In a person who smokes for many years, over time, due to nicotine, blood vessels narrow, so blood flows to the lower extremities slowly. Moreover, this substance causes the red blood cells to stick together, which leads to the appearance of blood clots in the vessels, which block the blood flow, the cells do not receive proper nutrition and die. Over time, the entire organ begins to die, gangrene forms, so the diseased limb is amputated. Such a disease in medicine is called obliterating endarteritis, and in the people it is called " smoker's legs" or "tobacco gangrene." Thus, due to a great passion for smoking, a person turns into a disabled person.
Description
Endarteritis is considered to be a chronic ailment of an inflammatory nature, which affects the arteries and leads to impaired blood circulation, and further to the closure of the lumen and gangrene of the lower extremities. So, the smoker's legs do not receive the proper oxygen carried by the blood, tissues are gradually affected, this leads to necrosis of a part of the body. Most often, middle-aged men who constantly smoke suffer from this disease.
Causes
Currently, the exact causes that lead to the development of the disease are unknown. It is generally accepted that a smoker's disease, the legs of which suffer most often, results from the development of antibodies in the body, which have a detrimental effect on the walls of blood vessels. Over time, they begin to become inflamed, connective tissue appears, which narrows the lumen in the vessels. Why are these antibodies produced in the body, doctors cannot give an exact answer. According to other theories, the disease can occur with allergic reactions to nicotine, atherosclerosis, infections and bleeding disorders. It is only known for certain that, first of all, smokers suffer from this ailment.
Symptoms
Obliterating endarteritis, or “ smoker's legs,” symptoms have the following:
- Heaviness in the lower extremities while walking, their rapid fatigability.
- Sensation of coldness in the limbs, their swelling and numbness.
- Pale skin, deformation of nails.
- The formation of ulcers, necrosis and gangrene.
- Lack of pulse on the legs.
- The appearance of convulsions during movement and at rest.
- Intermittent claudication, which is the main symptom of an ailment called " smoker's legs", a photo of which is attached.
Stages of the disease
Obliterating endarteritis develops gradually and cyclically. It is customary to distinguish the following stages of the development of the disease:
- The initial stage is characterized by a slight narrowing of the lumen of the vessels, blood circulation is not impaired. Symptoms of the disease do not appear, therefore, it is very difficult to make a diagnosis at this stage.
- The ischemic stage is caused by a deterioration in blood circulation, intermittent claudication develops, the smoker's legs get tired quickly and are almost always cold. Diagnosis at this stage makes it possible to cure the ailment.
- The trophic stage is characterized by a violation of the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Hair falls on the lower extremities, nails are deformed, the skin turns blue, the pulse is hard to hear. This stage is a sign of the disease that was launched.
- The ulcerative necrotic stage is characterized by the appearance of cramps, lack of pulse in the legs, constant pain, inability to move, muscle atrophy, a huge number of ulcers and tissue necrosis. At this stage, the smoker's leg disease is difficult to cure, since it is almost impossible to stop the destructive processes.
- Gangrene occurs if necrosis and ulcers are not treated. It can be dry and wet. In the first case, the feet and fingers blacken and die. In the second case , the smoker's legs (the disease photo and description is not very pleasant) begin to swell, release toxins that poison the entire body. To prevent blood poisoning and human death, the limbs are amputated.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis is best in the early stages of the disease. This should be done immediately, since the fate of a person depends on timely treatment. To make a final diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct such studies:
- Tests for fungal, infectious and viral diseases.
- Ultrasound is performed to assess the state of limb tissue.
- Rheovasography is necessary to assess the speed of blood movement.
- Thermography, with which to determine the presence of abnormalities in the tissues of the lower extremities.
- Capillaroscopy, with the help of which the state of capillaries, the microcirculation of blood in the limbs is examined.
- Angiography is performed to assess the state of blood vessels, blood flow, the magnitude of the inflammatory process.
