a hirudin-like substance in bee venom.Trying to take advantage of this effect, apitherapists often plant stinging bees in the area of veins affected by thrombophlebitis.In some cases, this actually activates thrombolysis (absorption of the blood clot).But such a rather aggressive and not fully controlled effect can cause thromboembolism and increase the severity of phlebitis.
• Improvement of microcirculation due to peptides in bee venom.In fact, these biologically active substances contribute to the expansion of capillaries and blood flow to the inflamed areas after a bee sting.Bee stings can potentially improve the condition of the soft tissues of the legs affected by varicose veins.But apitoxin therapy is accompanied by inflammation and swelling, which aggravates existing disorders.Wounds created after the sting is removed serve as an entry gate for bacteria - this is 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 it change all the tissues in the area of the developing inflammation with repeated stings.The skin thickens, the subcutaneous tissue becomes rougher, the walls of the subcutaneous blood vessels thicken, and the varicose veins become less noticeable.But this does not mean that the uneven phlebosclerosis and nodular deformities of the veins, which appear against its background, completely disappear.They only compensate, which is accompanied by a temporary stabilization of the course of chronic venous insufficiency.Valvular sclerosis is not eliminated by apitherapy either.

Apitherapy is indeed a very powerful tool of traditional medicine, but varicose veins are fraught with the development of infectious complications.Such treatment cannot restore the walls of the veins;it is only possible to stabilize the course of the disease and alleviate the symptoms.

Do leeches treat varicose veins?

Leeches have long been used to treat blood and vascular diseases.The risk of thrombosis decreases, and the pain temporarily decreases.

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

• Reduced swelling and visible pigmentation.
• Sucking a leech reduces the risk of thrombosis.This is explained by the anti-thrombosis effect of several substances in its saliva: the anticoagulant hirudin, collagenase and apyrase enzymes, which have disintegrating properties.However, the leech cannot affect the blood clots that already exist in the veins and does not reduce the probability of thromboembolism in thrombophlebitis.In addition, the proteins from saliva break down quite quickly, so hirudotherapy cannot be expected to have a long-term antithrombotic effect.
• Blood sucking by the leech reduces intravascular pressure.This relief of local blood flow is temporary and cannot relieve the patient of varicose vein stasis.
• Certain substances in leech saliva have a vasodilating effect and lead to dilation of small blood vessels.In some cases, this helps improve microcirculation.Venous insufficiency caused by varicose veins involves overstretching of the end sections of the venous network due to blood stagnation.Therefore, further expansion of small vessels does not necessarily have the best effect on the state of the microvasculature.For spider veins, this effect from using leeches can make the situation worse.

Hirudotherapy currently refers to physiotherapy methods rather than traditional ones.But phlebologists are still very careful with such treatment because of the high probability of complications - erysipelas.

Venous congestion with varicose veins leads to disruption of the nutrition of all tissues of the limb, including the skin.The effectiveness of local immune factors decreases, the composition of the microflora on the surface of the epidermis changes.All of this is a prerequisite for the development of infectious complications.

Sucking leeches further worsens the functioning of the skin barrier.And the gaping wound after separation can even become an entrance gate 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 does not relieve varicose veins of the lower extremities and cannot lead to sustainable compensation of venous insufficiency.It increases the risk of infectious dermatitis and erysipelas.

How to cope with the disease?

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

Self-medication is dangerous!

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

• Thrombosis of superficial and deep veins, possibly with the development of thromboembolism.Traveling blood clots block arteries, which can cause heart attacks, strokes, and dysfunction of many organs.Pulmonary embolism is one of the deadliest conditions.
• Trophic ulcer, prone to chronicity and recurrence.
• Venous eczema is a severe protracted dermatitis of infectious-allergic origin.It significantly impairs the quality of life and can be complicated by erysipelas.
• Spontaneous ruptures of varicose veins with the risk of blood loss.

In hospitals, varicose veins are treated surgically - the entire affected vein and its key tributaries are removed (or completely cut off from the bloodstream).As a result, the patient eliminates abnormal blood flow, eliminates venous stagnation and improves tissue nutrition.

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

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

The method of treatment is selected according to the indications, taking into account the stage of varicose veins and the presence of concomitant diseases.Uncomplicated varicose veins can usually be 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.