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 operation of the venous system.
Veins refer to blood vessels that carry blood from tissues and organs. Unlike arteries, which move 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 almost completely consumed and cannot provide a stable return of blood to the heart.
The structural features of the venous system help to maintain full circulation. They can be divided into:
- central;
- peripheral.
The central ones 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 chest cavity from the abdomen. Large venous vessels pass through the diaphragm. When you inhale, it descends, compressing the venous vessels, and when you exhale, it rises. These movements work like a pump, helping the blood flow up the veins towards the heart.
Peripheral factors include:
- muscle-venous pump;
- venous valves;
- venous tone.
The role of these factors in the bloodstream is so great that they are called the second heart of the body.. . . Dysfunction of any of them can be the starting point in the development of varicose veins.
Musculo-venous pump
The main force that causes blood to move from organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles surrounding the veins. This is the so-called muscle-venous pump. During walking, exercise, muscle fibers contract, this leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the venous vessels, as a result of which blood is pushed into the overlying sections.
Venous valves
In order to prevent blood flowing back at the moment when muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. They are outgrowths on the inner surface of the vascular wall, which are a thin elastic plate. The valve flaps are directed towards the heart.
The principle of their work is as follows: when the muscle fibers relax and the blood tends to return downward 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. Special nerve cells, which are located in the thickness of blood vessels, react to blood pressure by signaling muscle cells and connective tissue fibers. The lumen of the vein is reduced, as a result of which the blood moves towards the heart.
Thus, the stable functioning of the venous system depends on the correct functioning of all its constituent parts. 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 of the development of varicose veins. The greatest difficulty is the separation of the direct cause of the disease and conditions that only contribute to its manifestation.
Varicose veins disease is a genetically determined disease that manifests itself only when exposed to certain unfavorable factors.
In people susceptible to varicose veins, a congenital disorder of the structure of the vascular wall and a decrease in the number of valves were found. As a result, two most important mechanisms for ensuring blood flow from organs to the heart suffer: venous tone decreases and the valve apparatus does not work.
Simplified development of the disease in this case is as follows. The blood, which is pushed through the vessels due to muscle contraction, tends downward during the relaxation phase of muscle fibers under the influence of gravity. In the event that there are few venous valves or their valves are not able to effectively block the lumen of the vessel, the blood flows back to the lower sections. With insufficient elasticity and elasticity of the venous wall, a pronounced expansion of the diameter of the vessel occurs. As a result, the valve cusps move further apart from each other, allowing an even greater volume of blood to flow downward. A pathological vicious circle develops. This is 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. In order for this mechanism to work, the impact of one or several adverse factors is necessary. These include:
- Lifestyle;
- hypodynamia;
- obesity;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle features lead to increased pressure in the veins, resulting in increased stress on the vascular wall.
This is most often observed when standing or sitting for a long time and during work associated with the constant lifting of weights. The development of varicose veins is provoked by tight underwear, jeans, which squeeze large veins at the level of the inguinal folds. Nutrition is also important: the consumption of refined food, the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily menu - sources of fiber. Such nutrition leads to the development of constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure.
Hypodynamia
As you know, the muscles are the second heart for the veins, due to their contraction, the walls of the vessels are compressed and the blood moves. With a sedentary lifestyle, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The degree of muscle development also plays an important role - the better the muscle is developed, the easier it is to cope with the work of promoting blood. This is due to the rare occurrence of varicose veins in athletes-athletes.
Obesity
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. At the same time, such dependence was not revealed in men.
Hormonal imbalance
Female sex hormones - estrogens, progesterone - in quantities exceeding physiological norms, affect the vein wall and reduce its tone. This is due to the gradual destruction of the connective fibers, which provide its strength and elasticity. Hormonal contraceptives, hormonal drugs for the treatment of menopause play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
Pregnancy
An increase in the volume of circulating blood, compression by the uterus of large veins that pass behind its posterior wall, an increase in intra-abdominal pressure make pregnancy one of the main causes of varicose veins in women.