Varicose veins are lesions of the veins. Their characteristic symptom is swelling of one leg.
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When it’s hot, many people notice that their legs swell up, and quite severely. This is our body’s reaction to thirst: when there is not enough water, the body starts to retain it with all its might, accumulating it, like a camel on its humps, in all possible places. As soon as the heat subsides, the swelling disappears.
But if you notice that only one leg swells and not always during hot weather, then this may be a sign of varicose veins:
– Varicose veins are lesions of the veins. Their characteristic symptom is swelling of one leg. I strongly recommend not to delay a visit to the doctor: the greater the swelling, the greater the likelihood of deep vein thrombosis. Varicose veins can also manifest themselves through bulging veins, redness, thickening or simply redness of the skin,” explained phlebologist Evgeniy Letunovsky, an expert on Doctor TV channel.
However, spider veins, which are often mistaken for a sign of varicose veins, are not, according to doctors, a sign of this pathological process, but are a purely aesthetic problem. Like burning in the legs, the symptom is not venous at all, it is often associated with neurology (for example, back problems).
If a person does not yet have external problems with varicose veins, but his legs hurt in the heat, he should also pay attention to possible problems:
– In the heat, the venous wall expands and permeability increases. Because blood plasma begins to enter the tissues, swelling occurs. If the heat lasts too long, hypercoagulation can occur – the blood thickens, which increases the risk of thrombophlebitis and thrombosis, notes Letunovsky.
At the same time, one of the most effective ways to combat varicose veins is walking and swimming. At home, you can do the “bicycle” exercise more often or stand on your toes.
Academician Drapkina also mentioned other causes of edema, some of which can be very serious, including kidney and heart disease.
