Pregnancy is a painstaking and complicated process that precedes great joy. In addition to unforgettable moments of happiness, when you first hear the beating of a little heart, learn the sex of the baby or feel its first kicks, pregnancy brings many changes to the body. Not always these changes are positive and have at least something pleasant. Among these factors and varicose veins.
What is varicose veins
Varicose veins are dilation of the veins, which occurs due to pathological changes in the walls and valves of the vessels. Varicose veins can occur in different parts of the body, but it is the legs that are most negatively affected. During pregnancy, varicose veins can form due to increased stress and hormonal changes. If you have already been exposed to this disease, pregnancy can aggravate the situation.
Today, varicose veins are quite common and young. It is more than one in three women, and the average age of occurrence of the disease is 25 years. Varicose veins are hereditary. No, it is not hereditary, but the possibility of a child having the disease increases by 70% if the mother or father has varicose veins.
Causes of varicose veins in pregnancy
Varicose veins in pregnancy can occur for a variety of reasons. Some of them cannot be foreseen, while others can be prevented by significantly reducing the risk of varicose veins. To be proactive, it is important to know what to fight in general. We have collected the most common causes of the disease:
- Sedentary lifestyle. Today, even without pregnancy, many people do sedentary work, which leads to a number of diseases, one of them – varicose veins.
- Increased body weight also leads to the development of varicose veins. When you gain a lot of weight (also rapid, which is often the case during pregnancy) the load on the veins increases significantly. This leads to an imbalance and malfunction of the circulatory system.
- During pregnancy, an increased viscosity of the blood is added to the natural factors. Because of this, it is more difficult for it to pass through the venous ducts, which leads to their deformation.
- “Asterisks” and capillary networks formed before pregnancy increase the risk of varicose veins during pregnancy.
- Hot waxing, high-heeled shoes, exposure to the sun for a long period of time also contribute to the development of the disease.
Of course, we can’t exclude the hereditary factor, but by following simple safety rules, you can significantly reduce the risk of venous disease.
Particular attention should be paid to safety in the second half of pregnancy. During this period, a number of hormonal changes occur, which increase the risk of disease. As much as you would like, change your heels for comfortable shoes, wax for more gentle methods of hair removal, etc.
Symptoms
Varicose during pregnancy is complicated by the fact that in the early stages it is difficult to identify it. The first symptoms can be confused with simple fatigue, the natural course of pregnancy. You can make sure that you are healthy only in the office of the doctor, but there are a number of signs by which you can initially determine the presence of the disease.
- At the first stage of the appearance of pathology is manifested by fatigue in the muscles when walking, and barely visible netting on the legs. Women are not always able to trace the appearance of these symptoms, and associate them with a possible disease. After all, who hasn’t been tired when walking, even without being pregnant?
- In the second stage, the symptoms are more obvious. You may note periodic cramps, pains in the evening, which in the morning are barely noticeable or absent at all. This is all superimposed on the symptoms of pain and fatigue in the legs during long walks. At this stage, it is worth being vigilant, and seeing a specialist.
- At the third stage of varicose veins, more obvious symptoms appear. These include severe pain, lattice, cramps at night. The veins expand, which can be seen visually. You can easily see a pattern of blue veins on the legs (or in other areas of inflammation of the disease).
The disease should not be neglected. It is not only aesthetically unattractive and carries a range of discomfort symptoms, but it can also cause the development of eczema. It is better to see a doctor at the first symptoms, but even if you happen to run the disease, it is never too late to start treatment. Next we will talk more about treatments, but let’s say at once that varicose veins in pregnancy can be cured, but also necessary.
During pregnancy, the pathology develops not only in the legs, but also in other parts of the body. A woman is exposed to inflammation in the area of the labia and rectum. The first causes can develop into hemorrhoids and other related diseases, up to ruptured veins.
What are the dangers of varicose veins in pregnancy
Any disease or deviation from the norm is unpleasant even outside the state of pregnancy. When a woman carries a child, the risk of serious consequences increases, and the symptoms are more pronounced. This is due to the fact that your body does not have the strength to fight the related diseases, because all its forces go to the creation and maintenance of a new life.
Varicose is an unpleasant disease that can threaten pregnant women with serious consequences. But what exactly is the danger of varicose veins during pregnancy:
- Because of the special condition of the body, the disease can progress much faster, especially if it is not dealt with in any way.
