Diseases of the vessels pass. Vascular diseases: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment

Vascular diseases cannot be on their own, they are associated with the manifestation of some individual diseases of the body systems. Vessels circulate blood throughout the body in a continuous state. Cardiovascular diseases include:

Varieties of vessels

Vessels are central and peripheral.

Central vessels

Central vessels are divided into two types:

• Vessels of the heart;
• Vessels of the brain.

The continuous supply of blood and oxygen to the cerebral cortex and heart valves depends on them.

Diseases of the central vessels

Ischemic heart disease is a malfunction in the proper functioning of blood vessels.

Symptoms of the manifestation of the disease:

• Pain in the chest, radiating to the shoulder blade or left arm, pain in the neck and back;
• Shortness of breath and difficult or uneven breathing;
• palpitations, arrhythmia;
• Discomfort in the region of the heart.

If you do not see a doctor in time, then a heart attack may occur as a result of these symptoms. During the examination, the specialist will check your pulse, listen to your breathing and heartbeats, measure your body temperature, as well as blood and arterial pressure. If at least one of these indicators has any deviations, then the doctor will give a referral for an electrocardiogram, blood tests from a vein, and only then will make a diagnosis and prescribe recommendations and treatment.

Coronary artery disease of the brain most often develops due to atherosclerosis (chronic disease of the arteries) and occurs in the elderly and the elderly.

Ischemic cerebrovascular disease

Symptoms:

• Frequent headaches, dizziness;
• Deterioration of vision and hearing;
• Difficult speech;
• Loss of balance and coordination (skids when walking), especially with sudden movements;
• Memory impairment, absent-mindedness;
• Frequent insomnia at night.

After such symptoms, a stroke may occur.

The consequences of a stroke may include:

• Loss of consciousness (a person may fall into a coma for a long time);
• Change in the sensitivity of the lower extremities and hands (paralysis);
• Difficult or confused speech;
• Irritations associated with the psyche (apathy, depression).

We can only talk about the following causal relationships:

1. Sharp jumps in blood pressure can lead to changes in the structures of the brain, which leads to the appearance of acute or subacute psychosis. Its main features are confused consciousness and.
2. The progress of psychotic abnormalities of vascular origin is influenced by individual characteristics of the body, which have developed on the basis of hereditary and acquired properties, as well as general somatic factors.
3. The acute form of the disorder may occur due to lowering blood pressure at night which, in turn, provokes a shortage of blood supply to the brain. The development of deviation contributes to atherosclerotic lesions of the vessels of the heart, various infectious diseases.
4. A mental disorder often occurs during a sharp period, so vascular psychosis is not uncommon after.

Features of the clinical picture

In this type of disorder, non-psychotic symptoms, intertwined with disorders of an organic nature, are combined with symptoms of a psychopathological type. The latter have vaguely expressed features of the neurological appearance.

Symptoms due to which it is possible to diagnose vascular psychosis at the initial stage of development:

Symptoms characteristic of mental disorders occur much later and are manifested by delirium, hallucinations, and a schizophrenic picture.

Diagnosis of the disease

At an early stage, when there are symptoms of a neurotic nature, vascular psychosis is diagnosed based on signs of hypertension, arteriosclerotic stigmas, and slight transformations in the fundus.

More difficult to diagnose. It is not easy to distinguish from. Characteristic features of dementia are random deviations and flickering of the main signs in vascular disorders.

With dementia associated with age, the symptoms will only increase and no periods of stabilization can be expected. In addition, the onset of vascular psychosis is more acute and may be accompanied by increased confusion.

Treatment options

Treatment is best started with therapy for the underlying vascular disease that caused the psychosis.

Be sure to be prescribed psychotropic drugs. Their choice is determined by the type of mental disorder. At the first stage of treatment, they are prescribed:, Rudotel and others. Of the usually prescribed Propazine (norm of this drug varies 25-75 mg / day), Rispolept in the form of drops.

If the patient has it, then atypical ones are prescribed, such as Remeron, and others.

Treatment is not limited to the use of specialized tools. The patient should take vitamins, restorative drugs, drugs designed to affect the higher mental functions of the brain (,).

The patient will have to give up smoking, alcohol, avoid overwork and emotional outbursts.

There is no cure for vascular psychosis or dementia. A person has no chance to recover completely, but you can try to raise the standard of living to the highest possible level.

Preventive measures

Prevention of mental disorders associated with impaired functioning of the vascular system will contribute to:

• timely diagnosed vascular disease;
• the establishment of a constant and orderly regime of the day;
• prevention of excessive loads;
• quitting smoking, alcohol and other bad habits;
• proper, balanced, dietary nutrition;
• abandoning a sedentary lifestyle;
• physiotherapy exercises;
• constant monitoring of blood pressure and taking measures to normalize it, even with minor deviations from the norm.

