We usually attribute periodic pain in the legs to fatigue, however, in some cases, especially in adulthood, such signs indicate a dangerous pathology - atherosclerosis of the legs.
This disease requires competent medical care (consultation with a phlebologist, cardiologist, venous doctor is necessary). Only then can one count on, if not on a full renewal, then at least a significant improvement in the condition. More details about the symptoms and treatment of atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities are described below.
Description
Obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is a disease characterized by a change in blood supply to blood vessels, which is formed by trophic matter. This causes pathology of other arteries - popliteal, femoral, tibial - their diameter decreases.
In the subsequent stage, the lower leg and foot are affected. The disease is formed over 10 years and appears suddenly. In time, it is diagnosed only in 50% of patients.
The degree of threat is quite large. Therefore, it is necessary, at the slightest suspicion of pathology, to consult a doctor for advice and receive the necessary treatment. It will help to cope with the disease faster.
The following groups of drugs are used to treat atherosclerosis of the lower extremities: statins, fibrates, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, antiplatelet agents. But they should be taken only as directed by the doctor. The same can be said about the treatment of atherosclerosis of the lower extremities with folk remedies.
The background of the disease
The causes of atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, the ICD-10 code of which is I70, are as follows:
- Smoking. It causes a reduction in arteries and complicates blood circulation, creating the prerequisites for thrombophlebitis and atherosclerosis.
- Alcohol.
- Excess weight, an advantage in the diet of high-calorie foods that increase the degree of "bad" cholesterol.
- Some ailments: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, decreased synthesis of sex hormones and a deficiency from the thyroid gland.
- Heredity.
- Inadequate response to stressful situations.
- Pressure is above normal.
- Age (middle and old).
- Sexual feature (the disease is more common in the stronger sex).
- Race (African-Americans - 2.5 times more).
- Lack of physiological dynamism.
- Frequent psychological overload.
- Injuries.
Symptoms
For some time, the obliterating form of the disease can be asymptomatic, but from the moment of the first medical manifestations it often progresses rapidly. In some situations, due to adapted thrombosis, the medical manifestations of the disease appear unexpectedly. It is worthwhile to familiarize yourself with the main symptom of such a disease in more detail and determine the appropriate treatment that will help get rid of it quickly.
The main symptom
It is considered an alternating gait, manifested by pain in the calf muscles, which occur when walking and disappear after a temporary rest. With atherosclerotic lesions, the abdominal aorta and iliac arteries pain occur in the lower legs, gluteus and femoral muscles, lumbar region.
For a person, such manifestations become typical: chilliness, high susceptibility to temperature changes, in some cases there is a feeling of numbness in the feet. The color of the dermatological integument of the legs changes, at the initial stages of the disease they turn pale, and later become ivory.
Color change
At the most late stages, the cover of the feet and fingers acquires a crimson-blue-violet color (trophic pathologies). The formation of trophic disorders leads to hair loss, brittle nails. In case of occlusion (occlusion) of the femoral-popliteal sector, there is no hair growth, usually on the lower leg, and in case of damage to the aorto-iliac sphere, the area of baldness increases. One of the manifestations of atherosclerosis of the aorto-iliac sector is considered sexual impotence, explained by the pathology of blood circulation in the concept of internal iliac arteries. This symptom occurs in 50% of patients.
Diagnostics
Actual differential diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities, the code according to ICD-10 of which is I70, is the main requirement for effective treatment. It helps to rule out diseases with similar symptoms.
In the non-invasive method, sound waves are used to assess the anatomical abilities of the veins, the state of their walls, internal lesions, and external compression.
Common methods
If atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is suspected (code ICD-10 - I70), as a rule, general studies are prescribed. These include:
- angiography of MSCT and MR;
- arteriography;
- Ultrasound examination of the arteries;
- assessment of leg vein vibration;
- monitoring blood pressure to establish the ankle-brachial index;
- visiting a phlebologist.
How is it going?
Doctors check trophic limbs, assess the availability of veins, occlusion. With the help of DS and USDG, systolic hum of stenotic arteries is listened, and the level of vibration is estimated.
Confirming the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, code I70-10 of which is I70, can also be helped by a routine analysis evaluating anemization of materials: the patient in a horizontal position raises his legs by 45 °, his knees are straightened. The doctor estimates the rate of blanching of the soles and fatigue of the legs.
Visually control the dynamics of painful movement help photo problematic areas. Peripheral radiology provides an understanding of the length of the altered venous bed, can help assess the level of thrombolization, the emerging "roundabout lines", the type of arteries.
Palpation
Significant information on the nature of the disease provides palpation of the blood vessels of the legs. With obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, ICD-10 code of which I70, the femoral-popliteal site is more intensively affected, for this reason, starting from the zone of discharge of the deep leg artery, vibration in the vast majority of patients does not occur either in the popliteal artery or in the arteries of the feet.
General therapy
Continuous pain, when a person is in a calm state, requiring the use of painkillers for 2 weeks or longer, a trophic wound or necrosis of the fingers, feet formed against the background of constant arterial insufficiency of the limbs, are considered an indicator of a dangerous disease.
If you do not take steps to improve arterial blood supply, amputation will be inevitable in a significant part of patients. And often the doctor does not convince the patient to amputation, but rather, the patient, exhausted from pain and insomnia, begs the doctor to cut off an unhealthy leg.
