Varicose veins are a disease based on an irreversible increase in the diameter of the veins and the 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 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 top to bottom, most of the body's veins flow from the bottom to the top. The main driving force in the arteries is the energy of the heart's contractions. On the way to the organs, it is almost completely consumed and cannot provide a steady return of blood to the heart.
The structural features of the venous system help maintain full circulation. They can be divided into:
- central;
- peripheral.
The central ones are the residual arterial pressure, which is transmitted to the veins after the blood passes through the arterial system, and the suction 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 blood to flow through 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 body's second heart.. . . Dysfunction of any one of them can be the starting point in the development of varicose veins.
Musculoskeletal pump
The main force that moves blood from organs to the heart is the contraction of the muscles around the veins. This is called the venous muscle pump. During walking, exercising, muscle fibers contract, which leads to a narrowing of the lumen of the venous vessels, as a result of which blood is pushed into the underlying sections.
venous valves
To prevent the blood from returning as the muscle fibers relax, there are valves in the veins. They are lumps on the inner surface of the vascular wall that are a thin elastic plaque. The valve flaps are directed towards the heart.
The principle of its work is as follows: when muscle fibers relax and 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 backflow.
venous tone
Venous tone ensures maintenance and regulation of vascular capacity. It is provided by the connective tissue and muscle fibers that make up the venous wall. Special nerve cells, 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, which causes blood to move towards 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 the most effective.
between cause and effect
So far, there is no single theory on the development of varicose veins. The biggest difficulty is the separation of the direct cause of the disease and the conditions that only contribute to its manifestation.
Varicose vein disease is a genetically determined disease that manifests itself only when exposed to certain unfavorable factors.
In people susceptible to varicose veins, congenital disorders of the structure of the vascular wall and a decrease in the number of valves have been found. As a result, two major mechanisms of blood flow from the organs to the heart are affected: the venous tone 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 downward during the relaxation phase of muscle fibers under the influence of gravity. In case there are few venous valves or their valves are not able to effectively block the vessel lumen, blood flows back to the lower sections. With insufficient elasticity and elasticity of the venous wall, there is a pronounced expansion of the vessel diameter. As a result, the valve cusps move farther apart, allowing an even greater volume of blood to flow downward. A pathological vicious circle develops. These are varicose veins.
However, in a healthy body, even in the presence of congenital changes in venous vessels, disease development does not occur. For this mechanism to work, the impact of one or more adverse factors is required. These include:
- Lifestyle;
- hypodynamics;
- obesity;
- Hormonal imbalance;
- pregnancy.
Lifestyle
Lifestyle characteristics lead to increased pressure in the veins, resulting in greater stress on the vascular wall.
This is most often seen when standing or sitting for a long time and during work associated with constant lifting of weights. The development of varicose veins is caused by tight underwear, jeans, which compress the large veins at the height of the inguinal folds. Nutrition is also important: the consumption of refined foods, the absence of fresh fruits and vegetables in the daily menu - sources of fiber. This nutrition leads to the development of constipation, which increases intra-abdominal pressure.
hypodynamic
As you know, muscles are the second heart of the veins, because of their contraction, the vessel walls are compressed and blood circulates. With a sedentary lifestyle, this circulatory mechanism is lost. The degree of muscle development also plays an important role - the better the muscle develops, the easier it is to handle the blood-promoting work. Hence the rare occurrence of varicose veins in athlete-athletes.
Obesity
Obesity is a reliable risk factor for the development of varicose veins in women. At the same time, this dependence was not revealed 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 their strength and elasticity. Hormonal contraceptives, hormonal drugs for the treatment of menopause play an important role in the development of varicose veins.
Pregnancy
The increase in the volume of circulating blood, the compression of the uterus from the large veins that pass behind its posterior wall, the increase in intra-abdominal pressure make pregnancy one of the main causes of varicose veins in women.