The disorder never goes away without a trace. Modern medicine is not able to completely cure it, you can only take drugs that improve the blood supply to the brain, drugs that help strengthen memory, but in any case, you won’t be able to completely get rid of all the symptoms. At one time or another they will reappear.

Persons suffering from vascular diseases may present a variety of complaints, which are caused by damage to both the vessels themselves and the distal parts and organs (brain, heart, kidneys, liver, intestines, skeletal muscles, etc.). The main complaints include those that directly or indirectly indicate vascular damage:

Symptoms of vascular diseases - complaints of patients

• Complaints about various dysfunctions of the distally lying departments and organs.
• Complaints about local symptoms (localized) discoloration (pallor, redness, cyanosis), temperature (sensation of cold or heat) and trophism (cracks, erosion, ulcers, etc.) of the skin and mucous membranes.
• Complaints about the pathological pulsation of the arteries, swelling and expansion (including varicose) of the veins.
• Complaints of asymmetric (local) lymphatic edema of the extremities and torso.
• Complaints about violations of the integrity of the vascular wall - hematomas, "bruising" or punctate hemorrhagic rashes on the skin and mucous membranes; nasal, gingival, renal, uterine and other bleeding (see symptom complex of hemostasiopathies).

The main symptoms in patients with vascular diseases are often supplemented by general symptoms: weakness, fatigue, fever, neurovegetative disorders - irritability, sweating, etc. The main physical methods for examining peripheral vessels are their examination, palpation and auscultation.

Examination for vascular diseases

Inspection of peripheral vessels

Inspection of peripheral vessels is inseparable from the general examination of the skin and mucous membranes, neck, chest, abdomen and extremities. During the examination, attention should be paid to the presence of increased pulsation of some arteries, the appearance of pulsation where it is not visible under normal conditions. Sometimes the artery itself is also visible, passing shallowly and, due to the increased pulsation, expanded and tortuous. Also note the expansion of the veins, and sometimes their pathological pulsation. It is often possible to detect focal expansion of small peripheral vessels (telengioectasias) - many dark red vascular nodes.

With arterial sclerosis, when their elasticity is significantly reduced, each pulse wave, sharply increasing intra-arterial systolic pressure, forms such a blow to the wall of the arteries, which shifts it to the side. In such cases, an increased pulsation and significant jerky lateral displacements of the arteries are visible in areas where these phenomena are usually invisible. This is especially clearly revealed when examining the region of the brachial artery, when an increased pulsation of the subclavian and intercostal arteries is noticeable. The temporal artery is also clearly visible. The arteries are very tortuous. This is explained by the fact that, having lost elasticity, they lengthen under the influence of pulse shocks, take a tortuous shape. Particular attention is paid to themselves, the increased pulsation of which is noticeable with their sclerosis, insufficiency of the aortic valves (“carotid dance”) and a decrease in the tone of the arterial wall.

Examination of the veins when symptoms of disease appear

Examination of veins for vascular diseases is carried out throughout the periphery of the body. They note the expansion of the veins in the neck (with insufficiency of the right ventricle of the heart), local expansion of the veins as an expression of a violation of the outflow of blood in this area (compression of the veins), expansion of the veins as an expression of the development of collateral circulation (dilation of the veins of the anterior abdominal wall with cirrhosis of the liver or thrombosis of the inferior vena cava ), as well as the expansion of veins on the basis of phlebitis or thrombophlebitis (especially on the lower extremities) in the form of varicose veins (tortuous bands, plexuses and bulging). Inspection establishes the emergence of varicose nodes of hemorrhoidal veins through the anus.

Swelling in lymphostasis of the lower extremities is usually localized on the back of the foot or in the lower third of the lower leg, is intermittent, increasing in the warm season, after physical exertion and decreasing (up to complete disappearance) in the autumn-winter period, or after a long rest. The amount of edema in lymphostasis is affected by a sedentary lifestyle, work associated with prolonged stay on the legs, nervous strain, etc.

• Diseases of the heart and its vessels;
• Diseases of the arteries and aorta (such as aneurysms, atherosclerosis, etc.);
• Diseases associated with inflammation of the veins (thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency);
• Defeat predominantly of the entire cardiovascular system of the body (hypertension).

