Vascular disease is the most common group of diseases among middle-aged and older people. Nevertheless, in recent years, young people who have changes in the vascular wall at a young age are increasingly entering the risk zone.
“Rejuvenation” of vascular diseases is promoted by such factors as:
- improper nutrition (especially if the intake of proteins and carbohydrates is increased);
- harmful effects on the environment;
- physical inactivity;
- smoking (especially if acquaintance with cigarettes begins in adolescence).
These factors contribute to the appearance of atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension. Each of these diseases, first of all, “hits” the vessels that lose elasticity; atherosclerotic plaques accumulate in them, which interfere with the blood flow. Both vessels and veins are affected. Most often, damage to the vessels of the lower extremities is diagnosed - varicose veins, etc.
An important factor in the diagnosis of vein diseases (including lower limbs) is Doppler ultrasound. Dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities allows you to identify the disease and start treatment on time.
Complications of untreated vascular diseases include the appearance of varicose or trophic ulcers, thrombophlebitis, and bleeding from nodes.
Types of Doppler ultrasound
Dopplerography is divided into the following types:
- Color Dopplerography - indicates the nature of blood circulation in the vessels. Depending on the direction of blood flow, the image on the monitor is highlighted in blue or red.
- Energy dopplerography is to determine the presence of blood flow in the vessels. If the blood flow is slow, red appears on the screen, and if its speed is normal - bright yellow.
- Impulsive wave Doppler ultrasound makes it possible to assess the speed of blood circulation in the vessels.
- Ultrasonic duplex scanning combines B-mode and color dopplerography.
- Triplex dopplerography includes B-mode, color and pulsed-wave dopplerography.
What is vascular dopplerography?
Doppler of the legs (“ON CLINIC” on Tsvetnoy Boulevard offers this procedure) is a study that provides an opportunity in real time to evaluate the speed of blood flow. Doppler captures and transfers to the computer an image showing the presence of difficulties in blood circulation.
A modern doppler combines the characteristics of an ultrasound scan, allowing the doctor to see how and at what speed the blood flows through the vessels.
Ultrasound of veins and arteries involves the simultaneous use of doppler and ultrasound. The first measures the characteristics of blood flow through the vessels, and the second - shows the structure of the vessels themselves.
As a result of the study, the doctor determines the dimension of blood flow in the vessels, the nature of its change, the degree of narrowing of the vessels, the cause of which is atherosclerotic plaques, blood clots, or inflammation. Anomalies in the structure of blood vessels are also revealed.
Diagnostics covers deep veins of the lower leg, inferior vena cava, iliac veins, femoral vein, large and small saphenous vein, popliteal vein.
How does the method work?
For dopplerography, the same ultrasound is used that is used for ultrasound. It is absolutely painless and harmless to the human body, and its work is inaudible to the human ear. However, a special sensor based on the Doppler effect emits and receives ultrasound back. This effect is that the emitted ultrasound is different from the reflected one (in this case, it is reflected from the blood cells). The sensor determines the difference between the emitted and reflected frequency.
The frequency of ultrasound may vary. The radiation frequency is selected manually, depending on the depth of the location of the vessels and the degree of detail. So, in the study of deep veins, low-frequency doppler is used.
You can do ultrasound often, because it has practically no contraindications and complications. However, we will consider this issue a little later, but for now we will find out what exactly determines ultrasound dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities.
Attention! The study is equally informative for both small and large vessels and equally effectively evaluates both arterial and venous blood circulation.
What allows you to determine the study?
Doppler ultrasound of vessels allows you to determine:
- Vascular lesions in the early stages, which do not yet cause symptoms.
- The presence and degree of stenosis (stenosis - narrowing of the lumen of the artery).
- The state of the walls of blood vessels.
- The presence of tortuosity, varicose veins or thrombosis.
- Aneurysm (an increase in the diameter of the vessel due to changes in its walls).
What symptoms are recommended for Doppler ultrasound?
- Fatigue in the legs when walking and a feeling of heaviness in them. After standing, there is relief.
- Change in skin tone.
- Hypersensitivity of the lower extremities to cold.
- Tingling of the skin in the legs.
- The diagnosis of varicose veins.
- Ulcers on the skin of the legs.
- Swelling on the legs.
- Night cramps in the calf muscles.
- Dilation of veins and the appearance of nodes on the lower leg.
- Wounds on the legs are difficult to heal.
With these symptoms, it is advisable to consult a specialist in time to identify a disease that is only beginning to develop, and to begin treatment on time.
Indications for ultrasound testing are diabetes mellitus, in which the risk of vascular damage is extremely high, smoking, hypertension, myocardial infarction or history of leg vessel surgery. It is also recommended to check the vessels of the legs if cholesterol is elevated in the blood test.
What diseases does the procedure detect?
Vascular ultrasound scan reveals the following diseases:
- Obliterating atherosclerosis. Large vessel disease diagnosed in people after forty years. It is manifested by fatigue and pain while walking, especially when climbing stairs, a feeling of cold in the lower extremities, impaired hair growth on them and even the formation of trophic ulcers in extremely advanced cases.
- Obliterating endarteritis is a disease in which the lumen of the vessels becomes inflamed, and later narrows, until the blood flow stops completely. Symptoms are similar to atherosclerosis.
- Varicose veins - stagnation of venous blood and the expansion of individual sections of veins. Patients are concerned about swelling, especially in the evening, heaviness in the legs, itching. Swollen veins become visible to the naked eye. This drawback is primarily of concern to women for cosmetic reasons.