Indications for the implementation of reconstructive actions for atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities (ICD-10 code - I70) are:
- Symptoms of the threatening gangrene of the leg and its initial signs (necrosis of the fingers, ulcers on the foot).
- Stable pain in the foot in a calm state. Improvement is observed when the leg is lowered, because of which the patients sleep for months sitting.
- Reducing the distance of painless walking to 200 meters, if the direction of the reaction treatment does not allow to increase this distance.
The standard course of this ailment is associated with increasing deterioration. As a rule, an increase in signs of ischemia occurs for a long time, but this is objective only until the time when thrombosis occurs. At this time, the medical course can rapidly worsen. Reaction therapy does not stop the development of the disease and, in approximately 25% of patients, amputation ends.
The traditional symptomatic therapy of atherosclerosis, including surgery, gives only a short-term result, and after a certain time the disease returns.
Treatment of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities
Surgical intervention is carried out only in case of ineffective reaction treatment, the development of the disease and in its final stages. The most popular types of surgical intervention: balloon angioplasty, bioprosthetics, endarterectomy, bypass surgery, stenting and others.
- Prosthetics is a method of treating atherosclerosis, in which a reservoir clogged with plaques is replaced with a section of the patient's vein or with an artificial prosthesis. When prosthetics, the affected vessel is removed.
- Bypass surgery is a method of curing a disease in which another, a shunt, is introduced to bypass a closed vessel. A patient’s own vein and an artificial prosthesis can be a shunt.
- Endarterectomy - removal of cholesterol plaques and blood clots from a vessel. This method can be used with a slight blockage or narrowing of the arteries.
- Balloon angioplasty - an increase in the lumen of a diseased vessel with a special balloon. This treatment method has excellent results only in specific vessels. The result, unfortunately, is not a duty.
- Stenting - installation of a tubular spring in a clogged vessel, which expands the reservoir and resumes bleeding. The method is considered one of the most modern, as it is done through a small puncture and is freely tolerated by the patient. Stenting is effective only with local lesions, for this reason it is not able to be used in each case.
Effective folk method
It is necessary to make a collection from the following components: St. John's wort, succession, chamomile, sage, plantain. Add a glass of hot water to a spoon of grass and let the mixture brew, then heat to 37 ° C. Before making a compress, the affected area must be massaged and treated with laundry soap. The bandage should be folded into several layers (the older the person, the thinner the bandage should be) and applied to the affected limb. It is necessary to keep warm during the procedure as long as possible. The application must be applied twice a day for 3-4 minutes (it is good to do it at night). At the first stage of the disease, the course of treatment with compresses lasts 3 weeks, then you need to take a break for six months and repeat the course again.
General recommendations
If this problem is not treated, in 30% of patients within 5 years the disease ends in death. Over 10 years, this ratio reaches 50%. The key causes of death are heart rupture (60%) and cerebral hemorrhage (12%). In order to achieve significant changes, it is necessary to adhere to the following requirements:
- Observe proper nutrition for atherosclerosis of the lower extremities.
- Correct body weight.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Choose comfortable shoes.
- Carefully trim your nails.
- Timely treat defects in the skin of the legs.
- Avoid hypothermia of the extremities.
- To adjust physical activity: half an hour of quiet walking, bicycle (multi-trainer), swimming.
- Treat concomitant diseases.
Massage
Also, massage with atherosclerosis of the lower extremities will be an excellent method of prevention and treatment. It can be done both in the clinic and call a private masseur at home.
Now a huge number of different methods of foot massage have been created for obliterating atherosclerosis, the more common of which are:
- Segmental - legs are rubbed from the proximal sections. Such effects as striking, chopping or squeezing are strictly prohibited. During the operation, the patient needs to thoroughly and thoroughly breathe so that the air spreads throughout the body. If there are any ulcers on the dermatological cover, then this area is not treated.
- Vacuum - can help resume microcirculation, improves muscle bandage, relieves lameness. In addition, after such an influence, a person is freed from pain and discomfort, puffiness and swelling are reduced.
- Gentle - resumes blood circulation throughout the body. It is carried out from the feet to the lower back, it can affect the cervical-thoracic region. The doctor pays particular interest to the affected areas, they are being worked out more. In the usual procedure, it consists of 15-20 operations with a duration of 10-15 minutes.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics for atherosclerosis of the lower extremities is effective only in the initial stages. And then, subject to all recommendations.
Without exception, all the procedures described below must be applied during the period of a calm course of atherosclerosis and in its first stages. In addition, you must take into account your own age and condition of the body. If even the slightest pain occurs, the patient needs to take a break for several minutes, and then continue. If a person calmly engaged in gymnastics for 2-3 weeks and at the same time did not feel weak, then you can increase the load.
Gymnastics for atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, complex No. 1:
- Stand on your toes. Transfer weight from one leg to the other one by one. Try to do everything measuredly, without jerking (5-8 times).
- Walk in place, raising your knees high. A couple of minutes will be enough.
- Press your hands to your belt. Bend your leg and begin to perform circular movements, trying to maintain balance (5-6 times in each direction).
- Stand in front of the wall. Touch the toes of the wall at a distance of about 40-50 cm from the floor.
- Walk around the room on your heels for 1-2 minutes.
Before developing a treatment regimen, the doctor examines the medical history in order to take into account all the messages, without exception, that provoked the onset of the disease.
The set of measures is aimed at reducing the pain resulting from intermittent claudication, renewing tolerance to stress, preventing the dangerous stage of vein blockage, and preventing the appearance of ulcers and gangrene.