The main symptom of vascular and heart disease is pain that occurs behind the sternum, or slightly to the left and gives to the shoulder blade or shoulder. Such pains can occur suddenly, during physical exertion, or even just at rest. Among other symptoms, there may be shortness of breath, which indicates heart failure. It occurs both after physical exertion on the body (initial stage), and with a slight action (next stage). Diseases of the heart and blood vessels also have symptoms such as palpitations (tachycardia or bardycardia), swelling in the legs and interruptions in heart rhythm.

Diseases of the vessels of the legs - symptoms and treatment

According to statistics, almost one in four suffers from such a disease, and it is this disease that is more common in women than in men.((banner2-left)) unpleasant and severe vascular disease. Symptoms of various diseases of this kind are approximately the same:

• painful heaviness and swelling of the legs;
• frequent fatigue of the legs and cramps in the calf muscles;
• external change in the appearance of veins: tortuosity, bulging, the appearance of seals;
• pain that appears when touching the seals, and a slight increase in temperature of the painful area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe veins.

Diseases of the vessels of the legs are diverse. The most common disease is varicose veins. This is a very unpleasant and dangerous disease that occurs when the walls of the veins of the legs expand. A complication of varicose veins of the lower extremities are such life-threatening diseases as: varicose rupture, thrombophlebitis, chronic venous insufficiency and the most dangerous stage of leg vascular disease - trophic ulcers.

Another of the common diseases associated with the vessels of the legs is thrombophlebitis - inflammation that occurs in a vein, which leads to the formation of a blood clot. Mostly, blood clots occur in the veins five times more often than in the arteries. If you start the treatment of venous insufficiency, then the thrombus, getting into the veins, forms venous thrombosis. In turn, a thrombus that has broken away from the wall can cause complications such as thromboembolism.

Diseases of the vessels of the head and brain. Ischemic cerebrovascular disease

Diseases associated with the vessels of the head are quite common not only among the elderly, but also among young people. Cerebral vascular diseases are primarily associated with circulatory disorders and insufficient blood flow to the human brain. When treatment is started, vascular disease of the head can develop into a disease such as ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

At first, a person complains of headaches, memory loss and slight fatigue, although these signs already indicate that vascular disease is present. Its symptoms are different, depending on the stages of disease progression:

• Stage 1 - characterized by the occurrence of headaches, high fatigue, heaviness of the head, dizziness, general weakness and poor sleep;
• Stage 2 - headache attacks are very frequent, memory impairment, depression, irritation, dizziness develop;
• Stage 3 - fainting, falls and epileptic seizures begin, patients cannot remember any dates from their lives and completely lose their professional skills.

And just at this stage of the development of cerebrovascular disease, strokes very often occur and the development of coronary cerebrovascular disease is quite possible.

Diseases of the vessels of the head are most often manifested in people who suffer from diseases such as atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension.

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the vessels of the head, which occurs when lipid metabolism is impaired. Patients with this condition have elevated levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoproteins. These substances form lipid spots, depositing the walls of blood vessels. Arterial hypertension is characterized by thickening of the walls of blood vessels, resulting in the formation of tortuosity and local narrowing.

Chronic ischemic disease of the cerebral vessels is a manifestation of a disease that first causes acute oxygen starvation of the brain, and then disrupts its functions. This complication of cerebrovascular disease leads to the most dangerous ischemic stroke.

It should be noted that the appearance of the vascular network is characteristic not only for the lower extremities. As a result, rosacea may develop. Vascular network on the face occurs in people with increased skin sensitivity. It is they who are more susceptible to temperature fluctuations, as well as the adverse effects of individual cosmetic preparations.

The first symptoms of rosacea are regularly occurring burning and itching. Later, irritation develops, usually in the forehead, nose, or chin. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced and occur more frequently. In the next phase of the disease, intense redness develops on the skin and the formation

If early signs of vascular disease occur, in order to prevent undesirable consequences, it is necessary to consult a specialist.

As a rule, the doctor can ascertain heart disease already on the basis of a conversation with the patient and examination. Special diagnostic studies help to confirm the diagnosis, establish the severity of the disease, and also adjust the treatment.

Usually, the doctor first asks about complaints such as chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling of the legs and feet, palpitations, as well as other symptoms, such as fever, weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite. All of these symptoms can indicate heart disease. This will be followed by questions about past infections, contact with toxic substances, the use of drugs, the use of alcohol and tobacco, the psychological situation at home and at work, and the rest regimen. The doctor will ask if any of the family members had heart disease, if the patient suffers from other diseases that can affect the cardiovascular system.

On examination, the doctor pays attention to the patient's weight and general physical condition, checks if he is pale, if there is sweating, depression of consciousness, which may be signs of heart disease. The general condition and mood of the patient are taken into account because heart disease can affect them. Assessing skin color is important because pallor and cyanosis (bluish skin tone) may indicate anemia or abnormal heart function, as well as insufficient supply of oxygen from the blood to skin cells due to lung disease, heart disease, or vascular damage.

