Vessels of the lower extremity: possible diseases, symptoms and treatment

Most of the time a person spends on his feet. Homo erectus is one of the features that distinguishes people from the animal world. Unfortunately, large loads on the legs often lead to various pathologies. The vessels of the lower extremities often suffer. In medicine, there are many diseases associated with circulatory disorders. The most common of these are: varicose veins of the lower extremities, atherosclerosis and endarteritis. The consequences of these ailments can be very dangerous. However, if you start treatment on time and know about methods of preventing the progression of diseases, in most cases complications can be avoided.

Causes of lower limb pathologies

Vessels are common throughout the body. On the legs, they are necessary to provide nutrition to muscles, skin and the osteoarticular system. There are 3 types of vessels: veins, arteries and capillaries. Large vessels are of the greatest importance, since when they are damaged, serious circulatory disorders occur. These include the femoral, greater- and peroneal, popliteal arteries and veins.

Damage to the vessels of the lower extremities occurs for various reasons. These include: genetic factors, physical effects, various diseases of the arteries and veins, inflammatory processes, a sedentary lifestyle, a long stay on the legs, etc. The most significant reasons are considered:

1. Hereditary predisposition.
2. Increased cholesterol and low density lipoproteins in the blood.
3. Diabetes.
4. Anomalies of blood vessels.
5. Elderly age.
6. Bad habits.
7. Inflammatory pathologies of veins and arteries.

Currently, everyone can afford to do an ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities. This will help to identify the ailment and start treating it in time. Especially the examination is necessary for people who have these risk factors.

Vessels of the lower extremities: symptoms of the disease

The clinical manifestations of the pathologies of the vessels of the legs depend on the severity of the disease and the nature of the course of the disease. Chronic processes in the early stages are almost not felt. Therefore, diseases are often diagnosed only with progression. Acute pathologies of arterial vessels and veins of the lower extremities have pronounced clinical symptoms. The manifestations of foot diseases include:

1. Rapid tiredness when walking.
2. The manifestation of veins on the skin of the lower extremities.
3. Swelling of the legs and feet.
4. Pain in the legs.
5. Convulsive muscle contractions.
6. Change in skin temperature of the limbs.
7. The occurrence of ulcers.

The first sign of the disease is most often an unpleasant sensation with long walking. The legs begin to “buzz,” as it were, that is, they get tired and sore. This symptom is characteristic of all chronic processes developing in the vessels of the lower extremities. In the evening, short-term cramps in the calf muscles or foot are often observed. These symptoms are rarely paid attention to, as most people consider this condition to be the norm. However, timely diagnosis of blood flow disorders helps to avoid the progression of pathologies such as varicose veins, endarteritis and vascular thrombosis.

Symptoms of advanced pathologies include: swelling of the legs, changes in temperature and skin color, the appearance of ulcerative defects. Similar manifestations are observed in both acute and chronic diseases in the late stages of the process. Pale and cold lower extremities indicate a violation of blood flow resulting from atherosclerosis or thrombosis. An increase in the temperature of the legs or feet, as well as redness, often indicate the development of an acute pathology that requires urgent intervention. Swelling of the lower extremities is observed due to stagnation of lymph in the vessels or thrombosis of veins and arteries.

In order not to miss a serious illness, you should consult a doctor already at the onset of the first symptoms. If there is pain in the calf muscles and seizures, it is necessary to perform an ultrasound of the vessels (veins) of the lower extremities with dopplerography. This examination will help to quickly detect blood flow disorders, even at an early stage.

Diseases of the arteries of the lower extremities

Arteries are vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of all organs. When they are damaged, hypoxia of the cells and their death occurs. Blood supply in the lower extremities is provided due to the femoral artery and the branches of this vessel. The lesion is more often noted in the distal legs. Diseases arising from a violation of arterial vessels are:

1. Atherosclerosis of the lower extremities.
2. Angiopathy.
3. Buerger's disease.

Such pathologies arise both due to a genetic predisposition, and due to an improper lifestyle. Despite the fact that they have almost the same symptoms, each nosology has its own code according to the classification of ICD 10. Vessels of the lower extremity are included in the section under the English letter “I”. One of the common ailments that affect the arteries of the legs is Buerger's disease. The development of this pathology is associated with autoimmune vascular inflammation. The reason for launching such a mechanism has not yet been established. A synonym for Buerger's disease is such a formulation of nosology as endarteritis of the vessels of the lower extremities. The main predisposing factor in the development of the pathological process is considered smoking.

