Arteries and veins of the lower extremities are different from each other. Arteries have very elastic and thick walls. This can be explained by the fact that the blood in these vessels is ejected under very strong pressure. Regardless of a person’s desire, the walls of the arteries, consisting of smooth muscles, are constantly functioning. With the help of these muscles, the regulation of arterial gaps occurs - the diameter of the holes inside the vessels. In addition, smooth muscles are responsible for elasticity.
Distinctive features of veins
The walls of the veins have a thinner layer of smooth muscles, and at the same time they are less elastic. This can be explained by the fact that in the veins the blood pressure is several times lower than in the arteries. In the veins are valves that move blood flow in the right direction. In turn, there are no valves in the arteries, because the blood flows there under very high pressure. Now that it has become clear how the veins differ from the arteries of the lower extremities, it is worth describing the diseases associated with this important part of our body. To date, a large number of such diseases are known, the most common of which are presented in this article.
Circulatory problems can occur in various parts of the human body, and they are associated with disorders in the arteries and veins of the lower extremities. If the walls of the vessels have changed under the influence of certain pathologies, then the blood circulation will be impaired. Ischemia can occur in the intestines or kidneys, in the spinal cord. It is worth noting that spinal stroke rarely leads to a heart attack or cerebral hemorrhage, but can cause disability and the fact that the lower limbs of a person will stop moving forever.
Causes of vascular disease
Pathologies of arteries and veins of the lower extremities can occur due to a variety of reasons. The main ones include the following:
- A person does not eat right.
- Lack of movement and physical activity.
- The presence of chronic diseases.
- Genetic predisposition.
- A variety of injuries.
- A long period of immobilization.
Most often, problems with arteries and veins of the lower extremities occur in older people. This is not explained by the fact that in old age a person begins to move less. The main factor is a change in the vascular wall; the elasticity of veins and arteries also decreases several times.
Lower limb artery disease
Arterial diseases include:
- Atherosclerosis. A small amount of cholesterol begins to be deposited in the inner lining of the vessel. Gradually, its amount increases and the vessel begins to protrude inward. Blood cells adhere to the formation, which leads to the development of a sufficiently large blood clot. Provided that the vessel has a smooth surface, the blood clot does not affect the blood flow, but if there is a loose surface, pieces of the blood clot can enter the bloodstream, which has negative consequences. Blockage provokes a stroke.
- Endarteritis. The lumen in the vessels is almost completely closed, which makes the movement of blood impossible.
- Stenosis. The vessels have narrowed greatly.
- Aneurysm - excessive expansion of the arteries.
- Occlusion - the lumen in the vessels is completely closed.
Lerish's syndrome
Lerish's syndrome is characterized by a chronic ischemic focus, which occurs due to atherosclerosis of the lower extremities of a person. These pathologies have almost the same symptoms. The main difference is that with atherosclerosis, lameness of an alternating type occurs exclusively in a low position and does not rise above the calf muscle. Lerish's syndrome affects almost all the limbs, right down to the thigh.
Ultrasound of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities is considered the main method for diagnosing the disease, but additional examinations are needed to make a final diagnosis.
If Lerish’s syndrome is severe, then surgery is indispensable. The indication for surgery is the presence of ischemia 2B, 3, 4 degrees. In this case, shunting is performed using prostheses in the femoral-popliteal-tabial segment of the lower limb or a large saphenous femoral vein is directly shunted . In case of ailments, it is advisable to do an ultrasound of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities. The conservative method of treating Leriche syndrome is not different from that used in the presence of atherosclerosis of the legs.
Buerger's disease
Buerger's disease also has such a name as obliterating endarteritis. The basis of the disease is the development of a serious inflammatory process that occurs with severe ischemia and almost always affects the venous nodes due to the formation of a large number of blood clots.
The exact reasons have not been established, but there are several factors that most provoke the development of such a serious pathology: smoking, frequent hypothermia.
Pathology can occur at a fairly young age. Very often, Buerger's disease occurs in men from 18 to 35 years old. The disease affects only the legs. In this case, the process occurs identically in both limbs. In almost all cases, the patient feels severe pain in the area of the foot, fingers. But besides this, there are three more variants of the clinical picture, which are more common than usual.
- In the first case, the pain is acute, characterized by a high level of malignancy and occurs mainly at a very young age.
- In the second case, the pain is less pronounced, characterized by a wavy course. There are remissions that can have different durations and periods of exacerbation.
- The third case is chronic, and pain can be disturbing for many years. At the same time, rather slow progress is observed, and remissions are distinguished by their duration.
Symptoms and diagnosis of pathology
The main symptom of Buerger's pathology is considered to be ulcers that appear in the area of the toes. They are not treated and their infection may occur over time. This suggests that arteries located in the foot, lower leg are affected. Pathology begins to spread directly to the femoral artery and popliteal.
The main diagnostic methods include the following:
- Measure blood pressure in the fingers and ankles.