The doctor checks the pulse on the arteries of the neck, under the armpits, on the elbows and wrists, in the groin, popliteal folds and on the feet to assess the blood flow from both sides; measures blood pressure and body temperature. Any deviation may indicate heart disease.

The doctor examines the neck veins as they empty into the right atrium and their condition indicates the pressure and volume of blood entering this chamber of the heart (while the patient lies on a couch with the headboard raised 45 degrees, but sometimes he can sit or stand). By pressing on the ankles, shins and lower back, the doctor checks for excess fluid under the skin (edema).

If necessary, an ophthalmoscope (an instrument that allows you to examine the fundus of the eye) examines the vessels and nerve endings of the retina, the photosensitive membrane of the eye, using an ophthalmoscope (an instrument that allows you to examine the fundus of the eye). Visible changes in it are often found in people with high blood pressure, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and bacterial damage to the heart valves.

The doctor determines if the breathing rate and range of motion of the chest are normal, and then taps (percuss) the chest with the fingers to see if there is any fluid in the chest cavity. Percussion helps to establish the presence of fluid in the cavity of the pericardium (the membrane surrounding the heart) or the pleura (the membrane of the lungs). With the help of a stethoscope, the doctor listens to breath sounds. This allows you to find out if the air passes normally, or if there is an obstacle in its path - a narrowing of the airways. In addition, with the help of this examination, the doctor can find out if there is fluid in the lungs due to heart failure.

The doctor percusses and palpates the area of ​​the heart to determine its size and strength of contractions. Abnormal turbulent (disordered) flow of blood in the vessels or between the chambers of the heart causes vibrations that can be felt with the fingertips or palm.

The doctor listens to the heart with a stethoscope (this is called auscultation), paying attention to heart sounds - the sounds created by the opening and closing of valves. Violations in the structure of valves and other intracardiac formations create turbulent (disordered) blood flows, which cause the appearance of characteristic sounds - the so-called noises. Turbulent blood flow occurs when blood passes through a narrowed opening in a valve or there is backflow of blood through a valve.

Murmurs do not appear with all heart diseases, and not every noise means illness. Thus, the noise is often heard in pregnant women due to the normal increase in blood volume. Benign murmurs are not uncommon in young children due to the high velocity of blood flow through the relatively small valve openings. With age, as the walls of blood vessels, valves, and other tissues gradually harden, blood can also flow turbulently, but this does not indicate a serious heart disease.

By listening with a stethoscope to the arteries and veins in the extremities, the doctor can detect tones and noises if the blood flow is turbulent. This happens with vasoconstriction or heart disease, as well as pathological communication between the vessels.

The doctor probes the patient's abdomen to check if the liver is enlarged due to stagnation of blood in the large veins that flow into the heart. Enlargement of the abdomen due to the accumulation of excess fluid can be a sign of heart failure. The pulsation and size of the abdominal aorta are assessed.

Diagnostic studies

Modern medicine has great potential for fast and accurate. The instrumental methods of examining a patient include electrocardiographic, electrophysiological and X-ray studies, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), cardiac catheterization.

Most diagnostic tests in cardiology involve very low risk, but this increases as the complexity of the procedure and the severity of the disease increase. With cardiac catheterization and angiography, the probability of serious complications (stroke, heart attack) or death is 1:1000. Stress testing carries a 1:5000 risk of heart attack or death. In radionuclide studies, in fact, the only risk factor is the microdose of radiation that the patient receives. It is much smaller than with conventional radiography.

An electrocardiogram is a quick, simple, and painless test in which the electrical impulses of the heart are amplified and recorded on a moving strip of paper. An electrocardiogram (ECG) allows the doctor to assess the state of the pacemaker of the heart (a special structure that causes heart contractions), the conduction pathways of the heart, the frequency and rhythm of heart contractions, and to obtain other data.

To record an ECG, a doctor or nurse places small metal contacts (electrodes) on the patient's arms, legs, and chest. These electrodes pick up the strength and direction of electrical currents in the heart with each contraction. The electrodes are connected by wires to an apparatus that records impulses. Each curve reflects the electrical activity of the heart, as if taken from different pairs of points. These pairs of points are called leads.

An ECG is done for any suspicion of heart disease. This study allows the doctor to identify a number of different heart conditions, including rhythm disturbances, insufficient blood supply to the heart, excessive thickening of the heart muscle (hypertrophy), which can be caused, in particular, by high blood pressure. An ECG detects thinning or replacement of part of the heart muscle with connective tissue after a heart attack.

