by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Defects in the wall of a vein lead to dilation of the vein and damage to the valves. Normally, these valves prevent blood from backing up, but when the valves become damaged, blood pools and causes the bulging veins known as varicose veins.
S/gns and Symptoms
Varicose veins may be without symptoms or may be associated with fatigue, aching discomfort, feelings of heaviness, or pain in the legs. Fluid retention (edema), discoloration, and ulceration of the skin may also develop. Hemorrhoids are also varicose veins. |
Andreas Moritz
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 The thoracic duct extends vertically in the chest and curves posteriorly to the left carotid artery and left jugular vein at the C7 vertebral level to empty into the junction of the left subclavian vein and the jugular vein, below the clavicle, near the shoulders. The subclavian vein enters the superior vena cava, which leads directly into the heart.
In addition to blocking proper lymph drainage from the above-mentioned organs or parts of the body, congestion in the cisterna chyli and the thoracic duct permits toxic materials to be passed into the heart and its arteries. |
Ron Garner
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 The main vein, called the portal vein, does not have one-way valves such as are in the arm and leg veins. Therefore, anything that restricts blood flow, such as congestion in the liver, causes a backpressure and consequent inflammation and swelling of the rectal veins, either internally or externally.
To prevent hemorrhoid conditions, one needs to adopt a healthful lifestyle, have regular exercise, and detoxify the bowel. For relief of hemorrhoid pain, a suppository-sized piece of raw white potato can be inserted into the rectum and changed as needed. |
Andreas Moritz
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| The thoracic duct extends vertically in the chest and curves posteriorly to the left carotid artery and left jugular vein at the C7 vertebral level to empty into the junction of the left subclavian vein and the jugular vein, below the clavicle, near the shoulders. The subclavian vein enters the superior vena cava, which leads directly into the heart.
In addition to blocking proper lymph drainage from the above-mentioned organs or parts of the body, congestion in the cisterna chyli and the thoracic duct permits toxic materials to be passed into the heart and its arteries. |
Ron Garner
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| The main vein, called the portal vein, does not have one-way valves such as are in the arm and leg veins. Therefore, anything that restricts blood flow, such as congestion in the liver, causes a backpressure and consequent inflammation and swelling of the rectal veins, either internally or externally.
To prevent hemorrhoid conditions, one needs to adopt a healthful lifestyle, have regular exercise, and detoxify the bowel. For relief of hemorrhoid pain, a suppository-sized piece of raw white potato can be inserted into the rectum and changed as needed. |
Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
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 The active ingredient in horse chestnut— escin—helps strengthen vein valves, walls, and capillaries.
Lack of good circulation can be another factor in causing varicose veins. Standing and sitting for long periods of time, as well as being obese, can increase the likelihood of getting them. So can pregnancy (though the condition usually gets better after delivery). If you've got varicose veins, try to avoid sitting or standing for long periods of time, and walk on a regular basis. Anything to get the circulation going is a good thing. |
The Editors of PREVENTION
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 Mount Sinai School of Medicine and director of the vein Treatment Center, both in New York City, and co-author of No More Varicose Veins.
But whether you're overweight or not, you're contributing to the risk of getting those veins if you do a lot of uninterrupted sitting and standing. If you're active, the muscles in your calves help pump blood back toward your
When to Coddle Your Veins
If you already have varicose veins, exercise won't help, and it might make them worse, says Brian McDonagh, M.D., founder and medical director of the Chicago-based vein Clinics of America. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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 But if you can see the affected vein, it's called superficial thrombophlebitis. While this is largely a benign condition, it can cause discomfort. Occasionally, it can be a sign of an abdominal cancer or deep vein thrombosis (DVT). (See Chapter 7.)
In DVT, a clot forms in a vein located deep within the leg, causing redness, swelling, and pain. If the clot breaks off, it can lodge in the lungs, causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism; sometimes the clot will travel to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
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| The worst complication from varicose veins is phlebitis, where bloodclots form on the walls of the vein. If they become dislodged and travel to the lungs, they can cause serious—and, very rarely, fatal—damage.
The first warning of varicose veins is a tingling on the surface of the leg, which is caused by the reduced blood flow as the vein weakens. You might also notice small blue veins near the surface of the skin. Some people experience feelings of tightness, congestion, or tenderness in the veins, tired leg muscles, swollen ankles, or muscular leg cramps. |
by Michael Murray, N.D. and Joseph Pizzorno, N.D.
