Stagnation of lymph in the legs: treatment, prevention and symptoms

Sometimes a person has lymphatic congestion in the legs, treatment in this case should be mandatory, as this greatly complicates the movement. In no case should the disease be considered only a cosmetic defect, because this is, first of all, a serious threat to life and health. The fact is that the lymphatic system performs many functions in the human body:

1. First of all, with the help of this system, secondary absorption and return of protein to the blood is carried out.
2. With the help of lymph, metabolism is carried out in the intercellular space.
3. Lymph nodes play the role of protection against bacteria and viruses.
4. In the intestines, fats are absorbed into the lymph.

When changes and malfunctions associated with lymph occur, a person can immediately feel a malfunction in his body.

How to recognize lymphatic congestion in the legs

The main symptom is swelling, which can occur after a long journey, hot weather, excessive alcohol consumption and kidney pathology. Symptoms may occur periodically, but gradually lymphostasis becomes chronic, and lymph stagnation occurs. Most often, the disease is one-sided, for example, one leg may swell, and the other remains normal. Let us consider in more detail how lymphostasis of the lower extremities is manifested than the swelling of the legs threatens:

1. Tissues that are swollen begin to squeeze blood vessels, while organ nutrition is disturbed, and the legs are sore.
2. The connective tissue is gradually growing, which only begins to complicate the situation, the subcutaneous vessels become invisible, and the limbs are significantly thickened.

Lymphostasis is divided into two types:

1. Congenital is associated with genetic disorders. It often happens that the symptoms may not appear until hormonal changes begin.
2. Acquired lymphostasis can develop at any age.

Any person can be at risk, since there are actually many reasons for the occurrence of the disease.

Causes of lymph stagnation

There are many reasons for impaired lymph flow:

1. In the human body, various lesions may occur, accompanied by tumors, because of this, the fluid in the vessels cannot move quietly.
2. If the lymph nodes were injured.
3. A person leads a sedentary lifestyle and moves a little.
4. Overweight.
5. Violation of patency in the vessels themselves.
6. Infectious diseases that occur in severe form.
7. Blood vessel constriction.

It is worth noting that each person has their own way stagnation of lymph in the legs. Treatment and causes mainly depend on the stage of the disease.

1. The first stage is mild and does not cause any concern. A sick person can notice swelling in the legs only at the end of the working day, but the tissues remain soft and all symptoms disappear by the morning. In the first stage, the disease can be completely cured.
2. In the second stage, many patients already begin to seek the help of a doctor. Soreness in the legs begins to appear gradually, and edema does not subside overnight. The skin on the legs seems taut and dense, and if you press on it, then the fossa does not disappear for a long time.
3. The third stage is characterized by a violation in the lymphatic system. The general condition of a person significantly worsens, pain appears not only in the legs, but also in the joints.

As soon as the first symptoms of this insidious disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor who will diagnose and help restore the lymphatic flow.

Diagnostics

Stagnation of lymph in the legs can be easily diagnosed. The doctor knows exactly what methods to use for this. First of all, complaints and a medical history are taken into account. Urine and blood tests, the biochemical composition of blood, ultrasound of the kidneys and liver are considered mandatory, and the state of the heart is assessed. If no problems have been identified, then the doctor may prescribe additional tests:

1. Lymphography allows you to determine the quantity and quality of blood vessels, as well as analyze their ability to let liquids pass through them.
2. An excellent method is lymphoscintigraphy. Such diagnostics are aimed at obtaining information on the lymphatic flow and the state of the valvular vascular system.
3. Using dopplerography, the vascular bed is examined, for this a special contrast medium is introduced into the body.

As soon as the doctor reveals lymph congestion in the legs, treatment becomes an inevitable condition for returning to a normal lifestyle.

Treatment

The treatment of lymphostasis is primarily aimed at restoring normal outflow and normalizing the functioning of the limbs as soon as possible. Consider the main methods that can be used to eliminate this disease:

1. One of the effective methods is lower limb massage. This activates the circulatory system and normalizes the water balance, which, among other things, strengthens the walls of blood vessels, making them more elastic.
2. Physiotherapeutic procedures, such as magnetotherapy, are prescribed to the patient.
3. Specialists recommend visiting the pool.
4. Medication includes such drugs:

• which contribute to the normalization of blood circulation;
• immunomodulators and vitamins;
• Vetonotics, which significantly increase the tone of the walls of the veins;
• drugs that remove fluid from the body and relieve swelling.

People who suffer from lymphostasis need to purchase special stockings and an elastic bandage. It is advisable to find time in order to lie down a little with raised legs, and to put a special roller under your feet during sleep.

Sick people should lead an active lifestyle, for this there is even a special set of exercises that will help improve lymph outflow. Do not independently treat lymph stasis in the legs. Treatment, medications, exercises, diet should be selected by a doctor. The most popular drugs today are considered to be: "Detralex", "Venoruton", "Trental", "Drotaverin" and "Coumarin". But before taking these drugs, you should make sure that there are no contraindications, and for this you should undergo a diagnosis.

Gymnastics

There are simple exercises that can be done even at home. But it is only important to remember that during the exercise it is worth using an elastic bandage or special underwear. Let's consider in more detail how to treat lymph congestion in the legs of the house with the help of exercises:

1. A great exercise is the bike. To do this, lie on your back, and raise your legs up and simulate pedaling.
2. Lying on your side, you can do several swings with straight legs, it is enough to make several of these swings on one side, and then on the other.
3. Lying on the floor with legs stretched straight, it is necessary to make movements: feet pull the socks in different directions.
4. Lying near the wall to raise legs so that they are at an angle of 90 degrees, in this position you need to spend about ten minutes.

Charging is calculated for only 20 minutes, but this will be enough to feel better after a while.

How to restore lymph drainage by folk methods

Given all the symptoms and discomfort that a person experiences, all methods are good for getting rid of a disease such as lymph congestion in the legs. Treatment with folk remedies is used actively, but only as an adjunct to medication. Consider the basic recipes of traditional medicine:

1. Chopped garlic is mixed in equal proportions with honey and aged in the dark for a week, after which the resulting medicine is taken one teaspoon per day three times.
2. Plantain improves blood circulation. Finely chopped leaves pour 0.5 l of boiling water, leave overnight, and already in the afternoon they drink in small portions all the contents.
3. It is recommended to drink tea from the leaves of currant and rosehip in unlimited quantities.
4. If it is necessary to reduce the stagnation of lymph in the legs, the treatment necessarily includes baths with a decoction of a string and pharmacy chamomile, they must be done every day for a long time, but the result will pleasantly surprise.

The correct way of life, a diet with the use of vegetables and fruits, as well as everything that will help improve blood flow, must be applied every day, and then the disease will recede.

Prevention and Complications

If you do not conduct active treatment, stagnation of lymph in the legs can turn into serious complications. In the affected limbs, ulcers and dermatitis will begin to form over time, weight will increase, and the body will become vulnerable to other diseases. Naturally, there are preventive methods, they are not complicated and accessible to everyone.

It is important to lead an active lifestyle, and then you can not encounter a disease such as lymphostasis. Proper nutrition and an attentive attitude to your health will help strengthen the body and prevent the aggravation of the situation with various infections that cause deterioration of the lymphatic drainage.