Varicose veins are a disease based on an irreversible increase in 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, the specifics of the structure and function of the venous system must be addressed.
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 of the veins in the body flow from the bottom up. The main driving force in the arteries is the energy of the heart contractions. On the way to the organs, it runs out almost completely and cannot ensure a stable return of blood to the heart.
The structural features of the venous system contribute to maintaining complete circulation. These can be divided into:
- central;
- district.
The central element is the residual blood pressure that enters the veins after the blood passes through the arterial system and the suction effect of the diaphragm. It is a muscular septum that separates the thorax from the abdomen. Large venous vessels pass through the membrane. It lowers when inhaled, compresses the venous vessels, and rises when exhaled. These movements act as a pump, helping blood flow through the veins to 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.. . . Any dysfunction can be the starting point for the development of varicose veins.
Muscle venous pump
The main force that draws blood from the organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles surrounding the veins. This is called a muscle-venous pump. During walking and training, the muscle fibers constrict, which leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the venous vessels, as a result of which the blood enters the covering sections.
Venous valves
In order to prevent blood from flowing back in the moment the muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. Protrusions on the inner surface of the vessel wall, which are thin flexible plates. The valve vanes point towards the heart.
The principle of their work is this: when the muscle fibers relax and the blood tends to return downwards under the influence of gravity, it enters the space formed by the valve leaf and the vessel wall. The pressure created by the blood in this area closes the valves, which prevents backflow.
Venous tone
Venous tone ensures that vascular capacity is maintained and regulated. It is provided by the connective tissue and muscle fibers that make up the venous wall. Special nerve cells located in the thickness of the blood vessels respond to blood pressure by signaling muscle cells and connective tissue fibers. The lumen of the vein shrinks, causing the blood to travel to the heart.
Thus, the stable functioning of the venous system depends on the proper functioning of all the components. Understanding these mechanisms means that the treatment of varicose veins must be made most effective.
Between cause and effect
To date, there is no single theory for the formation of varicose veins. The greatest difficulty is to distinguish between 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 as a result of certain adverse factors.
In people susceptible to varicose veins, a congenital abnormality in the structure of the vessel wall and a decrease in the number of valves have been found. As a result, the two most important mechanisms of blood flow from the organs to the heart suffer: venous tone decreases and the keyboard does not work.
The simplified progression of the disease in this case is as follows. As a result of muscle contraction, the blood pushed through the blood vessels in the relaxation phase of the muscle fibers bends downwards under the influence of gravity. In the event that the venous valve is scarce or these keys are unable to effectively occlude the lumen of the vessel, blood flows back to the lower sections. Insufficient elasticity and elasticity of the venous wall results in a marked expansion of the vessel diameter. As a result, the valve tips move farther apart, allowing even more blood to flow downward. A pathological vicious circle develops. This is varicose veins.
However, in a healthy body, the disease does not develop even with congenital changes in the venous vessels. For this mechanism to work, the effect of one or more detrimental factors is required. These include:
- Lifestyle;
- hypodynamics;
- obesity;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
The peculiarities of the lifestyle lead to increased pressure in the veins, which results in an increased load on the vessel wall.
This is most often seen when standing or sitting for long periods of time and when working with weights constantly. The formation of varicose veins is provoked by the tight underwear, the jeans, which compress large blood vessels at the level of the groin folds. Nutrition is also important: eating refined foods, lack of fresh fruits and vegetables from the daily menu - fiber sources. Such nutrition leads to constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure.
Hypodynamics
As you know, muscles are the second heart of the veins, due to their contraction the walls of the vessels are compressed and blood moves. With a sedentary lifestyle, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The rate of muscle development also plays an important role - the more developed the muscle, the easier it is to cope with the work of promoting blood. This is why varicose veins are rare in athletes.
Obesity
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. However, no such dependence was found in men.
Hormonal imbalance
Female sex hormones - estrogens, progesterone - affect the vein wall and reduce its tone in excess of physiological standards. This is due to the gradual destruction of the strands that provide strength and flexibility. Hormonal contraceptives, hormonal drugs used to treat menopause, play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
Pregnancy
The increase in the volume of circulating blood, the compression of the large veins passing behind the posterior wall by the uterus, and the increase in intra-abdominal pressure during pregnancy are one of the main causes of varicose veins in women.