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| The increased pressure may, over time, significantly weaken the vein walls, leading to the formation of varicose veins or hemorrhoids.
Flavonoid-rich foods, such as bilberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and hawthorn berries, are beneficial in the prevention and treatment of varicose veins. These berries are very rich sources of proanthocyanidins and anthocyanidins, the bioflavonoids that give the berries their blue-red color and also improve the integrity of support structures of the veins and the entire vascular system. |
Marshall Editions
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 Varicose vein remedies: Varicosities are a result of increased pressure within the veins. To relieve this pressure, elevate and massage the legs, get plenty of exercise and change sitting positions frequently. Onions, which are high in vitamin C and quercitin (a powerful antioxidant), and garlic, which is rich in antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory and support vascular tissue health. Dark leafy greens such as spinach and spring greens and beets are rich in B vitamins and promote liver health and regular bowel movements, lessening venous congestion. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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 For example, it may block the flow of blood in a major leg vein, causing pain and swelling. If the clot is converted to scar tissue, the valves inside the veins may be damaged and unable to move blood back to the heart effectively. This can cause fluid accumulation in the ankle and on up to the thigh, depending on where the damaged valves are.
Fondaparinux is a newer drug used to prevent deep vein thrombosis in people who are undergoing hip surgery, knee replacement, or hip replacement. It works by interfering with one of the biochemical factors that causes blood to clot. |
Marshall Editions
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| Symptoms may have set in after surgery or any investigative procedure that involves inserting needles into a vein.
HERBALISM
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Although there are no specific herbal remedies to treat phlebitis, or inflammation of the veins, there are herbs that have been used to treat other manifestations of inflammation and maintain blood flow. These may prove helpful in the treatment of phlebitis.
Gotu kola: This herb has been used to treat a variety of vascular problems. It can be taken as a tea, made from 0.5-1 g of dried herb, to be drunk three times daily. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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 Other treatments include surgery to remove the vein, laser therapy, and sclerotherapy, which involves the injection of a chemical solution into the vein to cause it to close. Any skin ulcers that develop are treated with compressive bandages that contain antibiotic solutions.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful
Keeping the legs elevated relieves pain. People with varicose veins should avoid sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time and should walk regularly. |
The Editors of PREVENTION
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| Chicago-based vein Clinics of America. When you start walking or cycling, your calf muscles' pumping action generates even more turbulent blood flow in your varicose veins, distorting and distending them further. This is why young, athletic males have some of the largest varicose veins.
Although Dr. McDonagh still favors exercise, it's because it benefits your overall health, not because it helps your veins.
Comfortably snug support stockings, worn either before or after your workout, may help minimize the negative impact of exercise on varicose veins. |
Joan Liebmann-Smith, Ph. D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
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| In DVT, a clot forms in a vein located deep within the leg, causing redness, swelling, and pain. If the clot breaks off, it can lodge in the lungs, causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism; sometimes the clot will travel to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Varicose veins are the result of an improper selection of grandparents. —William Osier, the Father of Modern speaking of signs
Medicine raised, twisted, and blue, and the area around them may itch or ache. They can be inherited, or a sign of pregnancy, obesity, or hormonal changes. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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 High homocysteine levels also seem to contribute to neuropathy, the nerve damage that can cause pain, numbness, or blindness in diabetes patients; and with deep vein thrombosis (a clot getting lodged in a vein); and pulmonary embolism (when a clot gets stuck in a blood vessel in the lungs).
Vitamin B12 and folate work together to keep homocysteine within healthy limits. |
Dr Ron Roberts
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 Massage is not suitable for people with a fever, blood poisoning, haemorrhaging, vein inflammation or varicose veins, thrombosis, spinal disease, acute inflammation, tumours, skin disease, pregnancy, abscesses, tubercular joints, severe abdominal pain, a heart condition or in the throes of an asthma attack.
A full body massage should take about 50?0 minutes, while just the back and upper body would only take 30-45 minutes, but massage to a localised area may be for only 5-15 minutes.
Masseurs apply different techniques and approaches depending on their particular training. |
Alan R. Gaby, M.D., Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., Forrest Batz, Pharm.D. Rick Chester, RPh., N.D., DipLAc. George Constantine, R.Ph., Ph.D. Linnea D. Thompson, Pharm.D., N.D.
