Being a fairly common disease of the veins and arteries, varicose veins are accompanied by characteristic manifestations that make it possible to diagnose the disease in a timely manner and prevent its deterioration. There are certain stages of varicose veins, which are associated with certain symptoms and can become indicators of neglect of the pathological process and the ability to identify actual changes.
However, phlebologists today do not have a consensus on the isolation of disease stages, as the discharge of manifestations and their characteristic course are not constant values: each case has its own characteristics of manifestation and course of this disease, and against the background of current parallel lesions. of the body, there is a high probability of lubrication manifestations, which may interfere with the correct diagnosis.
The main parameters for determining the stage of varicose veins
Stages of varicose veins are usually formed depending on the group of certain manifestations that characterize the degree of neglect of the current pathological process, as well as their effect on the patient's body as a whole. Classification of the manifestation of this disease is the simplest method of preliminary diagnosis and determination of the treatment scheme.
To determine the stage of this disease, an answer must be given to a number of specific questions that will make it possible to understand the existing symptoms and, with their help, determine the degree of deterioration of the process, which mainly determines the possibilities fortreatment.
These issues include:
- the presence of characteristic manifestations of varicose veins and the degree of their occurrence;
- location and strength of symptoms;
- the presence of external manifestations of changes in the condition of large veins and arteries;
- identification of accompanying manifestations that aggravate the patient's condition.
However, even without a detailed diagnosis by a phlebologist, during an external examination of the patient, it is possible to make a preliminary diagnosis, which will make it possible to design a scheme of therapeutic effects and, depending on the specific characteristicsindividual of the patient's body, the presence of current concomitant diseases and susceptibility to constant exposure, make certain adjustments in treatment. Important It is important during the diagnosis of the patient's condition to determine which types of varicose veins occur, their location and the degree of neglect of the pathological process.
Most often, varicose veins affect the lower extremities, as it is this area of the human body that receives the most important loads. At the same time, 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 signal the need for a more attentive attitude towards the limbs and veins. Therefore, to understand how the stages of varicose veins change, it is necessary to get at least a general idea about the manifestations of this pathology, which is distinguished by its seriousness and the great risks to the health of the feet and body. man as a whole.
Specifics of classification of varicose veins
The stages of varicose veins can vary in the form and location of the current pathological process in the veins. This approach is more suitable for understanding the degree of neglect of the disease, and also makes it possible to determine the cause of onset, which will more quickly eliminate the actual manifestations of this condition and the characteristic symptoms.
The types of varicose veins vary in some specific parameters. The use of a certain classification allows you 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 varicose veins is as follows:
- Varicose veins located in the superficial layer of the skin and deep veins, while external manifestations are characterized by segmentation - changes in the condition of the veins are noted only in a certain area of the veins.
- Varicose veins of the superficial and perforating veins, which is also observed in certain segments of the skin.
- Changes in the condition of the veins, in which varicose enlargement and pathological changes in the superficial veins are diagnosed in an unexpressed form, reflux.
- Varicose veins, marked in the deep veins, the development of reflux.
The presence of reflux indicates the presence of a certain pathology, since with reflux, the blood flows in the opposite direction. This phenomenon usually aggravates the pathological process of changes in the veins, stimulating the deterioration of varicose veins, followed by the covering of an increasing area of veins and arteries. All types of varicose veins can have signs of reflux, which is already a certain pathology and requires medical intervention.
Understanding the severity of the disease makes it possible to start treatment in a timely manner, as even the initial stage of the process, which has a relatively small number of external manifestations, is dangerous to the health of the feet. Grade 1 varicose veins can be virtually asymptomatic, but that does not mean there is no need to treat the disease.
An external examination of the affected veins with altered veins will allow the specialist to determine approximately the probable cause of this disease. However, to clarify the diagnosis, a full range of diagnostic procedures must be performed that will make it possible to determine the prevalence of the autologous process, as well as to correct the intended therapeutic effect to get more pronounced andlong - delayed positive results. The classification will help to make a diagnosis consistent with the external manifestations of the disease, as well as to determine the system of therapeutic effects.
