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Varicose Veins |
 Causes: |
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Heredity Factor:
Varicose veins and heredity are linked,
however with heredity there seems to be a
higher likelihood but this is not very
clear. Young patients suffering from
varicose veins often had a family history of
naturally weaker veins in the lower
extremities (due to a reduction in elastic
fibers) thereby confirming that the
occurrence of varicose veins is related to
heredity and has a connecting correlation. |
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Race Factor:
There is a
subtle difference in the occurrence of
varicose veins among the various races, such
as, it occurs more often among Caucasians,
less in those of African descent and someone
of Asian descent is somewhere in between the
other two. |
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Pregnancy:
Pregnancy is
an extremely important cause. The majority
of female patients will tell the doctor: “I
was pregnant for N months when I noticed.”
Actually in regards to the veins of the
lower extremities every pregnancy causes
harm. Most people believe the fetus applies
pressure on the veins of the lower
extremities, which results in restricting
the blood in the veins, a key reason in why
pregnancy results in varicose veins.
Actually, although this is an important
reason it is a secondary reason.
Approximately 70% of the time the occurrence
of varicose veins during pregnancy appears
during or before the first trimester of the
pregnancy. Because during pregnancy there
are massive secretions of female hormones it
causes an increase in the distention of the
veins of the lower extremities, this is the
primary cause. Since the veins of the lower
extremities distend correlating veins are
not large enough and insufficient at
blocking the harmful reflux. The occurrence
of reflux and turbulence set the stage for
thrombosis. Thrombosis can cause
irreversible damage to the valves,
furthermore resulting in varicose veins. If
thrombosis does not occur during pregnancy
and there has been no damage to the valves
of the veins, then the distension of the
veins may gradually disappear after the
pregnancy. |
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Standing for Long Periods:
Because the blood in the veins must overcome
gravity and flow upwards, people who have
jobs that involve standing for long periods
are in a situation where there is a long
period of high internal pressure exerted on
the veins of the lower extremities and it
becomes naturally easy for the blood vessels
to distend. However if there is a chance to
shift from foot to foot or perhaps take a
walk, moving the muscles, and improving
circulation so it will not be so easy to
develop varicose veins. |
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Taking contraceptives or
other female hormones:
Please refer to
the third item [Pregnancy]. |
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A Few Causes of Long-term
Conditions of an Increase in Intra-abdominal
Pressure:
When the intra-abdominal
pressure increases the veins of the lower
extremities must compensate for the
restriction on circulation, which can easily
result in varicose veins. Next the disease
or the condition can cause the
intra-abdominal pressure to increase:
constipation, chronic lung disease (cough,
asthma), enlargement of the prostate gland,
holding one’s breath becomes difficult,
squatting, obesity… |
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Age:
As age increases
the time the veins of the lower extremities
suffered various causes of damage increases
and an increase in the chance of having
varicose veins. |
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Symptoms: |
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Cosmetic:
Women
commonly worry about the blue veins on their
legs and mild cases often ask “Doctor, have
you seen a case as serious as mine?” The
doctors have seen many such cases and it is
actually the patient who has never seen the
legs of others. Women have a 20% of having
varicose veins within their lifetime, then
why is it the majority of patients have
never seen the affected legs of other
people? That is because the women who suffer
from varicose veins, regardless of whether
it is winter or summer, wear long pants or
long skirts. Hence you never see it! |
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Aches & Pains:
Distended veins can put pressure on nearby
nerves and tendons which can cause pain. The
majority of patients describe it as “Heavy,
swollen, achy and painful.” They often feel
the aches and pains especially after
standing for a long period, after physical
exertions at work, or before and after a
menstrual cycle. Because of difficulties
with circulation the lactic acid produced by
the muscles is unable to be carried away and
collects resulting in muscular pain. |
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Night Cramps:
This is
also a commonly seen condition. The primary
reason is because the muscles are unable to
eliminate metabolic waste, this commonly
occurs during a night’s sleep. |
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Edema:
Because of the
increase in the internal blood pressure of
the veins the moisture moves from the blood
vessels into the surrounding tissue,
resulting in edema in the lower limbs,
puffiness, and a sense of swollenness,
heaviness and hardening. |
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Cutaneous Pigmentation:
Long periods of high blood pressure within
the veins will cause the capillary veins to
become more and more frailly, so the
slightest injury or friction will cause them
to burst. Even without injury the high blood
pressure can affect the capillaries so the
red blood cells will seep out and its iron
disintegrates, causing hemorrhaging beneath
the skin, this is gradually turn the skin
more and more black. This occurs
particularly easily at the ankles. |
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Stasis Dermatitis:
Metabolic waste produced in the lower limbs
is hindered, the skin tissue is unable to
receive the necessary nutrition and oxygen,
and there are deposits of iron, etc. these
can result in skin eczema of the lower
limbs. The skin itches, blackens, and
festers. |
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Ulceration:
Ulceration
of the skin can be said to be the resulting
change after statis dermatitis. This can be
very persistent and not noticeable for many
years. |
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Hemorrhage:
Swollen
veins are particularly frail especially
where the skin is thin so that bumping or
scratching can lead to hemorrhaging of the
veins. This author once met with a patient,
who while working in the fields wearing
galoshes thought his galoshes felt heavier
and heavier and that his feet felt sticky,
upon examination he realized he was bleeding
and had almost filled the boots with blood. |
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Superficial
Thrombophlebitis:
(abbreviated to ST
below) Aside from some malignant diseases
the occurrence of ST is related to varicose
veins. ST is due to after clotting within
blood vessels there is an expansion both
above and below which results in embolism of
a section of blood vessels. In clinics veins
which have become swollen and hard can be
observed, the surrounding skin becomes red
and hot to the touch and is normally
extremely painful. America has collected
over 20,000 varicose vein cases of illness;
approximately 20% of varicose vein patients
will contract ST. A few reports pointed out
among ST patients 10% of them were likely to
contract pulmonary embolism which was the
cause of death 7.5% of the time. Luckily
among Chinese the likeliness of contracting
Ss lower. |
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Malignant Change:
If
the ulcer resulting from statis dermatitis
does not recover after a prolonged period
has the potential of becoming a malignant
“cancer”. There are over 100 reported cases
world wide and the length of time the ulcer
exists has exceeded 10 years. |
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DITI
Practical Application of Cases Reference: |
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Normal Condition |
Abnormal Condition |
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Diagnostic
Analysis: |
| Varicose veins, the more
popular name for “varicosis” and is commonly
because of high pressure resulting in the
rise of the blood, which results in an
increase in temperature. Therefore the upper
left image shows the normal temperature
distribution of both feet of an average
human, but on the right chart the lattice of
the blood vessels can be clearly observed
except the thicker layer of fat on the thigh
and the condition of the blood vessel
distribution cannot be seen as clearly here.
This is because the thighs can withstand to
some degree the pressure that results in
rising blood vessels, which affects the
health. |
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