- Thrombosis of the lower extremities. Blood clots occur in the deep vein area. Thrombosis causes swelling, pain in the ankle joint during movement.
Preparation for ultrasound
No special preparation is required before the study. However, before a specific Doppler, the doctor can give his recommendations. For example, do not eat food the night before the study, as it can degrade the quality of the diagnosis. However, dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities does not require such preparation. Nevertheless, doctors still advise to refrain from smoking for several hours before the procedure, drinking drinks that stimulate the nervous system of drinks (tea, coffee, alcohol). On the day of diagnosis, medications should not be taken, in particular, warming and analgesic ointments should be used, and physical activity should be excluded.
The study of the vessels of the legs
UZDG of the vessels of the lower extremities (in Lyubertsy you can find excellent phlebologists) is as follows.
The patient comes to see a specialist, having previously removed the jewelry from his feet, if any. Clothing from the study area is also removed. The doctor applies a gel to the skin, which facilitates the sliding of the sensor on the skin. Assessing the state of the vessels of the legs, he may ask about the patient's complaints.
When the sensor contacts the skin, images of the area under investigation appear on the monitor. The sound of blood flow is heard in the speakers of the device, which is constantly changing. The study lasts from half an hour to an hour (an average of 45 minutes). Usually the procedure is done while lying down. Be prepared for special cuffs to measure pressure.
Attention! If you wear compression underwear, you must remove it before the procedure.
After the diagnosis is completed, the gel is wiped off the skin, and the patient receives the results of the study on his hands. Usually, the doctor voices them during the procedure in an accessible language, and the client already receives a general idea of the state of their vessels. Nevertheless, it is extremely important to consult a doctor for a more detailed answer. In fact, most often Doppler is not an independent decision - it is usually prescribed by a doctor based on certain symptoms.
Where to make an ultrasound scan?
Dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities is done both in private clinics and centers, and in public hospitals. Nevertheless, the choice of place must be approached consciously. So, if the question arises where it is possible to make ultrasound of vessels, it is best to undergo examinations in those clinics that have a vascular department or specialize in vein diseases (phlebological centers). Research in them will be better and more effective.
In addition, it is better if the doctor conducts the diagnosis with the formation of a surgeon or phlebologist. Therefore, when choosing a clinic, be guided not by cost (where the examination price is higher, its quality is not always guaranteed to be better), namely, the qualification of the doctor.
Miracle Doctor is a multidisciplinary Moscow clinic. She is famous for qualified specialists and high-quality diagnostic equipment. In the clinic "Miracle Doctor" you can undergo Dopplerography of the vessels of the legs, without doubting the quality of the results. Indeed, sometimes the diagnosis is difficult or erroneous due to the low quality of the Doppler. Therefore, doctors are advised not to save money and consult qualified doctors.
Ultrasound dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities, the price of which varies in different clinics, of course, is not cheap. On average, the cost is from 700 to 3000 rubles.
What are the benefits of research?
The main advantage of dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities is the identification of those vascular pathologies that are not able to see conventional ultrasound.
But this is not all of its virtues. In addition, ultrasound dopplerography of blood vessels:
- painless;
- non-invasive
- safe
- informative.
Sometimes Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the legs is the decisive diagnostic method, which tells the doctor the answers to all questions and allows you to determine the treatment method. However, in some cases, in addition to USDG, the doctor prescribes additional studies - this is radiopaque angiography, computed or magnetic resonance angiography of blood vessels.
Decoding of the research results
Dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities through the arteries makes it possible to identify certain problems immediately, during the study. Usually, a specialist comments on the state of the vessels, and at the end of the procedure issues a conclusion to his hands. It is difficult for people without a medical education to understand them. What do these indicators mean?
- The maximum and minimum blood flow velocity through the arteries (each of them is evaluated), recorded in systole and, accordingly, in diastole - Vmax and Vmin.
- The ratio of the maximum and minimum blood flow velocity in relation to each other, also called vascular resistance (RL).
- PL is the pulsation index, which more accurately shows changes in the vascular lumen than RL.
- TIM - the thickness of the choroid - internal and secondary. On the femoral artery, its norm is less than 1.1 mm. If the indicator exceeds 1.3 - this indicates atherosclerosis of the arteries. For the same reason, the indicator in the nearest section of the vessel grows by 50%.
- LPI is normally 1.0 (or a little more). Indicates the difference between systolic pressure of the tibia and brachial arteries.
The percentage of arterial stenosis, if any, is indicated, if there are plaques, their location, degree of mobility, and approximate composition are described (from one substance or consist of or from several). They also reveal whether they are complicated or not and what exactly they are complicated with.
USDG of veins of these indicators does not have. With vein pathologies, the state of the communicating systems is determined (these veins provide contact between the deep and superficial veins), the valves work, the detected blood clots are visualized and described.
In any case, the obtained indicators should be provided to the doctor, who directed you to this examination.
Are ultrasonic waves dangerous?
Some doctors are of the opinion that ultrasonic waves to some extent affect health. However, according to ON CLINIC specialists on Tsvetnoy Boulevard (Moscow), this only applies to fetal health when examining pregnant women. Moreover, even this information is not confirmed and is at the level of assumptions. For adults, ultrasound is not able to do any harm, so the examination can be repeated several times over a very short period of time to diagnose the disease and control the prescribed treatment.
In general, dopplerography of the vessels of the lower extremities is a generally accessible and informative procedure, which is extremely important in the diagnosis of diseases of veins and arteries. Be healthy!