Vascular diseases kill about 950,000 people every year. These illnesses attack the veins, arteries, and other vessels that ferry blood to the rest of the body. However, not all vascular diseases are life-threatening (e.g., spider veins); nevertheless, you should still seek help.
How would you know you have a vascular disease anyway? According to South Florida Vascular Associates, you should watch out for general symptoms like cramping, atrophied calf muscles, brittle toenails, ulcers, and erectile dysfunction. Let us identify five vascular diseases to understand them in more detail.
Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
PE is a blood clot that forms in the lung’s arteries. As a result, it blocks blood flow to the lung, which makes it life-threatening. Its symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, excessive sweating, irregular heartbeat, and discolored skin. Those at risk of getting PE are smokers, pregnant women, and overweight people.
Doctors treat it by administering blood thinners. These medications prevent the clots from growing bigger while your body breaks them down.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis occurs due to the accumulation of cholesterol and fats on artery walls. The buildup causes arteries to narrow, which limits blood flow. When the condition is mild, you will not experience any symptoms. However, if it becomes severe, you may experience chest pain, leg pain, kidney failure, and numbness in your limbs.
Your doctor will prescribe aspirin, statin, or blood pressure medications for mild atherosclerosis. They will consider surgical procedures such as coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, endarterectomy, and fibrinolytic therapy if it is severe.
Carotid Artery Disease
This condition occurs when fats collect in blood vessels that deliver blood to the brain and head. Since your brain is deprived of oxygen, there is a high probability of getting a stroke. As soon as you experience sudden numbness in the face and limbs, severe headaches, and difficulty speaking, seek immediate medical help.
Surgeons treat the condition through carotid endarterectomy, which involves making incisions along the neck to remove the fats. If the fats are inaccessible, they will consider carotid angioplasty and stenting. In the procedure, they widen the affected area using tiny balloons.
Cerebrovascular Disease
Cerebrovascular disease refers to various conditions that interfere with blood flow and blood vessels of the brain. The blood flow problems may stem from a blood vessel rupture, artery blockage, or clot formation. Its symptoms are lack of balance, nausea, loss of vision, confusion, and slurred speech.
The treatment options for this condition include embolization, clipping, bypass surgery, flow diversion, and stenting.
Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)
PAD causes the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the legs to narrow. It occurs due to the buildup of fats and calcium in the artery walls. Its symptoms include shininess of the legs, cramping, hair loss, leg numbness, and sores on the toes and feet.
Your doctor may consider a surgical procedure to restore blood flow to the legs through revascularization. As for medications, they will prescribe statins and antihypertensives.
Although vascular diseases are treatable, there are preventive steps you can take to avoid contracting them. You can do that by not smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising, reducing stress, and limiting alcohol intake. It is usually challenging for some people to make these lifestyle adjustments. As a result, it may be best to involve doctors and family members. They will devise a schedule for you and warn you when you do not follow these preventive measures. It will take time to adjust to the changes, so you must be patient with the process.