- With varicose veins, there is a risk of vein rupture, and a lot of blood loss. This may require hospitalization and surgery, which is highly undesirable in pregnancy.
- Caused hemorrhoids bring a lot of discomfort, and can get much worse during childbirth itself. In its advanced stages, it is also treated surgically.
- Additional pain and discomfort is not at all necessary for pregnant women. The disease runs with complications, and accompanying symptoms. It is difficult to move around, and the pain is severely aggravated. It is very difficult to combine this with the need for long walks in the fresh air.
- Varicose veins increase the risk of developing eczema at the site of the inflammation. This is also an unpleasant condition that requires separate treatment.
Varicose veins in pregnancy can develop in a variety of places. Below we will discuss the most common problems associated with dilated veins, and provide methods of prevention. It will help you to save your health and nerves.
Varicose veins of the labia during pregnancy
A common disease for pregnant women, genital varicose veins in pregnancy, affects the external and internal labia. Every seventh woman in labor, to some degree, suffers from the disease. For some, it goes away by itself after delivery, while others are still struggling with the consequences, up to and including surgical intervention for a long time.
To the causes of varicose veins in pregnancy, we listed above, here are added several more. We should point out right away that these causes are beyond the control of a woman, and can appear due to the individual characteristics of the body:
- The main hormone produced in pregnancy, progesterone, can also lead to the occurrence of varicose labia in pregnancy. With its excess, the walls of blood vessels lose elasticity, which leads to the development of the disease.
- Some stages of pregnancy are accompanied by an increase in the volume of circulating blood in the small pelvis. This leads to increased pressure on the walls of blood vessels and their dilation.
- From the first days of pregnancy, the baby grows inexorably. With his growth and development, which is certainly fine, the pressure on the blood vessels in the pelvis is growing. This, in turn, leads to the loss of vascular strength and elasticity.
If you can’t influence the characteristic causes, it’s up to you to detect the disease in the first stages. Pay attention to some symptoms that will tell you whether you need to see a specialist urgently.
- An increase in the size of the labia. Often this increase is noticeable and the gynecologist notes such changes, but if the symptoms occur between visits to the doctor, it is worth reporting the problem yourself.
- You may observe swollen and blue veins.
- Discomfort and itching can also signal varicose veins.
- Darkening of the skin in the area.
- Characteristic pain during intercourse and urination.
Although labia varicosa in pregnancy has a chance to disappear on its own after delivery, but it is better not to take the risk and start timely treatment (if the disease could not be prevented).
- Yoga and cardio after labor and childbirth
- Consultation with experts
- Nutrition program
- Psychological support
- SPA: Home beauty rituals
- Life Hacks and Podcasts
Uterine varicose veins in pregnancy
Another common type of vein dilation pathology is uterine varicose veins in pregnancy. The uterus goes through a difficult time during pregnancy. The baby puts constant pressure on it, which leads to a loss of elasticity in the veins, which causes varicose veins in pregnancy. But, how to recognize uterine varicose veins? Let’s look at the main symptoms:
- A nagging pain in the lower abdomen, lower back and sacral area.
- Increased discharge, possibly with a mixture of blood.
Uterine varicose veins in pregnancy are dangerous to the health of the woman in labor. To diagnose it, the doctor may prescribe an ultrasound, laparoscopy or other methods of examination of the uterine cavity. It is important to see a specialist in a timely manner and not to tolerate even the initial symptoms.
Prevention
Prevention of varicose veins in all its manifestations, an important part of responsible pregnancy management. A few simple rules allow you to minimize the possibility of varicose veins. In addition, these tips are also useful for the prevention of other diseases, contribute to the proper development of the fetus and facilitate the birth process.
- See moderate physical activity. During pregnancy, sports play an important role, but it should be in dosage portions and in the correct form. Do simple exercises at home, or sign up for yoga, stretching and other sports suitable for pregnant women.
- Include in your diet foods that help thin the blood. These include tomato juice, lemons, and seafood. However, be vigilant. These products can cause allergies in the early term. Do not consume them in large quantities.
- Wear only comfortable shoes. It should not squeeze the foot and bring discomfort. The same applies to socks and stockings. The latter should be abandoned altogether, and the former should be chosen with a free edge.