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| Other treatments include surgery to remove the vein, laser therapy, and sclerotherapy, which involves the injection of a chemical solution into the vein to cause it to close. Any skin ulcers that develop are treated with compressive bandages that contain antibiotic solutions.
Lifestyle changes that may be helpful
Keeping the legs elevated relieves pain. People with varicose veins should avoid sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time and should walk regularly. |
Roberta Bivins
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 At one level, this image illustrates the mechanics of bleeding—in its simplest form, practitioners simply opened a vein, catching the blood in a basin until the desired amount had been removed. But it also illustrates the persistent hostility with which western medical observers and commentators have received medical experts from other cultures. Arabic doctors are shown bleeding the Italian poor dry, as gold jets out of their veins with their blood. active fluids orchestrating multiple organ systems, and designed to maintain stability in the face of drastic environmental shifts. |
Kathi Keville
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 If enough blood pools in a particular vein, the vein can burst. When this happens, slow-healing ulcers form under the skin. A surgical operation known as sclerotherapy can destroy the offending vein, but other veins must then take on the load, and they too will enlarge.
One of the best ways to stop varicose veins and hemorrhoids from getting any worse is to strengthen your blood vessels and make them less porous. Some of the same herbs used for heart problems, such as hawthorn and ginkgo, can do this. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 In this procedure, the surgeon does indeed stop the heart, and graft a piece of vein (usually the saphenous vein from the thigh) into one or more of the coronary arteries.
Does "cabbage" save lives? The first major clinical trial was in the early 1980s. The Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) consisted of 780 patients who had mild but stable angina. Half were randomly chosen for bypass surgery; the other half received "conservative" treatment. Five years later, 82% from the first group were alive, but 83% from the second. |
Andreas Moritz
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| Ending the Cholesterol-Heart Disease Myth
Why has there never been a record of cholesterol having blocked a vein in the body! What is it about arteries that makes cholesterol attach itself to their walls, while leaving the veins alone? It is really the sticky nature of cholesterol that is behind the blockage of healthy blood vessel walls?
The answers to these questions may surprise you. The body actually uses the lipoprotein cholesterol as a kind of bandage to cover abrasions and tears in damaged arterial walls just as it does it for any other wound. |
Andreas Moritz
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 The thoracic duct typically empties its detoxified waste contents into the left subclavian vein at the root of the neck. This vein enters the superior vena cava, which leads straight into the heart. In addition to blocking proper lymph drainage from the various organs or parts of the body, congestion in the cysterna chyli and thoracic duct permits toxic materials to be passed into the heart and heart arteries. This unduly stresses the heart. It also allows these toxins and disease-causing agents to enter the general circulation and spread to other parts of the body. |
| This, in turn, increases the blood pressure in the cystic vein, which drains venous blood from the gallbladder into the portal vein. The incomplete elimination of waste products through the cystic duct causes a backup of acidic waste in the tissues composing the gallbladder. This gradually reduces the stamina and performance of the gallbladder. Subsequently, the formation of mineralized gallstones is just a matter of time.
Intestinal Diseases
The small intestine is continuous with the stomach at the pyloric sphincter and has a length of 16-19 feet. |
Natural Prescriptions: Dr. Giller's Natural Treatments & Vitamin Therapies For Over 100 Common AilmentsRobert M. Giller, M.D.
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| The first warning of varicose veins is a tingling on the surface of the leg, which is caused by the reduced blood flow as the vein weakens. You might also notice small blue veins near the surface of the skin. Some people experience feelings of tightness, congestion, or tenderness in the veins, tired leg muscles, swollen ankles, or muscular leg cramps. Most of my patients are not surprised when the veins develop because their mother or aunt or grandmother had them. |
Frederic Vagnini, M.D. and Barry Fox, Ph.D.
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| FONDAPARINUX (fon-duh-PA-ri-nuks) Brand Name: Arixtra
About Fondaparinux
Veins return "used" blood to the heart and sometimes, in the process, a blood clot (thrombus) forms and sticks to a vein's inside wall. The thrombus might remain in place, or it might dislodge and float through the bloodstream on its way back toward the heart. This free-floating kind of clot is called an embolus.
Damage to veins during surgery or prolonged bed rest after surgery can cause a blood clot to form, which is a real concern for surgeons who fix broken hips or insert hip or knee replacements. |
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