The world of medicine has many diseases that relate to a particular gender. So, among them there are exclusively female ones. Such a problem is varicose veins of the pelvis in women, which will be discussed later.
Terminology
At the very beginning, I want to understand what exactly we will have to face. So, many ladies have heard about such a problem as varicose veins. As a result of the disease, there is a swelling of the peripheral veins under the skin. As a result of this, so-called nodes can form that are perfectly “visible”, and a healthy outflow of blood is also often disturbed.
What is varicose veins of the pelvis in women? It should be noted that this is a disease that leads to bloating and blockage of the veins of a specified part of the body. In other words, in the small pelvis, there is a violation of the blood flow, which leads to similar problems. Mostly women of reproductive age suffer from this.
About the mechanism of the development of the problem
In a normal healthy vein, a person’s blood flows only in one direction. If we talk about such a problem as varicose veins of the small pelvis in women, then in this case there is a malfunction in the outflow of blood, as a result of which it can be thrown back through the ovarian vein (in medicine this phenomenon is called reflux). This may occur due to loss of integrity and elasticity by the valves. As a result, the vascular walls are stretched, the cavity of the vein expands. Its throughput is lost, and if necessary, the vein can no longer compress properly. At the very beginning of the development of the disease, the lady begins to worry about the pain. So she is the main indicator. And this happens due to the infringement of the nerve endings, which leads to innervation (the process of losing communication with nerve tissue in the vein).
About varicose veins of the small pelvis and varicose veins of the lower extremities
Most often, people face such a problem as varicose veins of the lower extremities. What is the difference between this problem and the one considered in the article? In principle, nothing. The mechanism of the course of the disease is the same. As with the legs, with this problem, mainly venous valves are affected , which provide blood flow to the heart muscle. These valves can be destroyed, as a result of which stagnation or reflux of blood occurs in the opposite direction. However, with varicose veins of the small pelvis, the region in the region of the fallopian tubes, uterus, vulva and even the vagina suffers from overload.
About the causes of the disease
Be sure to tell why there is varicose veins of the small pelvis in girls. So, doctors do not have a single answer to this question. There are many different factors that contribute to this:
- Pregnancy. The most common reason. Indeed, in this period, a woman significantly increases the volume of circulating blood. And this, together with an increase in weight, which is also characteristic of pregnant women, leads to stretching of the walls of blood vessels. It is this fact in the future that can lead to problems with valves and the occurrence of stagnation.
- The causes of varicose veins of the small pelvis can also be hidden in the anatomical features of the female body. Simply put, some women have a special structure of the veins of the small pelvis, which is a dangerous phenomenon for the period of pregnancy. And fertilization can have a very negative effect on their condition.
- The reason may be pathologies of the connective tissue, when the walls of the vessels themselves can stretch and lose their shape. The effect on the body of estrogen, a special hormone that is active during pregnancy, can lead to the same result. It is designed to relax the muscles of the uterus. But sometimes it negatively affects the walls of blood vessels, their contractility.
- The following causes of varicose veins of the pelvis, which are also distinguished by doctors, are multiple or multiple births.
- Varicose veins can cause not only sedentary work and a sedentary lifestyle, but also the transfer of burdens by women (for example, this may be due to the peculiarities of work).
- Doctors say that often the causes of varicose veins of the pelvis are sexual dysfunctions. For example, anorgasmia (that is, the absence of orgasms) or a problem such as dysparenia, when a woman has pain during intercourse, before it or immediately after (by the way, this is often a psychological, far-fetched problem) can cause a problem .
- The cause may be various gynecological diseases, as well as the use of interrupted intercourse as a contraceptive.
Symptoms of the disease
Speaking about a disease such as varicose veins of the pelvic organs in women, the symptoms of the problem are important things to talk about. So, what disorders can indicate this difficult disease? First of all, it is pain. We can say that this is even the single most important indicator at which you already need to contact a doctor. Localized pain in the lower abdomen, can be given to the lumbosacral region or the groin area. Their intensity is different. Pain can be significantly increased during intercourse, as a result of prolonged standing on the feet, during menstrual flow, or before they begin, in the late stages of gestation.
There are also a number of nonspecific symptoms that can either manifest themselves or go unnoticed or even be absent altogether. What are these indicators?
- Menstruation problems. So, it can be very heavy bleeding, too pronounced premenstrual syndrome. A symptom can also be dysmenorrhea, when there is a violation of the menstrual cycle.
- In the vagina and perineum, sensitivity may increase.
- Vaginal discharge may occur, regardless of spotting.
- Sometimes there is a violation of urination.
- In women, fatigue can be increased, weakness is constantly present.
Again, I want to note that not all of these symptoms can occur in one woman. That is why they are called non-specific. But pain will be present in every case of this difficult problem.
Similar diseases
It should also be noted that sometimes varicose veins of the pelvis in women are recognized very late. And all because not all doctors succeed in making the correct diagnosis the first time. So, the reason is the fact that there are a number of diseases similar to varicose veins:
- Uterine fibroids (a benign mass that occurs in the myometrium, the uterine layer).
- Endometriosis (also a benign mass, which is localized mainly in the mucous layer of the uterus or beyond).
- Uterine prolapse, when as a result of muscle tissue weakness, it is able to sink lower into the pelvic region.
