Varicose veins and Hemorrhoids

Varicose veins (varices) are widespread phenomena in more than 50% of middle-aged people. Varices develop in case of compromised intactness of vein walls leading to swelling or injury of their valvular apparatus. Increased venous pressure leads to edemas and pain. Even longer periods of standing upright leads to a 10-fold increment in the pressure on the venous walls. Legs are at greatest risk because venous pressure is greatest there.

Prominent risk factors:

- obesity,
- advanced age,
- irregular motor activity,
- hereditary predisposition,
- loss of tissue tone, loss of muscular mass and thinning of venous walls,
- alcohol and tobacco abuse,

Dilated veins are a vocational disease for people who perform their professional duties in upright position.
Women suffer four times more often than men from such diseases.
Pregnancy (the second pregnancy in particular) is also a risky state. Fetal growing and compression increase the risk for development of varices.

Most frequent complaints:

- weight and pressure in the legs,
- itching, pain and reddening,
- edemas, particularly around the ankles.
All these signs are indicative for vein problems.

Untimely treatment might lead to complications like wounds, thrombosis, eczema, blood clots, pulmonary embolism, heart attack.
Varices also cause cosmetic inconvenience.

Hemorrhoids are among the most annoying manifestations of venous failure. These are abnormally dilated veins of the rectum and anus. Hemorrhoids are similar to varicose veins to a great extent. After their dilation, hemorrhoidal veins become inflamed and cause swelling of the surrounding membranes with itching, pain and bleeding. Hemorrhoids are caused by the increased pressure in the rectum with subsequent dilation and, sometimes, breaking of vein walls.

Hemorrhoids are provoked by:

- continuous sitting,
- pressure cause by constipation and hard feces,
- deliveries,
- weight lifting.

There are two types of hemorrhoids: external and internal.

The internal hemorrhoids do not cause pain and itching but are sensed deeply in the rectum. These are not so dangerous. However, as bleeding might mask symptoms of colorectal cancer, these hemorrhoids should be treated.

External hemorrhoids cause well-known inconvenience: pain, burning and itching. In case than an external hemorrhoid is isolated from blood flow, a blood clot is formed which causes great pain. Therefore, greater attention is paid to the treatment of external hemorrhoids.
Once formed, hemorrhoids occur repeatedly because the vein is already deformed. Fortunately, good hygiene habits and prophylactic measures could successfully control this form of hemorrhoids, and surgical intervention is needed very rarely for severe cases.

There are several methods of management in case of dilated veins and hemorrhoids:

the first step is a change in lifestyle with accompanying diet,
use of hygiene measures, compressive dressings, socks, shoes.
drug therapy,
surgical treatment.

An important part of treatment is the administration of drugs and food supplements containing venotonic components.