Typically, varicose veins affect the lower limbs because they are under great pressure and are the part of the body furthest from the heart muscle.Treatment of varicose veins should begin as soon as possible.Treatment of varicose veins in the legs with folk remedies is not a substitute for medication and surgical treatment, but helps improve the patient's condition.How to treat varicose veins of the lower limbs with traditional medicine?This question can only be answered by approaching the problem comprehensively.
General information about varicose veins
When you have varicose veins in your legs, the veins will be deformed and dilated.The causes of this pathology are excessive physical activity, pregnancy, weight gain, congenital pathologies of the vascular system and a sedentary lifestyle.In this case, the blood flow from the veins is interrupted, which leads to a change in the configuration of the veins.
The earliest sign of varicose veins is spider veins that appear in the thigh area.Another early symptom of the disease is the presence of edema.Since edema can be a consequence of various diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary systems, their presence must be excluded.
The most serious sign of pathology is pain in the lower limbs.It is long lasting, painful and often appears after prolonged strain of the leg muscles in the evening.At night, the patient has cramps in the calves and feels heavy.A clear sign of pathology is the visual identification of altered veins (thickening, lymphadenopathy, tortuosity).
If these symptoms appear, you should contact a phlebologist.He will prescribe treatment and give appropriate recommendations.Treatment of varicose veins with folk remedies should also be discussed with a doctor;You should not self-medicate.Traditional medicine offers many methods of treating this pathology, but only the treating doctor can choose the appropriate option, based on diagnostic data and patient complaints.Each person will have their own treatment plan.
Characteristics that folk remedies should have
Folk remedies for varicose veins in the legs can have both systemic and local effects.Herbal treatment is quite versatile and is used in many areas.But herbs to treat varicose veins in the legs must have certain properties:
- a folk treatment for varicose veins based on medicinal plants that will help improve the condition of the walls of blood vessels;
- medication will reduce inflammation;
- contains blood-thinning ingredients, as this helps improve blood flow throughout the body;
- a traditional medicine that should prevent the formation of blood clots;
- Herbs used to treat varicose veins must have a diuretic effect, which is necessary to reduce tissue swelling.
There are many folk recipes for varicose veins, but they must meet certain requirements to be used at home:
- Herbs used to treat varicose veins should not have a negative effect on the body.
- The products can be easily used independently and are simple to prepare.
- The herbal mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a certain period of time.
- Folk remedies for treating varicose veins are inexpensive.
Diet therapy
Traditional methods of treating varicose veins are diverse, one of which is dietary therapy.This type of treatment is a general technique.Patients with varicose veins of the lower limbs are prescribed a certain diet.And before starting to treat varicose veins in the legs with folk remedies, it is necessary to follow the so-called diet.
Bakery and confectionery products, meat, fish, drinks containing caffeine and alcoholic beverages should be excluded from the diet.The diet should include fruits and vegetables.Two days later, buckwheat porridge and rice are introduced.
This diet is recommended to be followed monthly for 2 or 3 days.
General treatment methods
To treat varicose veins, general methods are used (baths, infusions, decoctions, tinctures), which improve blood circulation and have a positive effect on the whole body.
How to treat this disease with baths?First you need to familiarize yourself with the contraindications:
- Nutritional ulcers.
- Thrombophlebitis.
The bath can be a communal bath or a foot bath.The water temperature should not exceed 39 degrees (that is, when checking the temperature, the hand must be patient).Bathe for 30–40 minutes.
Medicinal plants such as chamomile, witch hazel (leaves), pine (buds), clover, willow and oak (branches) help fight varicose veins.
You can use baking soda to prepare bath water.For a full bath you will need a standard pack of soda, but to prepare a foot bath you need to take 6 liters of water and 7-8 spoons of soda.
Baths with willow, duda and chestnut branches, as well as vine herbs, chamomile or St. John's wort have a good healing effect.You need to take 0.5 kg of twigs and boil them for 30 minutes.Then you need to add medicinal herbs (4 packs) to this solution.This decoction is infused throughout the night.
Bathing with willow branches is very easy to do;You only need two handfuls of twigs per three liters of water, boil the mixture for 30 minutes.
Baths for varicose veins on the legs are treated for a long time, for several months.
After bathing, gently massage your feet, starting from the bottom up.Then you need to wear compression garments and elevate your legs.
We treat varicose veins with folk remedies, what medicine should we take?Herbal treatment of varicose veins is also carried out using oral dosage forms.The easiest way to prepare a decoction at home is to use a thermos.It should be strained before use.