What do ECG waves mean?

An electrocardiogram (ECG) reflects the electrical activity of the heart. Each heartbeat begins with an impulse that occurs in the main pacemaker of the heart - the sinus node. This impulse first excites the upper chambers of the heart (atria). Atrial excitation reflects the R wave.

The impulse then travels to the lower chambers of the heart (ventricles). Excitation of the ventricles reflects the QRS complex. Its polarity may be different.

The T wave reflects the wave of repolarization when the impulse propagates through the ventricles in the opposite direction.

Load tests

The way a person withstands physical activity makes it possible to judge the absence or presence of coronary heart disease, other heart diseases, and the severity of coronary vascular disease. An exercise test (stress test), in which the doctor observes changes in ECG and blood pressure during exercise, helps to identify signs of the disease that are not noticeable at rest. With narrowing of the coronary arteries, the heart may have enough oxygen when a person is at rest, but not enough during physical exertion. Simultaneous functional examination of the lungs allows you to understand whether the limitation of exercise capacity is due to disease only of the heart or only the lungs, or it is due to disease of both organs.

During the study, the patient pedals a bicycle or walks along a paced track (treadmill), the pace is gradually increased. An ECG is constantly recorded, and blood pressure is measured at regular intervals. As a rule, the load is increased until the heart rate reaches 70-90% of the maximum for a given age and gender. If shortness of breath or chest pain becomes very severe, there are certain changes in the ECG or blood pressure, then the study is stopped earlier.

If a person, for one reason or another, is unable to perform the load, another study is performed: a special substance is injected into the vein (it can be adenosine or dipyridamole), which worsens blood flow in the narrowed coronary arteries, which simulates the effect of the load.

If at the same time certain ECG changes are recorded, an angina attack develops, or pressure drops, the doctor may diagnose coronary heart disease.

Continuous ambulatory ECG recording

Heart rhythm disturbances and periods of insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle can be short-lived and unpredictable. To detect them, continuous ambulatory ECG recording is used. The patient is put on a small battery-powered device (a Holter monitor) that records an ECG for 24 hours. While the examination is ongoing, the person records in a diary the time of onset and the nature of any symptoms that occur. Subsequently, the record is processed on a computer: heart rate and heart rhythm are analyzed, changes in electrical activity are found that indicate inadequate blood flow in the heart muscle, and the ECG record is played back for 24 hours. The symptoms recorded in the diary can be correlated with ECG changes.

The ECG can be transferred over the phone to a computer located in a hospital or doctor's office for immediate interpretation if the situation requires it. Sophisticated ambulatory devices are able to simultaneously record ECGs and electroencephalograms (recording of the electrical activity of the brain) of patients who experience loss of consciousness. Such registration helps to establish the cause of syncope and, in particular, to distinguish cardiac arrhythmias from epileptic seizures.

Continuous ambulatory ECG recording with a Holter monitor

The patient is put on a small monitor over his shoulder. Electrodes are attached to the chest and the monitor continuously records the electrical activity of the heart.

Electrophysiological study

An electrophysiological study allows you to assess the nature of rhythm disturbances or disorders in the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart. In a hospital setting, tiny electrodes are inserted through veins, and sometimes arteries, directly into the chambers of the heart - this is how the exact location of the pathways for conducting impulses in the heart is established.

In some cases, the doctor provokes an arrhythmia during the study to find out if a certain medicine can stop such attacks, and if surgery is needed. A normal rhythm is quickly restored with a short electrical shock (cardioversion). Although the electrophysiological study involves the introduction of instruments into the body, it is practically safe: the risk of death is 1:5000.

Any person who is suspected of having heart disease is given an X-ray of the chest from the front and side. From the picture, you can evaluate the shape and size of the heart, as well as the structure of blood vessels in the lungs and chest cavity. Changes in the shape or size of the heart, as well as other pathological signs, such as excess calcium in the heart structures, are easily noticeable. A chest x-ray can also help evaluate the lungs, especially the blood vessels, and check for excess fluid in or around the lung tissue.

With heart failure or changes in heart valves, an increase in the size of the heart is often found. However, the size of the heart in people with serious heart disease may be normal. With constrictive pericarditis, which leads to the formation of a “shell” around the heart, it does not increase even with the development of heart failure.

The appearance of the blood vessels in the lungs is often as important in making a diagnosis as the appearance of the heart itself. For example, an increase in the diameter of the pulmonary arteries near the heart and their narrowing in the lung tissue suggest an increase in the right ventricle.

