Featured capillaries, causes, symptoms and remedies

The capillaries in evidence, whose medical term is telangiectasias, are a very frequent disorder, especially among women, which worsens with the hot season. Here are all the useful remedies.

In anatomy, capillaries are defined as canals or small vessels of very small caliber.

However, this term is also mistakenly used to indicate a disorder technically called telangiectasia, which consists in the dilation of capillaries or other superficial blood vessels, which form a bluish or reddish web on the skin, perfectly visible to the naked eye.

In most cases it is simply a blemish, but in some subjects the so-called capillaries can be the first sign of a deeper and more important disorder of the circulatory system, especially affecting the venous one.

Recognizing and treating them, therefore, serves not only to look more beautiful, but also for the prevention of vascular health.

What are they

As already mentioned, telangiectasias are small red or bluish veins immediately under the skin, which can create obvious imperfections mainly on the legs, in particular at the level of the thighs, but also in other parts of the body, especially on the face, where they can involve, in addition to the skin tissue, also the mucous membranes (for example those of the nose).

It is a predominantly female problem that, especially in the premenstrual period, can be accentuated causing discomfort such as burning and itching. But men can also suffer from it.

The causes

In women, the presence of evident capillaries on the thighs is generally associated with a hormonal imbalance, which alters the permeability of the wall of the vessels of the microcirculation. This is nothing more than the set of small arteries (arterioles), capillaries and venules present under the skin. And it is always an alteration of the microcirculation that causes the appearance of telangiectasias on the back of the foot, ankles and calves.

Due to the role of hormones, telangiectasias can therefore appear in periods such as pregnancy or menopause or when starting to take hormonal contraceptives. Similarly, in some phases of the menstrual cycle (especially, as already mentioned, in the phase immediately preceding the appearance of the flow), the problem can be exacerbated.

In at least a third of cases, however, the capillaries in evidence are a symptom of venous insufficiency and in 15 percent of people who suffer from them varicose veins are also present. In these cases the wall of the vessels, weakening, hinders the ascent of blood from the feet to the heart, with consequent stagnation in the legs. This results in swelling, heaviness, tingling, itching and disorders such as cellulite.

Finally, pregnancy, trauma and family predisposition can also favor the appearance. In the latter case, in some subjects there may be a condition of fragility and weakness of the vessels such that normally harmless factors can instead negatively affect the microcirculation. For example, the heat, recalling the blood in the capillaries, causes it to dilate and slows down circulation even more, favoring the exhaustion of small vessels. It is better, therefore, not to take too hot baths and not to expose yourself too much to direct sun if you suffer from this type of problem.

In general, then, it is precisely a condition of fragility of the microcirculation to favor the appearance of telangiectasias on the face, usually as a symptom of that condition called couperose, characterized by redness that tends to become permanent especially at the level of the cheeks and nose.

Returning to pregnancy, telangiectasias can make their appearance during the nine months not only, as already mentioned, due to the hormonal changes that the female body undergoes, but also because, to cope with the growth of the fetus, the volume of circulating blood increases. Moreover, always during gestation, the growth of the fetus ends up determining a greater pressure at the level of the pelvis, which slows down the circulation at the level of the lower limbs, with consequent stagnation of blood in the capillaries or veins. All these factors can adversely affect an already naturally more fragile superficial circulatory system.

How do they recognize each other

Telangiectasias are also evident to the naked eye: as already mentioned, they appear as reddish-blue ramifications, which can be similar to cobwebs, or even linear or circular, even with the presence of broken capillaries, sometimes even in relief. Often they are asymptomatic, other times they are accompanied by itching and edema.

A visit to a specialist (generally a phlebologist or angiologist) is important:the doctor can take a careful medical history, evaluating any previous family history, traumas and circulatory disorders, carry out an objective examination and, if he deems it necessary, investigate the state of health of the circulatory system with further tests. In this way he can evaluate the most suitable intervention solutions.

