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 features of the structure and functioning of the venous system.
Veins refer to the blood vessels that carry blood from tissues and organs. Unlike arteries, which move blood from the heart and distribute it from the top down, most veins in the body flow from the bottom up. The main driving force in the artery is the energy of the contractions of the heart. On the way to the organs, it is consumed almost completely and can not provide a stable return of blood to the heart.
The structural characteristics of the venous system help maintain complete circulation. They can be divided into:
- central;
- peripheral.
Central ones are the residual blood pressure, which is transmitted to the veins after the passage of blood to 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 descends, compressing the venous vessels, and when you exhale, it rises. These movements function as a pump, helping blood to flow from the veins to the heart.
Peripheral factors include:
- muscular-venous pump;
- venous valve;
- venous tone.
The role of these factors in blood circulation is so great that they are called the second heart of the body.. . . Dysfunction of any of them may be the starting point in the development of varicose veins.
Musculoskeletal pump
The main force that causes blood to move from the organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles that surround the veins. This is the so-called muscular-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 to the upper sections.
Venous valve
To prevent the return of blood at the moment when the muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. They are protrusions on the inner surface of the vascular wall, which are a thin elastic plate. The valves of the valves point towards the heart.
The principle of their work is as follows: when the muscle fibers relax and the blood tends to bounce back under the force of gravity, it enters the space formed by the valve leaf and the wall of the blood vessels. The pressure created by the blood in this area causes the valves to close, which prevents it from reversing.
Ton venous
Venous tone ensures the maintenance and regulation of vascular capacity. It is provided by the connective tissue and muscle fibers that make up the venous wall. Specific nerve cells, which are located in the thickness of blood vessels, respond to blood pressure by signaling muscle cells and connective tissue fibers. The lumen of the vein narrows, as a result of which blood moves to the heart.
Thus, the stable functioning of the venous system depends on the correct functioning of all its constituent parts. Understanding these mechanisms means making the treatment of varicose veins as effective as possible.
Between cause and effect
To date, there is no single theory for the development of varicose veins. The greatest difficulty is to separate the direct cause of the disease and the conditions that only contribute to its occurrence.
Varicose vein disease is a genetically determined disease that occurs only when exposed to certain adverse 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, the two most important mechanisms of blood flow from the organs to the heart suffer: the tone of the veins decreases and the valve apparatus does not function.
The simplified development of the disease in this case is as follows. 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. In case 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 sections. With insufficient elasticity and resilience of the venous wall, a marked expansion of the vessel diameter occurs. As a result, the valve cups move farther apart, allowing an even larger volume of blood to flow down. A vicious pathological 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 influence of one or several negative factors is necessary. This includes:
- Lifestyle;
- hypodynamics;
- obesity;
- hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle characteristics lead to increased pressure in the veins, resulting in increased stress on the vascular walls.
This is most often noticed when standing or sitting for a long time and during work that is accompanied by constant weight lifting. The development of varicose veins is provoked by tight underwear, jeans, which squeeze the large veins at the level of inguinal folds. Nutrition is also important: consumption of refined food, lack 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.
Hypodynamics
As you know, muscles are the second heart for veins, because of their contraction, the walls of the vessels are compressed and the blood moves. With a sedentary lifestyle, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The rate of muscle development also plays an important role - the better the muscle develops, the easier it is to cope with the work of stimulating the blood. This is the reason for the rare occurrence of varicose veins in athletes.
Obesity
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. At the same time, such an addiction was not detected in men.
Hormonal imbalance
Female sex hormones - estrogens, progesterone - in amounts that exceed physiological norms, 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 for the treatment of menopause play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
pregnant
Increased circulating blood volume, compression by the uterus of large veins passing behind its posterior wall, increased intra-abdominal pressure make pregnancy one of the leading causes of varicose veins in women.