In the article, we consider the treatment of venous dermatitis on the legs and throughout the body.
This pathology can also be called varicose eczema, erythema, scaly skin of the lower extremities or congestive dermatitis. It is a dermatological disease occurring in a chronic form. Venous dermatitis appears as a result of circulatory disorders in the veins, as well as the formation of blood clots in deep vessels. In the lower extremities, venous dermatitis affects the skin over and near the veins and, as a rule, extends to the lower legs and ankles. Most susceptible to disease are women, overweight people, and those with a history of heart and vascular disease. An important step in the treatment of venous dermatitis is the normalization of blood flow in the veins and the control of emerging symptoms.
Pathology Description
Venous dermatitis is a disease in a chronic form of the course, which is characterized by swelling of the lower extremities, which is not accompanied by an inflammatory process. The disease manifests itself in the form of excoriation and itching of the skin, leading to trauma to the surface of the epidermis when combing, as well as weeping. Quite often, a secondary type of infection is involved in the pathological process. Venous dermatitis in the lower leg and ankle joints is localized.
The appearance of blood clots in the vessels of the lower extremities and improper operation of the vein valves cause a deterioration in the outflow of blood, as well as increased pressure in the venous walls and vessels, which provokes their mechanical stretching. Against this background, there is a significant increase in the throughput of the walls of blood vessels, and blood elements penetrate beyond the venous channel. Tissues in this case do not receive enough oxygen, and hypoxia occurs.
Stagnation of blood in the vessels provokes trophic disorders in the tissues, causing swelling of the lower extremities. The skin becomes cyanotic, with time it becomes thinner, itchy and flaky. In the future, microcracks and wounds form, which become the optimal environment for the propagation of harmful microorganisms. All this leads to an inflammatory process, the formation of weeps, sores and ulcers. During healing, the wounds are healed, contracted and leave behind small scars, at the place of formation of which the skin becomes rough. Before considering the treatment of venous dermatitis, let's talk about the causes of its occurrence.
Causes
Dermatitis of the lower extremities of a non-inflammatory type, proceeding in a chronic form, is a complication of varicose veins. Thus, the real factors influencing the appearance of venous type dermatitis are:
- Blood stasis in the vessels.
- Violation of the function of the valves of the vessels.
- Excessive pressure in the vein bed.
- Dilated vessels.
Risk factors
Risk factors that can lead to the development of pathology are also highlighted:
1. Blood clots in the veins.
2. Injury to the lower extremities.
3. Overweight.
4. Old age.
5. Pathology of the endocrine system.
6. The period of bearing a child.
7. Insufficiency of the heart and blood vessels.
8. Vascular pathologies of various etiologies.
9. Eczema and dermatitis of allergic origin.
In addition, pathogens of infectious diseases can also affect the condition of the veins. This is due to the production of toxins by pathogens that can cause varicose veins and eczema. An ointment for the treatment of venous dermatitis will be considered below.
Signs of Vein Dermatitis
The progression of venous eczema can occur over a long period of time. In its development, pathology goes through several stages. Moreover, some signs accompany the pathological process on an ongoing basis, while others characterize only certain stages of development. This situation complicates the diagnosis and suggests a non-standard approach to the treatment of dermatitis of the veins at each stage.
Varicose eczema is manifested as follows:
1. Soreness and fatigue of the legs, which becomes most pronounced in the evening.
2. Swelling of the tissues on the lower extremities.
3. In the area of affected veins, the skin may redden, become cyanotic or violet.
4. Pigmentation of the surface layer of the skin.
5. Irritation of the skin and itching.
6. Open wounds on the legs.
7. Peeling of the dermis.
8. The formation of ulcers in the affected areas of the skin.
9. Rash in the form of vesicles.
10. The gradual exfoliation of subcutaneous fat and skin directly from the tissues underneath.
11. Coarsening of the skin at the sites of scar formation.
Diagnosis of the disease should be carried out at the first signs of venous dermatitis, as this will help to avoid the transformation of the pathology into a chronic form. When diagnosing, it is important to follow an integrated approach.
Diagnostics
It is not possible to diagnose venous dermatitis with a visual examination of the affected limb. This is because the symptomatology is individual in nature and may differ in each patient. In addition, signs of pathology tend to transform over time. There are also no specific methods for diagnosing venous dermatitis today.
In order to conduct differential diagnosis, a patient is examined, an anamnesis is collected and a comparative analysis is carried out. In some cases, an additional examination is also prescribed, involving an ultrasound scan and blood donation for analysis.
Treatment of venous dermatitis
The therapeutic regimen for dermatitis of the veins provides for treatment in two directions. To begin with, symptomatic treatment of venous dermatitis on the legs is performed, during which itching, peeling, swelling and ulcers are eliminated. Next, it is necessary to eliminate the cause that caused the pathology, that is, to treat varicose veins, normalize blood circulation in the vessels and restore metabolic processes.
What else is effective in treating venous dermatitis?
Folk methods
Diseases such as varicose veins and the accompanying venous dermatitis have been known to medicine for decades. The treatment of venous dermatitis with folk remedies has changed and supplemented over time. To date, you can find quite a few ways to treat the disease at home. As a rule, such plants as chamomile, wormwood, aloe, hops, etc. are used in the treatment. Plants are used as follows:
1. Aloe juice is used to prepare ointments and infusions. The plant has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and moisturizing effects.
