Vascular Disease

The heart is one of the most important organs as it is responsible for delivering blood to the organs and tissues. Acting as a multi-faceted system of working parts, the heart keeps blood flow consistent and nourishes your other organs.

The heart pumps blood through a network of veins and arteries called the circulatory system. Arteries carry fresh blood away from the heart while veins carry deoxygenated blood toward the heart where it is recycled and redistributed to the body. Arteries and veins carry blood through a channel of blood vessels, which are elastic tubes containing a myriad of nutrients, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hormones, and blood cells. Also known as the cardiovascular or vascular system, the main purpose of the circulatory system is to supply the body with nutrients so it can function properly, thus helping your body to fight off diseases and maintain your overall health.

As we get older, blood flow to our extremities- especially the lower extremities- can begin to decline. A variety of factors may contribute to this. For example, plaque buildup within the blood vessels may induce various diseases, such as peripheral vascular disease. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a condition where blood vessels outside the heart and brain can spasm, narrow, or become blocked. PVD also includes any condition that affects the circulatory system. Vascular disease ranges from conditions affecting your arteries, veins, and lymph vessels to blood disorders that negatively impact circulation. The following are conditions that fall under the category of vascular disease.

What is Vascular Disease?

Vascular disease, also known as peripheral vascular disease (PVD), is a condition that affects blood circulation. This disorder causes various blood vessels outside the brain and heart to block, narrow, or spasm. Peripheral vascular disease can affect both veins and arteries.

Vascular disease can often cause fatigue and pain. The pain is usually accumulates in the legs, especially when exercising, walking, or working for long periods of time. However, the pain can subside after resting.

Peripheral vascular disease is not limited solely to the legs. The condition may also affect blood vessels that supply oxygen to other parts of the body such as the intestines, stomach, kidneys and arms.

Patients suffering from peripheral vascular disease experience poor circulation, particularly the lower extremities. This can be caused by a condition known as arteriosclerosis. During arteriosclerosis, an unhealthy build-up of fats, cholesterol, and plaque hardens and becomes stiff, causing the arteries to narrow. In some cases, PVD can also be caused by blood vessel spasms.

If left untreated, the plaque buildup that can be seen in arteriosclerosis accumulates and may lead to blood clots, which could block the arteries completely. As a result, this blockage may lead to organ damage and the loss of toes, fingers, and limbs. Treating this vascular disease as soon as possible is extremely important. The longer you wait, the more detrimental the effects may be.

Vascular disease is sometimes referred to as a peripheral arterial disease, and the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, the key difference between peripheral vascular disease and peripheral arterial disease is that the latter only affects arteries- the vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from your heart- while PVD affects the veins- the vessels that bring blood back to your heart for redistribution.

Statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) state that about 20% of people develop peripheral arterial disease. PAD is the most common condition of PVD. Other terms used to define the condition include:

Atherectomy

A lower extremity atherectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure involving a catheter to remove plaque from arteries. The doctor usually makes a small incision in the artery to insert the catheter. The procedure is performed under local anesthesia to prevent pain. A catheter collects removed plaque in a chamber placed at its tip, ensuring that all the particles are removed from the artery. Depending on the amount of plaque in your arteries, your doctor will repeat the procedure several times to ensure optimal blood flow.

What is Vascular Disease?

Atherectomy

What are the Risk Factors Associated with Peripheral Vascular Disease?

There are numerous risk factors linked to PVD. Some of the top risk factors include:

Age – people over 50 years stand a higher risk for PVD
Obesity and Being Overweight
Having Irregular Cholesterol
Previous Heart Disease Incident
Diabetes
Hemodialysis and Kidney Disease
Familiar ties to high cholesterol, PVD, or high blood pressure
Pregnancy
A History of Strokes and other Cardiovascular Diseases

Lifestyle choices can also increase your chances of suffering from vascular disease. Some of the notable lifestyle choices contributing to PVD include;

Smoking
Poor Dietary Habits
Drug Use
Lack of Physical Exercise

What are the Symptoms of Peripheral Vascular Disease?

In most cases, the symptoms of the vascular disease start slowly or irregularly, then get more intense with time and lack of medical intervention. At the start, you may feel more tired than usual and experience cramping. The pain usually gets worse with exercise due to blood flow constrictions.

Other symptoms linked with vascular disease differ depending on the affected areas. Some of the specific symptoms include;

Legs – Cramps when lying down and reduced hair growth
Legs and arms – Discoloration and turning pale or reddish-blue
Legs and feet – Weak pulses, pale and thin skin, chronic ulcers and wounds
Toes – Severe burning sensation, thick and opaque toenails, and a general blue discoloration

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to seek medical intervention. Unfortunately, most of these symptoms get brushed aside as a result of old age. However, delayed care and attention only worsen the situation, and in extreme cases, you may contract gangrene and blood loss.

The other common symptom associated with vascular disease is claudication. This is a distinguishable lower limb muscle pain, especially when you’re walking. At times, the pain may intensify when you walk for long and fast. However, after some time or rest, the pain can go away or gradually reduce. Claudication happens when there isn’t enough flow of blood to the muscle.

As the vascular disease progresses, the symptoms could get worse and become more frequent. Eventually, fatigue and pain can become more common, even when you’re resting. If you notice any of these symptoms, get a vascular surgeon or specialist opinion and get the right treatment to reduce pain and improve blood flow.

What are the Complications of Vascular Disease?

If the peripheral vascular disease is not treated or managed, it can get serious and, in some cases, life-threatening. Additionally, the restriction of blood flow to the body can be a warning of serious vascular disease progression.

Some of the top health complications of PVD include:

Pale skin
Tissue death that may lead to amputation
Pain with movement and when resting
Chronic open wounds
Severe pain making it hard to walk
Life-threatening toxicities in the bloodstream and bones

In serious complications affecting arteries bringing blood to the brain and heart, the arteries can get clogged, leading to stroke, heart attack, and even death.

How is Vascular Disease Diagnosed?

Early diagnosis of peripheral vascular diagnosis is the first step to effective treatment. Moreover, early detection and management can help prevent life-threatening complications. Let your doctor know immediately you start experiencing any typical symptoms of vascular diseases, such as claudication.

The healthcare professional may inquire about your medical history for a proper diagnosis before performing any physical exam. Usually, the physical test includes measuring pulses in your limbs. If there’s a swooshing sound after a stethoscope search, it likely means you have certain narrowed vessels.

Additionally, to get specific results, the doctor could also order several other tests. Some of these are;

A Doppler ultrasound to monitor the flow of blood in the vessels
An angiography to diagnose any clogged arteries
A CT scan to show images of blood vessels and diagnose a blockage
An ankle-brachial index to compare blood flow from various limbs