Stages of the disease
Varicose veins of the pelvic vein in women has three stages:
- The diameter of the veins is in the range of about 5-7 mm, and the processes at this stage cover only the upper edge of the left ovary.
- In the second stage, the diameter of the veins can reach 10 mm. The mechanism of the disease affects the entire left ovary. At this stage, varicose veins can already affect part of the uterus and the right ovary.
- In the third stage, the diameter of the veins can reach 13 mm. The problem already affects both ovaries and the uterus completely.
Diagnosis of the disease
As already mentioned above, varicose veins of the pelvis are often confused with other gynecological diseases. That is why in this case, the differential diagnosis of the disease is very important. Simply put, it is necessary to exclude all diseases that are very similar in their symptoms. Further, it is important to correctly determine the diagnosis. And for this, it will be necessary to establish the place where the reverse blood reflux (reflux) occurs. So, in this case, you will need to contact a phlebologist, who will offer a whole range of diagnostic procedures:
- Ultrasound In this case, the uterus and other organs of the small pelvis of the lady are examined. Ultrasound also helps to view blood flow in the pelvis. The procedure itself is completely painless, does not take much time and money.
- Phlebogram. This diagnostic method has been actively used before, its essence is to learn about stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs. In this procedure, a dye was injected into the blood, after which the veins were visible under x-rays. The procedure is also painless, takes about 40 minutes. Her only risk is an allergic reaction, which can occur as a result of the action of a contrast medium. Today, most often the phlebogram is replaced by computed tomography.
- CT Alternative phlebograms. With this diagnostic procedure, specialists are able to visually inspect the pelvic area in women, as well as identify areas of varicose expansion. In this case, there is radiation exposure, as a result of which the procedure is contraindicated during pregnancy.
- MRI Helps identify pelvic blood stasis. A painless and completely harmless study, as a result of which doctors receive a high-quality image. The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, it takes about 15 minutes.
Sometimes a procedure such as laparoscopy (this is a special surgical intervention used to diagnose certain diseases) or Dopplerography (the study of blood flow in the vessels when using the Doppler effect) can be used.
Treatment
It is important to note that problems such as varicose veins and pelvic veins differ. Diagnosis, treatment, use of various means in this case also varies. These are similar diseases, but the methods for getting rid of them are different. Often, varicose veins of the pelvic organs, which are confused with the problem under consideration, are varicose veins of the uterus or ovary (in other words, varicocele).
As for the treatment, even if you apply the most effective, it is completely impossible to recover from this problem. However, you can significantly improve the quality of life and eliminate most of the symptoms. What is the main thing in this case? What you need to know about such a problem as varicose veins of the small pelvis? Treatment should be comprehensive and must include the following items:
- The use of medications.
- Wearing special dressings.
- The use of physiotherapy exercises.
The main objectives of treatment for this disease:
- Restoration of the correct venous tone.
- Improving trophic processes in the pelvic organs.
Drug treatment
How can I get rid of such a problem as varicose veins of the small pelvis? Treatment with drugs will mainly consist of taking medications inside. Indeed, based on the location of the disease, external agents - ointments and gels for varicose veins - simply cannot be applied (due to the anatomical features of the location of the disease).
Medications that are most often used for varicose veins of the pelvis:
- phlebotropic drugs;
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
- multivitamins of groups B to improve nerve conduction, groups P and C - to get rid of fragility of blood vessels;
- painkillers that help relieve pain.
So, the use of drugs is recommended mainly during an exacerbation of the disease. If the patient has a third degree of the disease, surgical treatment can also be used (laparoscopy using x-ray endovascular methods).
Other means to combat the disease
In addition to medical treatment, you can deal with the problem with physiotherapy exercises, as well as wearing special compression underwear. In this case, compression tights will be useful , which will improve blood flow in the legs and, as a result, partially in the pelvic organs.
Considering useful physical activities, it is important for women with this problem to do at least daily exercises “scissors”, “bicycle”, “birch”. Breathing exercises and a contrast shower on the upper legs and the pelvic area are also useful. However, full gymnastics is a quick way to a normal and healthy life. Simple but effective exercises:
- Lying on your back, stretch your legs, then, bending, pull it to your chest. Do this 5 times.
- Again lying on your back, raise your legs up, after - bend, then - again raise. And so several times.
- Lie on your stomach, alternately lifting each leg up. In the highest position, the leg needs to be fixed for a couple of seconds. At least 5 approaches must be done on each leg.
- For 15 minutes you have to walk around the room. First - on the toes, then - on the heels, and then - raising the knees high.
Complications
If a patient has varicose veins of the pelvis, treatment in women should be as competent and comprehensive as possible. Indeed, otherwise, many complications may arise. In this case, doctors say that women may have dysfunctional uterine bleeding, inflammatory and infectious nature of uterine diseases. Against the background of varicose veins, pelvic vein thrombosis may develop.
Prevention
And at the very end I want to talk about how you can protect yourself from such a problem. After all, any disease is most easily prevented than subsequently getting rid of it. So, a set of preventive measures can be as follows:
- Regular relaxing baths, resulting in healthy veins.
- Feasible physical exercises, such as, for example, swinging the press. The load should be given to the body constantly.
- It is very important to have sex regularly. This is useful not only for the veins of the small pelvis, but also for the whole body as a complex.
Well, of course, you need to remember that it is important to lead an active healthy lifestyle, without lingering for a long time in one place. And if the work is sedentary, then regularly take small active breaks.