Classification according to the degree of deterioration
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 the onset of the next stage, a greater degree and severity of symptoms is observed, a large prevalence of the affected area.
The classification of the disease, which is performed depending on the degree of negligence, is as follows:
- early stage of varicose veins - in the initial stage of the pathological process, there is a gradual accumulation of characteristic manifestations of the disease, which are not always noted by the patient. This stage is often called latent: a person may write uncomfortable sensations after a whole day spent walking for elementary fatigue, the presence of an excess weight. If, however, we add to the listed factors the period of expectation of the child, heredity (if there is at least one close relative with the existing varicose veins, one can certainly assume his tendency to develop this disease on its own), then one can ignore the pathological changes manifested in the inferior veins for a long time.
- the first stage is already characterized by manifestations such as periodic numbness of the legs (especially with prolonged maintenance of a position and standing position), soreness in certain parts of the legs, feeling of tension in the legs and veins due to deterioration of qualityof the circulatory process, the veins at the same time dilate and a strong tension of them. Externally, the first stage of the disease is manifested in the appearance of small areas with visible veins and blood vessels, which may disturb the patient when pressing such an area;
- Grade 2 varicose veins may have the following characteristic manifestations:
- grief becomes more pronounced, increases by the end of the day;
- bruising and areas with altered veins and capillaries appear on the skin, which are also visible to the naked eye;
- the lesion rate increases, which is detected by an increase in the lesion area.
- grade 3 varicose veins are less curable. All the characteristic symptoms worsen, the soreness becomes more severe and the affected area covers most of the leg. The condition and color of the skin of the feet changes: they acquire a darker shade, the skin itself becomes an unhealthy structure, more and more resembling dead skin. At this stage, varicose veins almost always require surgical intervention, as there is a high risk of developing and separating a thrombus from the vessel wall, which can block the vessel lumen and lead to serious consequences in the form of a risk. limb amputation. The third stage is the most dangerous due to the high probability of negative accompanying manifestations during treatment.
In the second degree of this pathological process, there is a strong weight on the foot, a feeling of bursting of the veins and skin, so-called goose bumps on the foot and in the popliteal region may appear, which is not accompanied by external factors. Grade 2 varicose veins are still curable; in the later stages, the process of disease exacerbation continues at an increasingly rapid pace and affects more and more areas of the lower extremities, while the treatment process is difficult and does not always yield positive results;
There are also veins with capillary varicose veins, in which small blood vessels receive a load, the quality of blood circulation gradually deteriorates, the characteristic signs appear in the form of increased fatigue of the limbs, the appearance of swelling of the affected tissues and a change ofskin color at the site of injury.
Varicose veins have stages that gradually turn into more complicated ones, while the way of treatment is determined both by the localization of the lesion site and by the subjective manifestations of the disease. Anyone who has noticed at least one of the signs of this dreaded disease should remember that the likelihood of the disease passing in a short time to a deeper stage and a significant deterioration of the health of the lower extremities is high. Also, in the absence of the necessary treatment, the patient may become incapacitated - as shown by medical statistics, this, on average, lasts about 11 years from the moment of appearance of the first characteristic manifestations of the disease.
Why is treatment needed?
Varicose veins of the lower extremities, or VBNK, accompanied by a gradual deterioration of blood circulation, the appearance of increasingly profound symptoms, requires an immediate medical response. When you detect varicose veins of the lower extremities, a more detailed diagnosis of veins and blood vessels is made, the degree of neglect of the process is determined.
Lower extremity disease needs treatment due to the rapid deterioration of the current pathological process, affecting more and more areas. The likelihood of remaining disabled is high, especially at an older age, when there is a general suppression of basic body functions and a decrease in the degree of disease resistance. And in the presence of accompanying lesions, treating varicose veins in the legs is even more difficult.
Since the disease is characterized by different types (or stages), which differ in the degree of deterioration of the pathological process, treatment should be carried out in accordance with the results of the diagnosis performed, as well as taking into account the individual characteristics of the organism.