Endarteritis is most often diagnosed in middle-aged and elderly men. Unfortunately, this disease has a chronic course and is steadily progressing. The manifestations of the pathology are as follows: pain when walking and running, dryness and pallor of the distal parts of the leg, tingling sensation, decreased skin sensitivity in the affected area. With the progression of Buerger's disease, lameness and ulcers on the foot or lower third of the leg occur. Patients suffering from this pathology require constant prevention of complications. The treatment of the disease is mainly surgical.

Another disease leading to a violation of arterial blood flow is diabetes. As you know, the complications of this disease are very serious. At the terminal stages, doctors often have to perform amputation of the lower extremities in order to save the patient's life. Foot damage is due to the fact that one of the main complications of diabetes is angiopathy. Both venous and arterial vessels are affected. The main symptom of angiopathy is the appearance of ulcers on the skin of the feet, which are difficult to treat with medication.

Venous blood flow disorders

There are several reasons for the violation of venous blood flow. In this case, the lower limbs often suffer. This is due to the heavy load on the legs. Thanks to the veins, the outflow of blood from the lower extremities is carried out. The diseases of this group include varicose veins and phlebitis. Both pathologies are associated with structural changes in blood vessels. Veins of the lower extremities are affected by systemic vasculitis, some infectious diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Blood circulation in the legs is disturbed due to pathological tortuosity of blood vessels, stenosis and inflammation of the vascular wall.

Obstruction of the lumen of the vein leads to the formation of trophic ulcers and tissue necrosis. If help is not provided on time, gangrene of the lower limb develops. Most often, foot tissue necrosis occurs due to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood in diabetes. The second most important reason is thrombophlebitis. It occurs due to the appearance of a blood clot in the lumen of the vein. Thrombophlebitis is not an independent disease, but is considered a complication of other pathologies. An example is various infections leading to systemic thickening of the blood, in particular sepsis.

Also, the appearance of blood clots may be due to cardiovascular pathologies. Moreover, the mechanism of the development of the disease is similar to the pathogenesis of heart attack and stroke. The only difference is the location of the lesion. Other causes of impaired venous blood flow in the lower extremities include prolonged immobilization and cancer.

Symptoms of thrombophlebitis include leg swelling and flushing. Violation of blood flow is accompanied by severe pain, not only when walking, but also at rest. Immediate surgical treatment is required to save the leg from amputation.

Atherosclerosis in the lower extremities: consequences

Unfortunately, a disease such as vascular atherosclerosis is currently considered one of the most common among the adult population. It can affect almost all arteries in the body. The vessels of the lower extremity are no exception. Atherosclerosis develops slowly over several years. Pathology consists in damage to the inner wall of the vessel and the accumulation of cholesterol plaques in the affected area. The main risk factors for the development of this ailment are considered: obesity, old age and smoking. Eating large amounts of fatty foods in the blood raises the level of low density lipoproteins and cholesterol. These substances settle in the endothelium of the vessel and narrow its lumen. As a result, blood flow in the arterial bed is disturbed. In addition to an improper diet, an increase in cholesterol can also be hereditary.

For several years, atherosclerosis does not make itself felt. However, the consequences of this pathology can be fatal. This disease is one of the main causes of acute circulatory disturbance of the vessels of the heart, brain, lower limbs and other organs. Cholesterol plaques can completely close the lumen of the artery, leading to ischemia and tissue death. In addition, pathology often provokes the development of blood clots due to blood clotting. In order to prevent dangerous consequences, an ultrasound of the arteries should be done with dopplerography when symptoms such as tiredness when walking, cramps of the calf muscles, and chills of the legs appear. Only with the help of instrumental examination methods can the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities be established. ICD 10 distinguishes this pathology as a separate nosology, which is encoded depending on the location of the affected arteries.