- Try to devote time to swimming and contrast showers. This will help eliminate the possibility of vaginal varicose veins during pregnancy.
- Watch your diet. Constipation leads to hemorrhoids and varicose labia, so it is worth to drink enough water, fresh vegetables, juices.
- Try to sit only in a comfortable position, and never put your leg over your leg.
- Get special clothing, including compression stockings.
Preventive methods can significantly reduce the risk of varicose veins during pregnancy. However, if you already have the first causes (not to mention the neglected stages of the disease), preventive methods alone are not enough. It is necessary to act and select a method of treatment.
Treatment
During illness in pregnancy, every illness becomes more complicated. Even a simple cold needs a special approach, not to mention varicose veins. It is important that treatment is safe, and comprehensively addresses the problem. Often, outside of pregnancy, specialists prescribe surgery to solve the problem in one session. However, during pregnancy, this is an extreme measure, which is almost never used by doctors. So what should you do?
- First of all, you should not engage in self-treatment. You somehow go to the doctor for a routine check-up, don’t be lazy to tell him about the problem you have.
- Secondly, do not forget about the above methods of prevention of the disease. Even if the disease has already caught up with you, lifestyle and nutrition adjustments help to ease the symptoms and simplify the treatment process.
- Get the prescribed treatment . Most often, doctors prescribe three techniques to eliminate varicose veins in pregnancy. allowed in pregnancy. They are used at different stages. Among them are:
- Endovasal laser coagulation. If the expansion has not reached 10mm, the procedure will remove all signs, from external to internal, in 40 minutes.
- Foam sclerosing. Foam sclerosing is indicated for dilatation over 10mm. Up to 20 minutes of painless procedure, and 98% elimination of bloating, inflammation, knots, and therefore pain.
- Miniphlebectomy. The procedure lasts about an hour, and allows you to remove enlargements of 10 to 18 mm.
All these procedures are united by several factors, such as painlessness, absence of anesthesia (both local and general), absence of scars. The procedures also allow you to immediately proceed to routine tasks (without stress beyond what is normal for pregnant women).
These treatment methods are also used for the treatment of varicose veins after pregnancy. The complex in the first trimester and the 3rd trimester, may be different. This is due to the peculiarities of fetal development, and the effects of different medications on the fetus.
Varicose veins after pregnancy
Pregnancy can provoke the occurrence of the disease, but does not contribute to its treatment. If while carrying the baby, varicose veins caught up with the future mother, and the problem could not be solved during pregnancy, it is necessary to undergo treatment and eliminate varicose veins after pregnancy.
It is important to follow a phlebologist throughout pregnancy. The doctor will be able to monitor the situation, prescribe medications and ointments to weaken the symptom, and not let the disease develop.
Surgery after delivery is also painless, and is an effective method of dealing with dilated veins. The procedure is completely safe and is a sought-after service worldwide. It allows curing uterine varicose veins during pregnancy, abnormalities occurring in the area of labia, legs, and other parts of the body.
In addition, the doctor may prescribe ointments, the wearing of special stockings, the use of drugs. Often, specialists choose a treatment that allows the mother to feed the baby.
Varicose Treatments
Treatment of varicose veins in pregnancy is focused on strengthening the walls of blood vessels and reducing blood viscosity. Thanks to this, go and inflammation, edema is relieved. In pharmacies you can find many effective products and ointments for the treatment of varicose veins during pregnancy, but they should only be used under the supervision of a specialist, especially during pregnancy.
So, you are faced with a pathology. Varicose veins came during pregnancy and what to do you do not know? Among the most popular therapeutic agents to date are:
- Pharmaceutical group of phlebotonics – Glivenol.
- Anticoagulants – Clexane.
- Detralex, which saves from edema.
- Gincort-fort – an effective antioxidant.
- Fibrinolytics.
A specialist prescribes pills based on the clinical picture, as well as the individual characteristics of the body. As a rule, treatment consists of a combination of several groups of drugs, physical activity, swimming pool and other measures. Only a comprehensive impact will help to effectively fight the disease of the perineum and legs, without harming the health of the baby.
By taking care of yourself during pregnancy, you are also taking care of your baby. Help yourself manage your pregnancy, don’t forget to visit your doctor and take your medications in time with the momslab.app.
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