Computed tomography (CT) is not often used in the diagnosis of heart disease, but it can help detect anatomical changes in the heart, pericardium, major vessels, lungs, and other structures in the chest cavity. This study is based on the fact that X-ray "sections" of the chest are made using a computer in different planes. They allow you to determine the exact location of any anatomical abnormalities.

A new technique - ultra-fast computed tomography, also called cine-computed tomography - makes it possible to observe a three-dimensional image of a beating heart and evaluate both anatomical changes and violations of the contractile function of the heart.

Fluoroscopy - a study in which continuous x-rays are taken - allows you to see the heartbeat and respiratory movements of the lungs on the screen. During this study, the patient receives a relatively high dose of radiation, so it has now been largely replaced by echocardiography and other diagnostic methods.

Fluoroscopy is still used as an integral part of cardiac catheterization and electrophysiological examinations. It helps clarify the diagnosis in some difficult cases, in particular with heart valve disease and congenital heart defects.

Echocardiography is one of the most widely used methods for diagnosing heart disease. Its advantage lies in the fact that it does not involve the need for X-ray exposure and provides an excellent image. The study is harmless, painless, relatively inexpensive, and widely available.

This method is based on the use of high-frequency ultrasound waves emitted by a special transducer, which are reflected from the heart and blood vessels and create a moving image. It appears on the screen of the video system and is recorded on a video cassette or magnetic disk. By changing the position and angle of the transducer, the doctor sees the heart and major blood vessels in different planes, giving an accurate picture of the structure and function of the heart. To obtain a higher quality image and analyze the state of the small structures of the heart, a special sensor is inserted into the patient's esophagus and an image is obtained with its help. This type of test is known as a transesophageal echocardiogram.

Echocardiography can detect abnormalities in the movement of the walls of the heart, changes in the volume of blood that is ejected from the heart with each contraction, thickening and other changes in the lining of the heart (pericardium), accumulation of fluid between the wall of the pericardium and the heart muscle.

The main types of ultrasound examinations (ultrasound): M-mode, two-dimensional and Doppler, including color Doppler, modes. In M-mode, the simplest form of ultrasound, a single ultrasound beam is focused on the part of the heart being studied. The most widely used is the 2D mode. It allows you to get real two-dimensional images in various planes. Doppler mode (color Doppler mode) displays in color the speed and nature of the movement of blood. Color and other types of Doppler studies make it possible to determine and display the direction and speed of blood flow in the chambers of the heart and blood vessels. The images allow the doctor to see if the heart valves open and close properly, how much blood they let in when they are closed, and if blood flow is disturbed. Pathological communications between blood vessels and chambers of the heart can be detected, and the structure and function of vessels and chambers determined.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an examination method that uses a powerful magnetic field to obtain accurate images of the heart and chest organs. This is an extremely expensive and complex method of diagnosing heart disease, which is under development.

The patient is placed inside a large electromagnet that causes the atomic nuclei in the body to vibrate. As a result, they emit characteristic signals that are converted into two- and three-dimensional images of the structures of the heart. Usually contrast agents are not needed. Sometimes, however, paramagnetic contrast agents are given intravenously to help identify areas of poor blood flow in the heart muscle.

MRI has several disadvantages compared to computed tomography (CT). First, it takes more time to get each image. Secondly, because of the contractions of the heart, MRI images are blurred. In addition, some people experience a pathological fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia) during the study, because they are in a narrow space inside a giant machine.

Radionuclide research

In radionuclide testing, small amounts of radioactively labeled substances (radiotracers) are injected into a vein, but this method exposes the person to less radiation than most types of x-rays. Radiotracers are rapidly distributed throughout the body, including the heart. Then their radiation is recorded by a gamma camera. The image is created on the screen and fixed on a computer disk for further analysis.

Various types of recording cameras can produce either a single image or a series of computer-enhanced 2D images. This technique is known as single photon emission computed tomography. The computer is capable of generating a three-dimensional image.

A radionuclide study is especially important when clarifying the diagnosis in case of chest pain that occurs for an unknown reason. If it is clear that the patient has a narrowing of the coronary artery, radionuclide testing helps to find out how the narrowing affects the blood supply and heart function. A radionuclide study is also used to assess how much blood supply to the heart muscle has improved after bypass surgery or similar interventions, and to determine the prognosis after myocardial infarction.

Blood flow in the heart muscle is usually examined using thallium-201, which is injected into a vein. The patient in the process of diagnosis performs physical exercise. The amount of thallium-201 absorbed by the cells of the heart muscle depends on their blood supply. At peak stress, an area of ​​the heart muscle that has a poor blood supply (ischemia) has less radioactivity and therefore a weaker image than neighboring areas with a normal blood supply. If the patient is unable to perform the load, drugs (adenosine or dipyridamole) are administered intravenously, which simulate the effect of physical stress on the bloodstream. These drugs impair the blood supply to the altered vessel, due to which normal vessels are better supplied.