- Then determine the spectrum on the arteries and compare the pressure in the arteries at different levels.
- On the foot and lower leg in different positions, the oxygen tension is determined using the transcutaneous method.
- Ultrasound dopplerography is considered mandatory, then an additional duplex scan is performed.
- If in the future it is planned to carry out a reconstructive operation, a procedure such as Seldinger angiography is mandatory.
It is almost impossible to cure Buerger's disease. With the help of surgery and medications, it is only possible to increase the duration of remission and eliminate unpleasant symptoms. To determine the disease, a scan of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities is performed.
Occlusion - obstruction of acute arteries
Such a pathology develops if thrombosis, atherosclerosis is present. The following factors can also greatly influence:
- Hypercoagulation.
- The inflammatory process or atherosclerotic affects the artery wall.
- There was a failure in hemodynamics.
Symptoms of obstruction of the arteries
Even if one leg is completely healthy, acute obstruction of the arteries can be accompanied by severe spasm on both limbs at once. Symptoms may resemble those that occur during acute ischemia:
- Sharp severe pain.
- The limbs become unnaturally cold.
- The veins begin to sink.
- Motor activity is disturbed, sensitivity almost completely disappears.
- There is a sharp disappearance of the pulse.
In the case of the appearance of these symptoms, it is necessary to make an ultrasound and lower limb arteries. Treatment will be selected depending on the condition of the patient. In the first place, injections and various kinds of drugs are prescribed. If this is not enough, then surgery is performed.
Arteriovenous fistula
Such a disease is considered congenital and most often affects the lower limbs. In this case, fistulas or malformations can also form in the internal organs. Changes of a pathological nature arise due to venous hypertension and prolonged hypoxia, affecting the distal parts. The disease manifests itself in the first days of the baby's life. Peripheral circulation is gradually disturbed, which makes the limbs practically non-functional. This is considered a direct indication for the operation, which is carried out in several stages. An ultrasound of the vessels (arteries, veins) of the lower extremities is performed to detect the disease.
Venous diseases of the legs
Varicose veins are considered the most common vein disease in arteries and veins of the upper and lower extremities. To date, the pathology has been sufficiently studied and is familiar to almost every person.
Varicose veins
Varicose veins in the lower extremities are divided into two types. Primary arises due to hereditary failure of the venous valves or due to congenital weakness of the connective tissue. Secondary varicose veins become a consequence of those diseases that a person has previously suffered. It is very easy to notice the presence of varicose veins by external signs. In addition, other symptoms also appear: heaviness in the lower extremities, pigmentation appears, and a complication such as thrombophlebitis may occur. As a diagnosis, the ultrasonic method is used. Treatment can be very different. Most often they use hirudotherapy, wearing compression hosiery, venotonics, diet and regimen are observed, special exercises are performed. As a supplement, you can use recipes of traditional medicine. In especially severe cases, sclerotherapy or surgery is prescribed.
Thrombosis, phlebitis
The acute form of venous thrombosis occurs due to the fact that:
- A thrombus forms, which is characteristic of hypercoagulation.
- The walls of the vessels change due to the effects of trauma, the inflammatory process.
- There is a violation in the outflow of blood due to a decrease in blood flow velocity.
Thrombosis can affect any veins. As shown by numerous practice, most often pathology occurs after a myocardial infarction, stroke. As a complication, thrombophlebitis, pulmonary thromboembolism may develop. As a rule, thrombosis practically does not affect the general condition of the patient. The main symptoms are swelling, pain, hyperemia in the affected area. If a severe form of thrombosis is present, arterial spasm may occur. In this case, cyanosis can be added to the symptoms.
Vascular Disease Prevention
In order not to endure constant pain in the legs and not spend a lot of time and money on treatment, it is worthwhile to carry out simple preventive measures. With their help, you can avoid many diseases or make their course easier. The main tips include the following points:
- Avoid stagnation or thickening of blood. Dangerous are very sharp changes in temperature.
- Do not wear clothes that fit too much. This causes the blood circulation to begin to deteriorate.
- Follow a special lax diet. Eliminate all cholesterol foods from your diet. Try to eat as many fruits and vegetables, seafood as possible.
- Pay attention to physical education. Do some kind of sport that you like, or at least walk more often.
- Take tests to test your hormones. If you find violations - get rid of the problem. In case of taking hormonal contraceptives, it is better to refuse them.
- Get rid of bad habits. They become the cause of the development of many diseases of the arteries and veins of the lower extremities.
- In order to make the blood more fluid, you can drink tea from the cinquefoil, eat more citrus fruits, berries, dark chocolate, sometimes aspirin is prescribed.
- To increase the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, parsley, honey, apricots, fish, honey will be useful.
With the help of such prevention, the risk of developing pathologies of arteries and veins located in the lower extremities can be minimized. If your body is predisposed to vascular disease, it is recommended to conduct Dopplerography of the veins and arteries of the lower extremities.