Circulation of the blood, lymph, nutrients, and essential gases within the tissues of the body is an important requirement for survival. Any medical condition or disease that hinders the circulatory system of the body, which includes blood vessels and lymph vessels, is characterized as a vascular disease/vasculopathy. This hindrance can be caused by multiple underlying causes like clogged blood vessels with either fat deposits or thrombi/blood clots.
Any particular vascular disease may affect the structure and functionality of the arteries, veins, capillaries, and lymph vessels. This can result in circulatory distress, leading to other complications like gangrene, pooling of blood/lymph in associated tissues, organ failure, and loss of extremities. Proper monitoring of vascular changes is crucial to prevent any further progression of the disease.
Types of Vascular Diseases:
There are various types of vascular diseases which are classified based on the type of blood vessel affected. Vasculitis is a common type of a inflammatory vascular diseases which is caused due to drugs, infection or unknown factors. The following vascular diseases are unique to the type of blood or lymph vessels affected which are treated by Orthopedicians in Mehdipatnam and other areas.
1.Carotid artery diseases such as carotid artery stenosis occurs due to cholesterol deposit, carotid artery aneurysm due to blood clot, and carotid artery dissection which causes pooling of the blood due to a tear in the artery wall.
2.Peripheral artery diseases affect the arteries that supply blood to distant tissues and organs from the heart. They are more common in occurrence. Some of the prevalent conditions include peripheral artery disease of extremities, renal artery disease, intestinal ischemic and popliteal entrapment syndromes, and Raynaud’s phenomenon.
3.Venous diseases occur due to damaged valves of the veins to regulate the blood flow to tissues. Varicose veins, spider veins, chronic venous insufficiency, congenital venous disorders, and thoracic outlet syndrome are the most common clinical presentations of the venous diseases.
4.Aortic aneurysms are different types of vascular diseases related to abnormal structural changes in the walls of the affected blood vessels.
5.Lymphedema is another vascular condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of lymph in the tissues.
Symptoms of vascular diseases
The symptoms of vascular diseases varies based on the type of the disease and the vessel affected. However, these vascular diseases share some common symptoms. The following symptoms may help in the early detection of the vascular diseases.
- Extreme pain or muscle cramps with exertion in the localized areas such as legs.
- Bluish or pale discoloration of the skin over the affected blood vessels.
- Signs of edema, such as swelling, redness, and discharge, can be seen in the affected tissues.
- Sudden loss of neurological sensations.
- Elevated blood pressure in case of renal artery disease.
- Difficulty in comprehension and speaking in case of thrombus build-up in the carotid artery.
- Shortness of breath and respiratory illness in case of pulmonary embolisms.
- Unhealing wounds or open sores on the extreme limbs.
- Epigastric or posterior pain in case of aneurysms.
Causes of vascular diseases
Majority of the causes for developing vascular diseases remain unknown. However, there are most prevalent reasons for the damage to the blood vessels and circulatory system, such as
- Systemic and metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
- Genetic mutations and strong familial history.
- Exposure to tobacco or chronic smoking history.
- Sudden and unforeseen injuries to blood vessels, infections, and drug usage.
- Sedentary lifestyle habits.
If vascular diseases are not timely evaluated and clinically addressed, they may significantly alter life sustainability in the continued presence of the etiological factors.
Treatment of vascular diseases
After a thorough clinical evaluation and laboratory diagnosis, a specialist may recommend a first line of medical defense to treat any vascular disease in its mild or initial stage. It is primarily targeted towards the lifestyle changes such as modification of regular dietary habits and physical activity/exercise regimen. Avoidance of active or passive smoking may alleviate the symptoms 10 times faster.
As the vascular disease progresses, the choice of treatment may include conservative management with medications which lower the cholesterol levels and high blood pressures, control the blood glucose levels, maintain the bleeding and clotting time factors and fight infections/inflammatory markers.
If the vascular disease advances to the last stage, surgical intervention with minimally invasive procedures or emergent surgeries is advised. Some of the common procedures include angioplasty with stenting, graft placement, repair of aneurysm, removal of blood clots, bypass surgery and endartectomy, and amputation of limbs due to gangrene. All the mentioned procedures are performed by highly qualified vascular surgeons who work in collaboration with other specialists to provide desirable treatment outcomes.
Continuous monitoring and adherence to timely follow-up appointments with the recommended Orthopedic doctors/surgeons is mandatory to control the progression of vascular diseases. Severe complications such as heart or brain stroke, pulmonary embolism, and critical limb ischemic gangrene can be anticipated if left untreated.