Varicose veins are a disease based on irreversible enlargement of the diameter of the veins and loss of function of the venous valves.
Where is the second heart?
To understand the causes of varicose veins, it is necessary to turn to the peculiarities of the structure and function of the venous system.
Veins refer to blood vessels that carry blood from tissues and organs. Unlike arteries, which carry blood from the heart and distribute it from top to bottom, most veins in the body flow from bottom to top. The main driving force in the arteries is the energy of the heart contractions. On the way to the organs, it is consumed almost completely and can not offer a stable return of blood to the heart.
The structural features of the venous system help maintain full circulation. They can be divided into:
- central;
- regional.
Central are the residual blood pressure, which is transmitted to the veins after the passage of blood through the arterial system, and the suction action of the diaphragm. It is a muscular septum that separates the thoracic cavity from the abdomen. Large venous vessels pass through the diaphragm. When you inhale, it goes down, compressing the venous vessels, and when you exhale, it goes up. These movements act as a pump, helping the blood to flow in the veins to the heart.
Regional factors include:
- muscular-venous pump;
- venous valves;
- venous tone.
The role of these factors in blood circulation is so great that they are called the second heart of the body.. . . The malfunction of any of them can be the starting point in the development of varicose veins.
Muscular pump
The main force that causes the blood to move from the organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles that surround the veins. This is the so-called myofibrous pump. During walking, exercise, the muscle fibers contract, this leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the venous vessels, resulting in blood being pushed to the upper parts.
Venous valves
In order to prevent the blood from returning as the muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. They are protuberances on the inner surface of the vascular wall, which are a thin elastic plate. The flaps of the valve are directed towards the heart.
The principle of their work is as follows: when the muscle fibers relax and the blood tends to return downwards under the force of gravity, it enters the space formed by the valve leaf and the vessel wall. The pressure created by the blood in this area causes the valves to close, which prevents it from flowing back.
Venous tone
Venous tone ensures the maintenance and regulation of vascular capacity. It is provided by connective tissue and muscle fibers that make up the venous wall. Specific nerve cells, located in the thickness of blood vessels, respond to blood pressure by signaling muscle cells and connective tissue fibers. The lumen of the vein shrinks, causing blood to flow to the heart.
Thus, the stable functioning of the venous system depends on the proper functioning of all its components. To understand these mechanisms means to make the treatment of varicose veins the most effective.
Between cause and effect
To date, there is no single theory for the development of varicose veins. The greatest difficulty is to distinguish the immediate cause of the disease and the conditions that only contribute to its manifestation.
Varicose veins are a genetically determined disease that only manifests itself when exposed to certain adverse factors.
In people with varicose veins, a congenital disorder of the structure of the vascular wall and a reduction in the number of valves were found. As a result, two more important mechanisms of blood flow from the organs to the heart suffer: venous tone decreases and the valve device does not work.
The simplified development of the disease in this case is as follows. The blood, which is pushed through the vessels due to muscle contraction, tends downwards during the relaxation phase of the muscle fibers under the influence of gravity. If there are few venous valves or their valves are not able to effectively block the lumen of the vessel, blood flows back to the lower extremities. With insufficient elasticity and resilience of the venous wall, a pronounced expansion of the diameter of the vessel occurs. As a result, the ends of the valve move further away from each other, allowing even more blood to flow down. A pathological vicious circle develops. These are varicose veins.
However, in a healthy body, even in the presence of congenital changes in the venous vessels, the development of the disease does not occur. For this mechanism to work, the effect of one or more adverse factors is necessary. These include:
- LIFESTYLE;
- weakness;
- portliness;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle characteristics lead to increased pressure in the veins, resulting in increased pressure in the vascular wall.
This is most often seen when standing or sitting for long periods of time and during work related to continuous weight lifting. The development of varicose veins is caused by tight underwear, jeans, which compress large veins at the level of the inguinal folds. Nutrition is also important: the consumption of refined foods, the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily menu - sources of fiber. Such a diet leads to the development of constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure.
Weakness
As you know, the muscles are the second heart for the veins, because of their contraction, the walls of the vessels are compressed and the blood moves. With sedentary life, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The degree of muscle growth also plays an important role - the better the muscle grows, the easier it is to cope with the task of promoting blood flow. This is the reason for the rare occurrence of varicose veins in athletes.
Portliness
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. At the same time, such dependence was not revealed to men.
Hormonal imbalance
Female sex hormones - estrogen, progesterone - in amounts that exceed normal standards, affect the vein wall and reduce its tone. This is due to the gradual destruction of the connective fibers that provide its strength and elasticity. Hormonal contraceptives, hormonal drugs to treat menopause play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
Pregnancy
Increased volume of circulating blood, compression of the large veins passing behind the posterior wall, increase in intra-abdominal pressure make pregnancy one of the main causes of varicose veins in women.