Differential diagnosis
Such a diagnosis is necessary to exclude diseases that have similar symptoms, such as atherosclerosis. Both of these ailments are almost equally manifested, but atherosclerosis is inherent in people who are more than fifty years old, it develops symmetrically and affects large vessels, unlike endarteritis.
Treatment
Disease "smoker legs" treatment involves immediate. But it is completely impossible to cure this pathology, you can only slow down its development. First of all, the patient needs to give up smoking and alcohol, eat right and move a lot. The doctor prescribes medications, physiotherapy to patients, alternative methods of treatment can also be used. In the later stages of the disease , surgical intervention is necessary. Antispasmodic and antihistamines, vitamins, drugs that dilute blood, anticoagulants are prescribed from medications. Baromassage, thermal procedures, electrophoresis, magnetotherapy are prescribed.
So, the disease " smoker's legs" treatment involves a comprehensive, if all this fails, resort to surgery. For this, an artery is bypassed or removed and replaced with a prosthesis. In some cases, a blood clot that blocks the lumen of the artery is removed. In the most severe cases, legs are amputated. This is used when there is a threat to the patient's life. Obliterating endarteritis is a very serious pathology, therefore self-medication is contraindicated here. The whole complex of measures should be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician. Treatment must be carried out necessarily, otherwise there is a threat to the patient's life.
"Smoker's legs": treatment with folk remedies
Alternative methods of treatment are used only at the initial stages of the development of the disease in combination with medication and physiotherapy. To do this, use herbs that strengthen and restore the walls of arteries, cleanse them and relieve inflammation. For this purpose, camomile flowers, yarrow, corn stigmas, birch buds and St. John's wort are well suited. These herbs are taken in equal proportions, put in a container and poured with boiling water (half a liter), set aside for one hour. Tincture is taken half an hour before meals, twice a day. It helps to cleanse blood vessels, increase their tone. Use the tool in courses with intervals of one month. Fruit gatherings help well. To do this, take one orange and lemon, grind them with a blender, add one spoonful of honey and mix. The mixture is consumed in three tablespoons before meals. Store folk remedy in the cold.
Prevention
To prevent the disease from developing, it is necessary to give up smoking in the first place. It is also recommended to keep your feet warm, avoiding overcooling, monitor your diet, removing salty, fatty and spicy dishes from the menu. It is necessary to monitor your weight, as extra pounds give a load on the legs. To do this, you can engage in physical activity, sports (running, swimming), walk for a long time. Feet should be protected from damage and injury, shoes should not cause discomfort. It is also very important to observe the rules of hygiene, daily taking care of your legs, monitor the level of cholesterol in the blood. All these preventive measures will help reduce the risk of developing pathology. For those who have already been diagnosed with this disease, the above recommendations will help maintain good health for a long period of time.
Forecast
The prognosis of the disease depends on how vigilant the patient will be, since timely treatment makes it possible to completely get rid of the disease. Complications always end with the amputation of one or both legs, followed by the use of prostheses. If necrotic areas, black spots are observed on the limbs, then it is already impossible to prevent the disease process. Therefore, it is recommended not to start the ailment, but to treat it in a timely manner in order to maintain your health and life. When a person noticed the presence of pathology in a timely manner, the prognosis will be favorable, since in the early stages of endarteritis they do without surgical intervention.
Thus, obliterating endarteritis is a serious pathology that poses a threat to the life and health of the patient. Since the main factor in its development is smoking, it is necessary to abandon this habit. More than four thousand substances are contained in tobacco smoke, which have a destructive effect on cells that are on the walls of blood vessels, therefore, conditions are created for the development of such a pathology, which is popularly called the " smoker's legs" . For example, carbon monoxide promotes the formation of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, which displaces hemoglobin, as a result of which the tissues do not receive enough oxygen and die. Nicotine is able to increase blood viscosity, forming blood clots in blood vessels. All this contributes to the defeat of the lower extremities with an ailment that cannot be cured in the later stages.