Stages of varicose veins

Because veins and arteries are fairly common diseases, varicose veins are associated with characteristic manifestations that allow the disease to be diagnosed in a timely manner and prevent it from worsening. There are certain stages of varicose veins that are associated with certain symptoms and may become an opportunity to neglect the pathological process as well as to identify current changes.

However, phlebologists today do not agree on the separation of disease stages, as the relief and characteristic course of manifestations is not a constant value: in each case there is a specificity of the manifestation and course of this diseasethe correct diagnosis.

The main parameters for determining the stage of varicose veins

Stages of varicose veins usually develop depending on a set of manifestations that characterize the degree of neglect of the current pathological process and their effect on the patient's entire body. Classification of disease manifestation is the simplest method of preliminary diagnosis and determination of treatment regimen.

To determine the stage of the disease, a number of specific questions need to be answered that allow the existing symptoms to be understood and use them to determine the extent of exacerbation of the process, which largely determines the chances of developing the disease. treatment.

These questions are:

• the presence and extent of characteristic manifestations of varicose veins;
• location and severity of symptoms;
• external manifestations of changes in the condition of veins and large arteries;
• identification of concomitant manifestations that worsen the patient's condition.

However, without a detailed diagnosis by the phlebologist, it is possible to make a preliminary diagnosis during the external examination of the patient, which allows a scheme of therapeutic effects to be made, depending on the individual characteristics of the patient. the patient’s body, the presence of current comorbidities, and a tendency to continuous exposure, make certain adjustments in treatment. When diagnosing a patient’s condition, it is important to determine what types of varicose veins occur, their location, and the degree of neglect of the pathological process.

Most often, the varicose veins affect the lower extremities, as this area of the human body is subjected to the most significant load. However, not everyone is aware of this load on the legs and does not protect them even in the presence of a number of manifestations that indicate the need for a more attentive attitude towards the limbs and veins. Therefore, in order to understand how the stages of varicoseosis differ, it is necessary to obtain at least a general idea of the manifestations of the pathology, which is distinguished by its severity and the great dangers to the health of the feet and the human body. a whole.

Peculiarities of varicose vein classification

Stages of varicose veins may differ from the shape and location of the current pathological process in the veins. This approach is most convenient for understanding the degree of neglect of the disease and also makes it possible to determine the cause of the onset, which eliminates the current manifestations and characteristic symptoms of this condition sooner.

Varicose veins differ in a number of specific parameters. The use of a certain classification makes it possible to determine the affiliation of an existing disease to a group, which facilitates further diagnosis and selection of a treatment system. The modern classification according to the location of the main nodes of the varicose veins is as follows:

1. The varicose vein is located in the superficial layer of the skin and deep veins, while the external manifestations are characterized by segmentation - changes in the condition of the veins are recorded only in certain areas of the veins.
2. The superficial and perforating veins are varicose veins that can also be observed in certain segments of the skin.
3. Changes in the condition of the veins in which varicose veins and abnormalities of the superficial veins are diagnosed in an unexpressed form are reflux.
4. Varicose veins observed in the deep veins, the development of reflux.

The presence of reflux indicates the presence of a certain pathology because in addition to reflux, blood flows in the opposite direction. This phenomenon usually exacerbates the pathological process of changes in the veins, stimulates the aggravation of varicose veins, and then follows the coverage of an increasing area of the veins and arteries. All types of varicose veins can have signs of reflux, which already requires a certain pathology and medical intervention.

Understanding the severity of the disease allows treatment to be started in time, as even the initial stage of the process, which has relatively few external manifestations, is dangerous to the health of the feet. Grade 1 varicose veins may be virtually asymptomatic, but this does not mean that there is no need to treat the disease.

External examination of the affected veins with altered veins will allow the practitioner to roughly determine the probable cause of this disease. However, in order to clarify the diagnosis, a complete diagnostic procedure must be performed, which makes it possible to determine the prevalence of the autologous process and to correct the desired therapeutic effect in order to achieve the most pronounced and longest time. sustained positive results. Classification helps to make a diagnosis according to the external manifestations of the disease and to determine the system of therapeutic effects.