2. From chamomile infusions and decoctions are made, which dry and disinfect the skin. Especially often they are recommended to eliminate weeping eczema.
3. From a spice known as turmeric, you can prepare a paste that relieves swelling and irritation, as well as eliminates allergies and itching.
4. Tea tree oil has a calming and antiseptic effect. In its pure form, however, it is not used; it is diluted in a small amount of pure water.
5. Skin sores can be cured by applying gruel from grated raw potatoes.
6. Infusion or decoction of wormwood also helps with varicose veins.
7. A decoction is made from hop cones, which can be used both internally and externally.
Experts caution that medication should not be neglected during treatment. Alternative recipes serve only as supportive therapy, but are not a panacea.
Below are ointments for the treatment of venous dermatitis on the legs.
Conservative treatment
The main goal of therapy is to improve the state of veins and blood flow. In addition, the treatment of symptoms of venous dermatitis is carried out, namely, itching and irritation, swelling are removed, ulcers, peeling, inflammation, etc. are eliminated. Both oral preparations and local emulsions and ointments are used in the treatment of venous dermatitis on the legs (photo presented). The group of the latter includes antihistamines, anti-inflammatory, diuretics and antibacterial drugs, as well as glucocorticosteroids, etc.
To treat the affected areas of the skin, ointments based on camphor, zinc, menthol and benzocaine are used. As part of complex therapy, sedation, such as valerian, hawthorn, motherwort, etc., is indicated. If the pathology is in a neglected state, the administration of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs is prescribed. With severe pain, tranquilizers are indicated.
Compression underwear
In the stage of remission with erythema of the venous type, wearing compression underwear is indicated. When squeezing veins, vascular pressure normalizes and blood flow improves. The blood flow during compression squeezing is redistributed to healthy vessels, which helps to restore fluid outflow and metabolic processes.
Selecting and wearing compression underwear is allowed only on the recommendation of the attending physician, since this preventive method has several contraindications. Lingerie can not be used for atherosclerotic changes, arterial pathologies, as well as people with hypersensitive skin.
Treatment of venous dermatitis on the legs (pictured) should be comprehensive.
Gymnastics and physiotherapy
Performing therapeutic exercises makes it possible to maintain and control the condition of the veins, and also complements the treatment of varicose veins. The main recommendation in this case is to avoid excessive loads on the affected leg. Exercises are simple and consist in lifting to the socks in different positions of the body, namely:
1. Sitting on a chair.
2. With support on hands while standing on one's feet.
3. With arms down, standing.
4. With your hands up.
5. With arms extended forward.
No less useful are measured walking. At the same time, the shoes should be comfortable, not hamper the movement and not squeeze the legs. During remission, you can visit the pool and fitness.
Venous dermatitis is treated with acupuncture.
Hirudotherapy
Another effective way to treat venous dermatitis is hirudotherapy. In addition, the physiotherapy room is also ready to offer several procedures that contribute to the elimination of varicose veins and dermatitis. The appointment should be made by a physiotherapist or phlebologist, taking into account the stage of development of the disease and the nature of the manifestations of the pathology. The following procedures are most popular:
1. Electrophoresis.
2. Pulse-type magnetotherapy using eddy currents.
3. Darsonvalization.
4. Pneumatic compression of an intermittent type.
5. Balneotherapy.
6. Magnetic and laser simultaneous exposure.
7. Hydrotherapy.
8. Oxygen baths.
9. Ultraviolet irradiation.
10. Ozone therapy.
11. Phototherapy.
The list of physiotherapeutic methods and possibilities is constantly changing and supplemented. In combination with the correct medical treatment, some of the listed physiotherapy procedures will contribute to the rapid regeneration of blood vessels and skin.
The treatment of venous varicose dermatitis will be the more successful the sooner you seek help.
Prevention
Specialists recommend that patients with a tendency to eczema and varicose veins adhere to the following preventive rules:
1. If possible, avoid skin injuries.
2. While in a sitting position, keep your legs raised. You can do this with a small bench. This will help relieve pressure on the vessels.
3. Walking a lot, keep the muscles in an active state, which promotes blood circulation in the vessels.
4. Apply moisturizing and nourishing creams to the skin of the legs to prevent its overdrying.
5. Prevent sweating and overheating of the legs.
6. Wearing quality shoes and clothes made from natural fabrics and materials.
In addition, it is important to observe a special diet, to refuse fried and fatty, spicy and salty foods. Bad habits, such as smoking and alcohol, should also be left in the past. During the period of vitamin deficiency, the body should be supported by various multivitamin complexes. If the work is associated with a prolonged stay on your feet or a sitting position, you need to take breaks to complete the exercises.
What complications can be avoided?
Subject to the above rules and the recommendations of the doctor, the patient can avoid serious complications in the form of trophic ulcers, malignancy of tissues and bleeding wounds. It is important not to forget that eczema of the varicose type can be aggravated in the absence of treatment and develop into more severe pathologies. Therefore, with suspected dermatitis of the veins, especially against the background of existing varicose veins, you should consult a doctor.
Reviews
There are a large number of reviews about this ailment and its treatment. People report that if you start therapy in a timely manner, take medications on an ongoing basis, eat right and do exercises, then you can avoid the serious consequences. All doctor's recommendations should also be followed.
We reviewed the treatment of venous dermatitis throughout the body and legs.