After a rest for several hours, the images are re-registered. As a result, the doctor sees in which areas of the heart there is a reversible defect in blood flow, which is usually the result of a narrowing of the coronary artery, and in which areas there is scar tissue that appears after a heart attack.

If an acute heart attack is suspected, instead of thallium-201 preparations, radioactive tracers containing technetium-99m are used. Unlike thallium, which accumulates primarily in normal tissue, technetium is concentrated primarily in pathologically altered tissue. However, since technetium also accumulates in the bones, the ribs obscure the image of the heart to some extent.

Research with technetium is used in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. The damaged area of ​​the heart absorbs technetium. This method allows you to confirm a heart attack within 12-24 hours after it has occurred; increased accumulation of technetium in the area of ​​infarction persists for approximately one week.

In positron emission tomography (PET), a substance labeled with a radioactive agent is injected into a vein. After a few minutes, when the labeled drug reaches the area of ​​the heart being examined, the sensor scans it and registers areas of high activity. The computer creates a three-dimensional image of the area under study, showing how actively different areas of the heart muscle absorb the labeled drug. Positron emission tomography produces better quality images than other nuclear research methods. However, this is a very expensive study, so it is used for scientific purposes and in cases where simpler and less expensive methods do not allow a definitive diagnosis.

Coronary angiography - examination of the coronary arteries using catheters. The doctor inserts a thin catheter into an artery in the arm or groin and advances it toward the heart into the coronary arteries. To control the progress of the catheter, the doctor inserts this instrument using fluoroscopy (continuous X-ray filming). The tip of the catheter is set according to the location of the orifice of the studied artery. A contrast agent, which can be used in x-ray examination, is injected through a catheter into the coronary arteries - and an image of the arteries appears on the video system screen. X-ray filming (cynoangiography) provides clear images of the chambers of the heart and coronary arteries. This is how coronary disease is detected: damaged coronary arteries look narrowed and often have an irregular structure. In coronary disease (ischemic heart disease), the catheter can be used for medicinal purposes. In the place of narrowing of the vessel, the balloon is inflated, restoring the normal patency of the vessel. This procedure is called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

Minor side effects of coronary angiography occur immediately after the administration of a contrast medium. As it spreads through the bloodstream, the patient often experiences a temporary sensation of heat, especially in the head and face. The heart rate increases, blood pressure decreases slightly. Rare reactions of moderate severity: nausea, vomiting and cough. Very rarely, severe reactions develop: shock, convulsions, impaired renal function and cessation of heart contractions (cardiac arrest). Allergic reactions range from skin rashes to a rare life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis. If the catheter touches the wall of the heart, abnormal heart rhythms may develop. The technical equipment and professional training of the medical staff performing this procedure ensure that any side effects that occur are eliminated immediately.

Methods for studying the state of blood vessels: angiography, dopplerography, duplex scanning, MRI, CT, ultrasound, rheography, thermography, phlebography.

The entire human body is permeated with many large and small vessels and capillaries. Therefore, the list of diseases associated with failures in the operation of this system is significant. In addition to atherosclerosis, that is, damage to the walls of the arteries and varicose veins, the most famous vascular ailments, the improper operation of these natural "highways" in the human body leads to thrombosis, phlebitis, lymphostasis, hemorrhoids, and tortuosity of the arteries. Timely diagnostics will significantly improve the functioning of the vascular system.

What are vessels, what are they and what functions do they perform

Vessels are divided into arteries, veins, capillaries. Arteries deliver oxygen and nutrients to human organs and tissues. The veins perform an excretory function, ridding the body of carbon dioxide and metabolic products. In structure, the vessels are similar to tubes of various diameters.

What are the failures in the work of blood vessels

Vascular pathologies are different, but almost all of them are based on an atherosclerotic process, that is, a violation of the blood supply to the organ in which a particular vessel is located. Depending on the location, the following are considered in medical practice:

Angina pectoris and myocardial infarction as manifestations of coronary heart disease;

Stroke as an acute violation of the supply of blood to the brain or its chronic form;

Damage to the vessels of the kidneys and abdominal cavity;

Atherosclerosis of the vessels of the legs, which causes thrombosis, phlebitis and varicose veins;

aneurysms;

Hypertonic disease.

There are also secondary vascular lesions that develop against the background of infectious and autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus.

Symptoms of vascular disease

Manifestations of diseases will always depend on the location of the vessels. Let's name the most common ones.