Classification by severity

Today, the generally accepted classification method should be considered as a variant that divides the course of the disease into certain stages. Each of them has characteristic manifestations, with greater and stronger symptoms at the beginning of the next stage, a high incidence in the affected area.

The classification of the disease, which depends on the degree of neglect, is as follows:

• early stage of varicose veins - in the initial stage of the pathological process, the characteristic manifestations of the disease gradually accumulate, which the patient does not always notice. This stage is often referred to as latent: a person can write off unpleasant feelings after an entire day on his feet due to the presence of elemental fatigue, some overweight. However, if we add to the listed factors the period of waiting for the child, heredity (if at least one close relative exists with varicose veins, you can safely assume that you are prone to develop this disease), you can ignore the manifestations of lower veins for a long time. members;
• the first stage is already characterized by manifestations such as periodic numbness of the legs (especially with lasting preservation of one position and standing position), pain in some parts of the legs, feeling of tension in the legs and blood vessels due to deterioration of the legs. the quality of the circulatory process, at the same time the veins dilate and strengthen their tension. From the outside, the first stage of the disease manifests itself in the appearance of small areas with visible veins and blood vessels, which can confuse the patient when such an area is pressed;
• Grade 2 varicose veins may have the following characteristic manifestations:
• the pain becomes more pronounced, increasing by the end of the day;
• bruises, areas with altered veins and capillaries appear on the skin that are even visible to the naked eye;
• the extent of the lesion increases, which is revealed by the increase in the area of the lesion.

In the second stage of this pathological process, the heaviness of the legs, the feeling of rupture of the veins and skin, so-called goosebumps may appear on the legs and in the popliteal region, which is not accompanied by external factors. Grade 2 varicose veins are still treatable; in the later stages, the process of disease exacerbation progresses at an ever-increasing rate and affects more and more areas of the lower extremities, while the treatment process is difficult and does not always yield positive results;

• grade 3 varicose veins are less curable. All characteristic symptoms worsen, the pain becomes more severe, and the affected area covers most of the foot. The condition and color of the skin of the legs change: they get a darker shade, the skin itself becomes an unhealthy texture, more and more like dead skin. At this stage, varicose veins almost always require surgery, as there is a high risk of a thrombus forming and detaching from the vessel wall, which can clog the vessel lumen and lead to serious consequences in the form of limb hazard. amputation. The third stage is the most dangerous because of the high probability of concomitant negative manifestations during treatment.

There are also capillary varicose veins in which the small blood vessels are stressed, the quality of blood circulation gradually deteriorates, characteristic signs appear in the form of increased limb fatigue, swelling of the affected tissues and discoloration. at the site of the skin lesion.

There are stages of varicose veins that gradually become more complex, while the mode of treatment is determined by both the localization of the site of the lesion and the subjective manifestation of the disease. Anyone who has noticed at least one of the signs of this terrible disease should remember that there is a high probability that the disease will go into a deeper stage in a short time and the health of the lower limbs will deteriorate significantly. Without the necessary treatment, the patient may become disabled - as medical statistics show, this takes an average of about 11 years from the onset of the first characteristic manifestations of the disease.

Why is treatment needed?

Varicose veins in the lower extremities, or VBNK, together with the gradual deterioration of blood circulation and the appearance of deeper and deeper symptoms, require an immediate medical response. When detecting varicose veins in the lower extremities, a more detailed diagnosis is made of the veins and blood vessels, and the degree of neglect of the process is determined.

Lower limb disease requires treatment due to the rapid exacerbation of the current pathological process, which is affecting more and more areas. The likelihood of persisting disability is high, especially in old age, when there is a general suppression of basic body functions and a decrease in the degree of resistance to disease. And in the presence of concomitant lesions, it is even more difficult to treat varicose veins on the legs.

Because the disease is characterized by different types (or stages) that vary in the degree of exacerbation of the pathological process, treatment should be performed according to the results of the diagnosis made and taking into account the specific characteristics of the disease. the organization.