Varicose veins are an increasingly common disease. So people have a lot of questions about it. One of the hotly discussed topics is whether baths are harmful to varicose veins. Consider which bathhouses you can visit when you have varicose veins, what rules apply, and what tradition visiting a steam room can lead to.
It is possible to bathe in the bath with varicose veins
Varicose veins of the legs are a disease that causes many limitations for people. As for visiting the bathhouses, in the early stages of the illness, they are allowed to visit. Alternatively, a steam bath procedure can be beneficial.
If the disease has progressed to the stage of thrombophlebitis, you will have to skip bathing, this stage is characterized by the formation of spider veins and varicose veins.
Being in a room where the temperature is too high will aggravate the patient's condition. Therefore, it is better to forgo the bath for a contrast shower or to visit the pool.
The benefits of bathing for varicose veins
Visiting the bath under certain conditions becomes one of the remedies used to treat varicose veins.
The beneficial effect of high temperature on vascular disease is associated with such positive effects:
- eliminates blood stasis by normalizing blood circulation;
- prevent foci of inflammation;
- stimulates the process of regeneration of venous tissue;
- eliminates unpleasant sensations - heaviness and fatigue in the legs.
Bathing is useful for thinning veins. The thermal effect strengthens blood vessels, improving their tone. Water procedures, when used properly, cleanse and heal the body. They become one of the preventive measures to reduce the risk of complications of varicose veins if the disease is stage 1.
Using a heating pad, steaming your feet with hot water, and showering at high temperatures can all lead to thrombophlebitis.
Rules for taking a bath when you have varicose veins
The bath will not harm the varicose veins of the lower extremities if you follow the rules of the examination.
They are as follows:
- drink water on an empty stomach;
- you need to refuse to take a bath if the illness worsens;
- care should be taken to ensure that the vessels are not pinched - in the bath you can stand or lie down, but under no circumstances should you sit cross-legged;
- massaging the lower extremities with a steaming brush first has a beneficial effect on the state of the blood vessels, it is better if it is collected from juniper or oak leaves;
- To complete the trip to the tub, you need to shower with cool water and rest on your back.
With varicose veins of the legs should wash by evaporation method. It involves rubbing them with a wet towel. Then you need to go to a dry room and wait until the water evaporates. This procedure eliminates swelling and heaviness in the legs. This reduces the risk of recurrent episodes of varicose veins.
Do not go to the bathroom if you are diagnosed with moderate or severe varicose veins. Contraindications to this type of water procedure are also thrombosis, postoperative recovery period and varicose veins complicated by chronic or inflammatory diseases.
Rules for visiting the sauna
It is not necessary to refuse to go to the steam room when you have varicose veins of the lower extremities. It is enough just to follow the rules, thereby preventing damage caused by high temperatures to ships.
To reverse the sauna habit without harming it, the following recommendations will help:
- the first time you need to enter the steam room for no more than 2-3 minutes, this approach allows the vessels to adapt to high temperatures;
- brooms, peels and other procedures can be used to cure the disease in areas where varicose veins do not show obvious symptoms;
- one bath implies no more than 5 visits to the steam room, in case of more pronounced symptoms of varicose veins it should be reduced to 3 times;
- When going to the steam room, you need to monitor the position of your legs - they should be level with the body.
High temperatures can cause discomfort in the legs, where the most obvious signs of varicose veins are. To eliminate such a manifestation, it is recommended to cover the affected areas with a damp cloth.
The benefits and harms of sauna for varicose veins
When going to a sauna with varicose veins, you should consider the possible risks. This procedure can affect both negatively and positively. Among the beneficial effects of visiting the sauna are an increase in vascular tone, stimulation of blood flow to the tissues and elimination of fatigue and heaviness of the legs. By improving blood circulation, more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the tissues.
The negative effects of sauna water treatments include excessive stress on blood vessels, blood stagnation and the possibility of disease progression. The mechanism for the formation of complications begins with excessive bleeding into the tissues.
Given the genetic predisposition to varicose veins, but in the absence of symptoms, taking a shower will be an excellent preventive measure.
Due to the disease, the ships could not withstand large loads. Blood stagnates in them and clots form. Therefore, before deciding to go to the sauna, you should consult with your doctor.
The benefits and harms of a contrast shower
Contrast showers are used to prevent varicose veins. It is also included in the complex therapy of the early stages of the disease. Its positive effects are aimed at improving blood circulation and raising blood vessel tone.
Contrast showers will not harm if you follow these rules:
- the procedure must be carried out regularly;
- you need to monitor the selection of the temperature regime of the water - it should be average, not lead to hypothermia or overheating;
- you should get used to a contrast bath, starting with warm water and reducing the temperature by 1 degree per day;
- the first attempts to apply the procedure begin with bathing for 2 minutes, gradually increasing to 5 minutes;
- every 10 seconds you need to change the temperature of the water;
- you can't keep the flow of water in one place for more than 2 seconds, you need to move it from your lower back to your feet.
In the early stages of the disease, caution should be exercised when approaching a contrast shower. Sudden changes in temperature can lead to painful manifestations.
Prolonged exposure to heat will lead to varicose veins.
The blood in them may flow too quickly and irregularly. As a result, edema is formed. As a result, varicose veins become contraindicated with the use of a shower that is contrasted with hot water. The procedure should be skipped if there is a moderate or severe stage of the disease.
The benefits and harms of heat load on varicose veins
If there are pronounced varicose veins, it is strictly forbidden to resort to heat stress. This also applies to foot saunas and hot baths. The negative effects of thermal processes are associated with dry air in a sauna.
It leads to a deterioration in the structure of blood vessels, which leads to their fragility. Due to the high temperature, the area of varicose veins increases. The vessels cannot cope with ensuring normal blood flow due to the increased volume of blood circulation.
If, after consultation, your doctor prescribes contrast baths and showers as an adjunct to the primary treatments for varicose veins, then you must adhere to the following guidelines: procedural rules. Only in this case will they benefit.