To thin the blood for varicose veins, people use the following:
- Horse chestnut fruit.You need to take 50 grams of fruit peel and 0.5 liters of vodka.The tincture is kept in a dark place for 14 days.Take a teaspoon of tincture before meals with water.
- sweet cloverIt thins the blood well, but should be used with caution and after consulting a doctor.You can make an infusion or tea from this medicinal plant.
- white willow(bark) promotes blood thinning due to the content of salicin in the preparation.You can make tea from the bark.
Take the soda solution inside.For 200 ml of warm water you need to take a teaspoon of soda.You should drink the solution in the morning and before going to bed.
Nettle tea.Add half a liter of boiling water, take 3 tablespoons of dried nettle leaves.Steep the tea for 30 - 40 minutes, then you can drink (80 - 100 ml after meals).
Garlic with honey is a good remedy to treat this disease.Honey - 350 grams and garlic - 250 grams crushed, mix well and infuse for 10 days.Use one tablespoon 30 minutes before meals.
Treatment of varicose veins with local effects
In this case, the therapeutic effect is aimed only at pathologically altered veins.At home, you can prepare creams, lotions, compresses, ointments.
Different juices are used in treatment:
- Potato juice helps treat ulcers.Potatoes should be grated on a fine grater to obtain a dough-like mass.This mass is applied to the affected skin areas;a bandage must be applied over it.This compression needs to be changed every 5 hours.
- Apple cider vinegar will help improve the tone of the vessel walls;it is applied to areas affected by varicose veins twice a day (morning and evening).
- Cabbage juice has anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.It is best to apply a white cabbage leaf in the evening.
- Compress with tomatoes.Tomatoes (necessarily green) are cut into slices, used to line pathologically altered veins.They are fixed on the limb with a bandage.The compress should be changed after 4 hours.
- Aromatic water with hops.Hop cones in the amount of 1 tablespoon are poured with 200 ml of boiling water and infused.Creams are taken with the resulting infusion.
Tinctures to treat varicose veins:
- Kalanchoe wine tincture.The leaves must be cut from the plant and left in a cold place for a week.Then these leaves are crushed (passed through a meat grinder) and poured with vodka.The preparation is infused for seven days.The alcohol must be filtered and stored in the refrigerator.
- Crushed green walnuts are soaked in olive oil.The composition is exposed to the sun for 40 days, after which it can be applied topically.
- Horse chestnut leaves and flowers are brewed as tea with boiling water and made into compresses.
- Alcohol tincture of birch buds and white acacia flowers soaked for 7 days.Used to apply to diseased skin areas.
At home, you can even make an ointment for varicose veins.Herbal medicine in ointment form penetrates very well under the skin and eliminates the symptoms of the disease.Fats of animal (chicken) and vegetable (vegetable oil) origin are used as the basis for the preparation of that dosage form.Highly concentrated medicinal decoction is added to the melted base.Mix all the ingredients, keep them on low heat for 5 minutes.
The following medicinal herbs can be added to the ointment base: chamomile, eucalyptus, lemon balm, fir, celandine, calendula.You can use one ingredient or combine several herbs.
Homemade ointments should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage.This product is applied to the skin in a thick layer;it must be rubbed into the skin.On top of the ointment, you need to apply special paper (compress) and bandage.It is better to apply such a compress before going to bed.
Contraindicated
Alternative treatments also have a sufficient number of contraindications and side effects.If a person has gastrointestinal diseases, he needs to be careful when taking oral medications.All solutions are quite concentrated, so they can aggravate chronic pathologies of the digestive tract.
Natural remedies can lead to the development of allergic reactions (hives, Quincke's edema, anaphylactic shock).When the first signs of an allergy appear, you must stop taking the drug and consult a specialist.
In some cases, improper use or preparation of medication can lead to poisoning.
Prevention of varicose veins
- Physical education plays an important role in the treatment and prevention of this disease.People susceptible to varicose veins as well as those with symptoms of the disease should exercise moderately.Walking, jogging and swimming help improve blood circulation.Walking 3 km or more is a great preventative measure in this case.
- Much attention should be paid to nutrition.The diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables, foods rich in phosphorus, B vitamins and potassium.Cherries can prevent the formation of blood clots, so you should include them in your daily diet.
- Refuse bad habits and heavy foods (fatty, spicy, fried foods).
- Contrast baths help improve vascular tone.
- Rest your feet, wear comfortable shoes.At the end of the day, your feet should rest;After taking a contrast bath, your feet should be elevated.