Women's zone, leg varicose veins, pelvic varicose veins

Patient Zone - Female

The Phlebology Clinic / Patient Zone / Education / Women's zone - venous disease

Women's Zone

Women's health is a delicate balance that, especially during pregnancy, is easily disturbed. The statistics are clear: even 4 times more often WOMEN are the ones who struggle with venous insufficiency. W Phlebology Clinic We understand the importance of early diagnosis and a comprehensive approach to treating venous disease. Our team of specialists knows that every patient needs individual care - whether during the planning of pregnancy, during pregnancy or in the postnatal period. Thanks to modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods, we effectively help to combat venous insufficiency and other conditions of the venous system. Importantly, we diagnose and treat patients comprehensively and causally. The effectiveness of our treatment strategy has been confirmed by scientific studies and more than 10 years of observations!

Did you know?

venous insufficiency is 4 times more common in women than in men?
the risk of venous thrombosis in pregnancy increases approximately 2-4 times?
Approximately 20% women develop varicose veins of the intimate area during pregnancy?
This is a symptom that heralds post-pregnancy pelvic venous insufficiency.

pregnancy is the most common cause of pelvic venous insufficiency and venous insufficiency of the lower limbs?
the most common cause of pelvic venous insufficiency developing during pregnancy is left ovarian vein insufficiency?
Pelvic venous insufficiency is the most common cause of recurrent varicose veins on the legs and the occurrence of so-called atypical varicose veins?

Topography of venous pathologies in women

Pregnancy in a woman and the venous system

Pregnancy in women is the most important causative factor initiating pelvic venous insufficiency and secondary venous insufficiency in the legs. Our observations show that venous insufficiency of the lower limbs also encounters women not giving birth. What is the nature of the disease in this case? More on this topic can be found at: Venous insufficiency in young adults

Did you know?
The uterus is an organ that increases its mass and volume by more than 100 times during pregnancy. From an organ weighing about 70-80 g (the size of an adult's fist), it enlarges to about 1000 g (1 kg) and a volume of 5 litres.

By the end of pregnancy, approximately 450-650 ml blood per minute.

Impact of pregnancy

During pregnancy, adverse changes occur in a woman's venous system. Each subsequent pregnancy intensifies these changes and often makes them irreversible.

The deterioration of the venous system during pregnancy may have various causes. The primary mechanism for the deterioration of venous capacity is due to:

from changes in blood hormone levels
from pressure on the pelvic and abdominal vessels caused by the enlarging uterus
from an increase in the volume of circulating blood (there is about 1.5 litres more blood on average)
from an increase in body weight during pregnancy, related among other things to water retention in the body (average increase of around 6.5-8.5 litres)
from reduced physical activity
from blood thickening and increased thromboembolic risk (gestational hypercoagulability)

Venous thrombosis in pregnancy

The risk of venous thrombosis in women increases significantly during pregnancy - studies show that it is even 5 times higher than in women who are not pregnant. This increased susceptibility to thrombus formation has a complex physiological and hormonal basis. This occurs for several key reasons:

a significant increase in the level of clotting factors in the blood with a concomitant decrease in the concentration of natural substances that inhibit the clotting process (protein S deficiency is particularly important);
the development of a hypercoagulable state, which is a natural protective mechanism during pregnancy and childbirth;
the diastolic effect of pregnancy hormones (especially progesterone) on the venous vessel walls;
pressure of the enlarging uterus on the large venous vessels located in the pelvic and abdominal area;
Slowing down blood flow in the vessels.

The role of hormones

Estrogens cause disturbances in the production and cross-linking of collagen fibres in the vessel wall and affect the relaxation of the smooth muscle of the venous vessels. Thus, oestrogens increase the susceptibility of these vessels to stretching, significantly increasing the risk of developing varicose veins.

Oestrogens also increase the production of clotting proteins, causing a significant increase in the risk of venous thrombosis and its complications, including pulmonary embolism. From the 12th to 17th week of pregnancy, the placenta begins to play a major role in hormone production. The level of oestrogens in a pregnant woman's blood increases by up to 30 times.

Progesterone inhibits smooth muscle contractility, leading to a decrease in vascular tone. This increases the susceptibility of the vessels to stretching and the so-called overload venous valve regurgitation, often seen during pregnancy. Hormonal disorders in women, resulting in abnormal secretion of oestrogen and progesterone, have a significant impact on the deterioration of the venous system.

The high elevation of oestrogen and gestagen levels during pregnancy is a factor responsible for the increased risk of thrombosis (prothrombotic effect) and for the excessive stretching of venous vessels (vasodilatory effect).

Varicose veins of the intimate area

Varicose veins of the intimate area is a problem affecting the perineal, vulvar, inguinal and lower back areas. They usually occur in ladies after their second pregnancy. According to recent studies, the risk of their occurrence during pregnancy is estimated at even on 20%. Each successive pregnancy exacerbates this phenomenon, which can lead to widening and deformation of the labia minora from stretching. Importantly, most patients with this condition also have varicose dilatation of the venous plexuses in the pelvis. In approximately 5-12% women, the problem does not resolve after childbirth, taking the form of persistent venous dilatation (known as 'varicocele'). varicose veins of the intimate area) and venous leakage from the pelvis to the legs.

The problem can also arise before pregnancy, especially in women with certain anatomical predispositions (narrow waist, small pelvic size) or congenital abnormalities of the venous system and in those ladies who overuse strength training. Because of the impact on the comfort of life and the risk of worsening the problem, early diagnosis and appropriate treatment are important.