Hypoplasia is a disorder that occurs in the body during fetal development. This is a phenomenon when a certain organ is not sufficiently developed. This can also happen with blood vessels.
Hypoplasia of the left
vertebral artery can be either congenital or acquired. But most often it is a birth defect.
About the disease
Hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery is diagnosed if its lumen is below normal. Under such conditions, certain parts of the brain are poorly supplied with blood, which can cause problems. This disease does not manifest itself immediately and can open in adulthood, as its symptoms are associated with circulatory disorders.
Symptoms and signs
Signs of hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery appear rather slowly, since adaptation mechanisms help to avoid problems in the body that arise due to poor blood supply. Symptoms begin to gradually manifest as changes in the body associated with age.
In the early stages, the disease causes severe pain in the neck. Although in the absence of other signs, it is almost impossible to diagnose it.
When the stage of damage to the artery is sufficiently developed, more and more symptoms appear. Headaches and dizziness begin, vision decreases, nervous disorders appear, weakness in the limbs may occur. In some cases, coordination problems may appear.
During the examination, other signs of the disease are often manifested. Branches of the left vertebral artery may increase. This is due to the fact that the biological fluid does not enter in sufficient quantities through the artery and small vessels are forced to perform more functions than they are capable of. Under normal operation, this should not occur.
The consequence of an increase in branches is a significant increase in blood pressure. In some cases, this can lead to nosebleeds, nausea and vomiting, and confusion.
Over the years, hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery develops more and more. Symptoms become more pronounced.
Causes of the disease
It is difficult to determine the exact cause of the disease, as this is a birth defect. It is believed that the main factor is the wrong lifestyle of a woman during pregnancy. Basically, these are bad habits of a pregnant woman, such as smoking, using drugs and alcohol.
The appearance of the disease can also be affected by injuries and bruises of a woman during pregnancy. If the expectant mother suffered a serious illness (for example, flu, rubella, toxoplasmosis), this can contribute to the development of the disease. Recent studies have shown that stress and depression during pregnancy can contribute to vertebral artery problems.
Diagnosis of the disease
The signs of this pathology are similar to other diseases, so the doctor must exclude all of them before making a diagnosis. The specialist should study the symptoms in detail and prescribe certain examinations.
Most often, to accurately diagnose with such signs, magnetic resonance imaging is used. in some cases, ultrasound of the vertebral arteries is prescribed. Using these studies, determine the state of the vessels of the brain.
Treatment
Not in all cases, people suffering from such a disease need treatment. In most, the body independently compensates for the disruption of this artery due to other, smaller ones. Thanks to this property of the body, a person can feel great and not suspect that he has health problems.
In mild cases, you need to take certain measures to alleviate the harm to the body that can cause a disease such as hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery. Treatment consists of prescribing drugs to dilate blood vessels. They can to some extent lower blood pressure and normalize blood circulation in narrowed vessels. Such drugs are quite potent, they need to be taken when it is really necessary. Since the use of such medications causes a number of side effects, they are most often prescribed along with other drugs that can smooth out some negative effects.
The use of vasodilator drugs can cause chest pain, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, severe dizziness. The amount of vegetation on the body may increase.
Stenting
In certain cases, surgical intervention is necessary for patients with a disease such as hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery. The operation is called "stenting". It lies in the fact that during the procedure the patient is inserted a small tube into the artery, this normalizes blood circulation.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. On the day of the procedure, it is better to refuse food and drink. After stenting, the patient is prescribed blood thinning medication. For some time it is not worth doing hard work, playing sports, it is better to avoid any kind of physical activity. Subject to the recommendations of the doctor, the rehabilitation process will take place without complications.