Varicose disease of the lower extremities

Surely such a thing as varicose veins is known to almost everyone. This ailment is often found among the female population of middle and old age. In recent years, pathology is increasingly being diagnosed in young people. Unfortunately, not everyone attaches importance to this disease even with the appearance of clinical symptoms. However, it is worth knowing that the ailment has a progressive course and serious consequences if the prevention of complications is not started in time. Varicose disease is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. The appearance of veins on the legs, which were not previously observed.
2. Fatigue after walking.
3. Curvature of the veins and the appearance of nodes.

The main cause of varicose veins is considered a genetic predisposition to this pathology. It lies in the weakness of the venous valves on the legs, namely in violation of their elasticity. However, even with a predisposition, pathology is not observed in everyone. Varicose veins in the lower extremities can be triggered by factors such as physical inactivity or, on the contrary, constant stay on the legs, obesity and bad habits. The disease is more common in the female population, which is associated not only with genetic characteristics, but also with wearing high heel shoes. Varicose disease can be detected using ultrasound of the vessels (veins) of the lower extremities. Complications of the pathology are a violation of the blood circulation of the legs, which results in ulcers and phlebitis. The most formidable consequence of varicose veins is pulmonary thromboembolism, since such a condition leads to death.

Unfortunately, if the pathology has already made itself felt, it is very difficult to completely cure it. However, with the right lifestyle and prevention, you can stop the progression of varicose veins. For this purpose, various medications and laser procedures are used. In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.

Diagnosis of diseases of the lower extremities

It is difficult to detect vascular disease at an early stage with a clinical examination. After all, the initial symptoms of such pathologies are rather nonspecific, and therefore people rarely go to the clinic on time. Therefore, today there are many methods of instrumental diagnostics. They allow you to visualize arteries and veins, assess the state of their lumen, wall thickness, and also identify blood flow disorders.

Ultrasound of blood vessels was considered the main examination method for a long time. This diagnostic method has not lost its relevance to this day. However, many other modern methods have appeared that make it possible to better assess the state of the venous and arterial system. In particular, duplex and triplex scanning of vessels of the lower extremities. These studies improve visualization by staining the arteries in red and the veins in blue. At the same time, the doctor assesses blood flow in the vessels using dopplerography. Also, computed tomography is used to diagnose thrombophlebitis.

Treatment methods

If vascular pathologies of the legs are suspected, consult a surgeon. However, this does not mean that diseases are treated only with surgery. If the pathological process is not started, the doctor prescribes drug therapy. Nevertheless, only the surgeon will be able to assess the stage and determine with accuracy whether surgery is required or not. The methods of treatment of vascular diseases of the lower extremities include:

1. Drug therapy.
2. Laser treatment.
3. Cryodestruction.
4. Open surgery on veins or arteries.

There is a direct connection between symptoms and treatment of vessels of the lower extremities. After all, the method of assistance depends on how much the pathological process is developed. Therefore, the sooner the patient goes to the doctor, the more chances to avoid surgery.

Medical and surgical treatment

Drug therapy is used at the initial stage of diseases of the veins and arteries. It is used in almost all vascular pathologies. The choice of medication depends on the nosology. In infectious processes, antibacterial and antiviral agents are used. If the cause of blood flow disorders are systemic pathologies of the connective tissue, hormonal drugs are prescribed. With varicose veins, it is recommended to use ointments and gels to strengthen the vascular wall. Such drugs include the drugs "Troxevasin", "Antistax", "Ascorutin". If these medicines do not help, laser procedures or cryodestruction are prescribed.

If blood flow disturbance is severe, surgical treatment of vessels of the lower extremities is required. It is necessary when the lumen of an artery or vein is impassable by more than 50%. In such cases, stenting or bypass surgery is required. The volume of surgery depends on the extent of the lesion and the general condition of the patient.

Vascular Disease Prevention

Preventive measures include normalization of nutrition and lifestyle. The diet should be selected in such a way as to lower blood cholesterol. If this is not possible, lipid-lowering drugs are additionally prescribed. Attention should be paid to walking, but do not abuse the long standing. It is also recommended to choose comfortable shoes. One of the main preventive measures is smoking cessation.