Chestnut contains glucosides, allowing it to effectively combat varicose veins and thrombophlebitis. These substances improve circulation, increase capillary permeability, reduce swelling, and alleviate inflammation. Aesculin has a strong antithrombotic effect, stimulating the production of antithrombin. Aescin thins the blood and eliminates stasis, slowing down blood clotting. Thanks to these properties, treatment of varicose veins with horse chestnut has become popular and effective. This plant helps to combat the accumulation of blood clots in the network of venous capillaries of the lower extremities, restores the functioning of venous valves, and eliminates large stagnant nodes that require surgical intervention. In the treatment of varicose veins, chestnut flowers, fruits, leaves, and bark are used in the form of decoctions, infusions, and extracts.
Infusions for varicose veins
Chestnut tincture is widely used against varicose veins. It is taken orally and used for compresses.
To prepare the tincture, you can use the fruits and flowers of the plant:
- How to make chestnut tincture for varicose veins: take 50 g of crushed chestnut fruits and pour 500 ml of vodka. Let the mixture infuse for about 10 days. Take the tincture four times a day, 5-10 drops each time, until varicose veins subside.
- To prepare a chestnut tincture for compresses for varicose veins: prepare a concentrated tincture with a ratio of fruits to alcohol of 1:3. You can also prepare a mixture of warm water (1 liter) and chestnut oil from the fruits (30 g). Soak gauze in this solution and wrap it around your legs for an hour. After removing the compress, wrap your legs and keep them warm.
- Tincture from horse chestnut flowers for varicose veins. Take 100 g of dried flowers and 1 liter of alcohol or vodka. Infuse the mixture for 10-14 days in a dark, dry place. Drink the tincture in doses of 25 drops with a teaspoon, 3 times a day before meals for a month. If the condition is severe, continue the tincture for 2 months, then take a break for a month and repeat the course. The tincture may help with arthritic and rheumatic pain symptoms.
- Tincture on chestnut flowers for varicose veins. Take chestnut flowers and squeeze juice from them, grinding only the flowers without stamens and pistil, then mix the juice with alcohol. The course of treatment is one month.
- 1 dessert spoon of chestnut flowers should be poured with 0.5 liters of boiling water. Infuse overnight in a thermos. Consume 0.5 cups in the morning and evening, after meals.
- For this infusion, we will need chestnut bark or crushed chestnut fruits. Take 1 teaspoon of the crushed mixture and pour 200 ml of water. Boil the mixture for half an hour. Infuse for an hour and strain. Drink half a glass of the decoction in the morning and evening after meals. The course of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
Medicines from chestnuts for varicose veins
As a rub, chestnut tincture, various creams, ointments, and gels based on it can be used to strengthen vein walls, alleviate fatigue, swelling, and leg pain. Recipe for chestnut rub for varicose veins: take chestnuts and alcohol in a ratio of 1:10, infuse for 20 days. Use this tincture to rub affected areas to reduce swelling and pain. Also, prepare chestnut ointment by crushing chestnuts and soaking them in olive or vegetable oil in a ratio of 1:10.
To infuse the ointment, leave it for about 10 days, then simmer for half an hour in a water bath. Rub the ointment into painful areas three times a day. This ointment helps reduce the inflammatory process, soothe the skin, and eliminate swelling. Store the ointment in a cool place for no more than two weeks, then prepare a new one.
From horse chestnut, you can prepare drops and ointment for varicose veins, which are taken simultaneously. For drops, infuse 50 g of chestnut flowers without stamens with 500 ml of vodka for 2 weeks. For the ointment, take 5 g of potato starch, 50 g of crushed chestnut fruits, 10 g of sage flowers and leaves powder, and 10 g of crushed chamomile flowers, poured with a cup of hot chicken fat. Mix and simmer in a water bath for 2.5 hours, let it infuse overnight. In the morning, bring the ointment to a boil, remove from heat, and strain immediately. Transfer to any container and store in the refrigerator. Mix the infusion with water and take 30 drops three times a day, 20 minutes before meals, for 3-4 weeks. Apply the ointment to affected areas.
For varicose veins, you can use chestnut flower juice. To do this, take the petals and grind them in a blender or meat grinder. Before consumption, dilute the juice in water and drink 30 drops. The treatment course is one month, and the effect will be visible after a few weeks.
If you experience leg pain and swelling, you can make chestnut foot baths. To do this, take 2 liters of warm water, add 40 grams of chestnut oil, and mix. Dip your feet into the basin and leave them for 20 minutes. After completing the procedure, dry your feet and wrap them in a warm blanket or put on warm tights.
In case of varicose veins, chestnut extract is used because it contains a large amount of escin, which helps reduce swelling and fatigue in the legs, relieve tension. The chestnut extract also contains other saponins that protect capillaries from damage, eliminate inflammation, and increase the elasticity of vein walls.