The remedies

At the same time, the plant extracts stimulate the recovery of fluids that have already accumulated in the tissues, activating the lymphatic system. Furthermore, the active ingredients contained in black currants help to counteract the inflammation caused by fluid stagnation.

Many of these remedies are also available in cream, oil or gel form. The latter, much appreciated for their refreshing effect, can however cause dehydration of the skin because they contain alcohol and do not allow the active ingredients to be absorbed effectively down to the microcirculation level.

The treatments

For the most serious cases, it is possible to resort to laser treatments, ozone or sclerotherapy , which involves the injection of healing drugs directly into the capillaries.

The laser is able to hit the hemoglobin (the Protein that carries oxygen, present in red blood cells) in a precise way and, therefore, when properly directed, it emits an energy that destroys the blood that stagnates in that point, causing close the capillary,without damaging the skin and other tissues and without leaving scars. In the days following the treatment, the capillary narrows and is slowly reabsorbed by the body. Several sessions are generally necessary, the number of which varies according to the extent and resistance of the spider veins.

Sclerotherapy, on the other hand, is a technique that injects a sclerosing solution into the blood vessel, i.e. a substance that damages its internal walls, so that the capillary undergoes a process of obstruction. In practice, the internal walls of the vessel approach each other and weld each other, the circulation is consequently blocked and the capillary heals. The solution is injected with micropunctures; more sessions lasting about 30-40 minutes each, spaced one or two weeks apart, may be necessary (the number of sessions depends on the number of capillaries to be treated).

Precautions

There are some healthy habits that allow you to prevent or in any case not to worsen any telangiectasias, especially if affecting the lower limbs:

• constant physical activity
• a balanced diet that allows you to control your weight
• avoid smoking (smoking has a very negative effect on the health of blood vessels due to the high content of free radicals)
• do not wear heels that are too high (the movements of the foot allow blood to return to the heart and to guarantee the right support it is necessary to wear comfortable, wide-fitting shoes, with a heel of about four centimeters) or excessively tight-fitting clothes that create an obstacle to normal blood outflow

Following these precautions helps to improve leg health, especially for those who maintain the same position for many hours, both sitting and standing.

Daily movement, in fact, helps to tone the muscles, stimulate the flow of blood and in particular to facilitate its ascent towards the heart, avoiding stagnation. Above all, it is important to keep the calf muscles moving: when they move, they put pressure on the veins, pushing the blood upwards. Just prefer the stairs to the elevator, or get off the bus two stops early and take a short walk.

Being overweight instead favors swelling, a sense of heaviness in the legs and the formation of varicose veins, hindering the good circulation of the lower limbs. Therefore it is advisable to limit fatty Foods foods (such as fried foods or gravies), favoring a light but balanced diet. Green light in particular, to fruits rich in vitamin C such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, kiwis, which have an anti-inflammatory action, and to blueberries, currants and other berries, rich in flavonoids, substances present in the peel that actively act on blood vessels, strengthening the resistance of the walls.

In the case of varicose veins it may also be useful to wear the appropriate elastic stockings, especially in the hot season.

It is also advisable to limit close exposure to radiators, stoves, fireplaces, hot water bottles and frequent baths and footbaths in hot water. In the shower it is very useful to alternate jets of hot and cold water(ending the shower with a cold jet) starting from the feet and going up to the groin: it is a sort of vascular gymnastics, because with the heat the vessels dilate and col cold shrink, thus stimulating circulation. In the tub, the temperature should not exceed 37-38 °C and it is useful to rub the legs with a rather rough sponge to stimulate superficial circulation.

Attention, then, as anticipated, to the contraceptive pill , which can cause or accentuate the problem. The more modern ones, characterized by a very low hormonal dosage, limit the onset of these complications: however, the advice is to talk to your gynecologist to evaluate the most suitable contraceptive choice for your case.