The vessels of the head and neck make themselves felt with dizziness, fainting, tinnitus, sleep disturbances and coordination of movements.

If there is shortness of breath, arrhythmia, pressing sensations in the chest, pain radiating to the shoulder blade, arm, neck - these are the coronary vessels.

Pain in the legs, cramps, ulcers, cracks, heaviness in the legs, swelling are signs of a violation in the work of the vessels of the legs.

Despite the fact that the vascular system is a single whole, in medical practice it is customary to turn to highly specialized specialists. For example, coronary vessels are under the jurisdiction of a cardiologist, venous diseases are treated by a phlebologist, an angiosurgeon or an angiologist - a doctor in all vessels.

What diagnostic methods are used in the examination of blood vessels

Today, medicine knows a significant number of methods that allow you to get a complete picture of the state of blood vessels.

Angiography involves the introduction of a contrast agent. Due to a certain trauma, it is carried out exclusively in a hospital and under local anesthesia. Iodine compounds are injected into a vein, they spread throughout the body and make it possible to determine the presence of blood clots, plaques, narrowing, aneurysms. Contraindications to the procedure are:

Thrombophlebitis;

disorders in the thyroid gland;

Renal, heart and liver failure;

Allergic reactions to iodine;

Deviations in indicators of blood coagulability.

dopplerography- one of the varieties of ultrasound. Allows you to detect violations in the vessels of the limbs, head and neck. The method is non-invasive, painless, very informative. It does not require any special preparation, it does not cause significant discomfort in a person.

duplex scanning gives an image of the dynamics of blood flow, shows the anatomy of veins and arteries. Perfectly reveals plaques, stenoses, blood clots, various anomalies. It is very convenient that on the screen the veins are blue, and the arteries are red.

MRI- one of the most informative diagnostic methods. It is used to study vessels of any location, it is prescribed for a wide range of symptoms, as well as after strokes, with atherosclerosis and many other diseases. Shows all changes and neoplasms in large and small vessels.

Spiral computed tomography suitable for examining vessels that are difficult to see with other methods. During the study, the person is placed on the table, the X-ray tube and the table are rotated, the result is a three-dimensional image of the area under study.

Intravascular ultrasound. Cardiologists and cardiac surgeons appreciate this method for its significant information content and the practical absence of contraindications. Such an ultrasound involves the introduction of a catheter with a sensor at the end into the artery. Moving along the vessel, it sends an image to the screen and allows you to understand how effective the treatment of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis is.

Rheography- this is a study using a special device that passes small currents through the human body. The resulting graphs are deciphered and understood how blood moves in the pulmonary artery, the vessels of the extremities, and the aorta.

Phlebography contributes to the diagnosis of veins of the lower extremities. It is a type of angiography and allows you to determine thrombosis and thrombophlebitis.

thermography is based on the study of temperature indicators of organs and tissues. The detected deviations lead to the conclusion about any changes. This method has found application in the diagnosis of varicose veins in the early stages. Thermography is an auxiliary study, it does not give the same accurate results as other methods for determining vascular pathologies.

Due to the variety of methods for diagnosing blood vessels, it is possible to detect deviations in their work in time and take timely measures to get rid of ailments.

Arteries, veins, capillaries located throughout the body provide nutrients and oxygen to all organs. Vascular diseases are considered one of the most dangerous pathologies, often causing early death. These diseases “get younger” every year, they are diagnosed in children and adolescents.

Clogged blood vessels interfere with normal circulation

Vascular diseases

Vascular pathologies are divided into two groups, depending on the location of the main focus of the pathological process. Diseases of the central vessels are accompanied by circulatory disorders in the aortas and coronary arteries of the head, neck, spinal cord, problems with peripheral vessels cover the legs, arms, and abdominal cavity. Diseases are accompanied by expansion or narrowing of the lumen of the veins, poor patency, spasms, pain, blockade of nerve fibers.

atherosclerotic vascular disease

The most dangerous type of vascular damage, in which irreversible changes develop in large arteries. The main reason is bad cholesterol, which accumulates in the body with a passion for junk food. Bad habits, a hereditary factor, physical inactivity, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and thyroid disease can provoke the development of the disease. What cholesterol plaques look like can be seen in the photo.

Excess cholesterol clogs arteries

Symptoms and types of diseases:

1. Coronary atherosclerosis - cholesterol accumulates in the vessels of the heart. The disease is accompanied by pain in the left side of the chest, which radiates to the arm, increases with inhalation, chills, and heart rhythm disturbance. Against the background of the disease, weakness appears in the limbs, fainting is possible.
2. Atherosclerosis of the aorta - the clinical picture manifests itself in the form of hypertension, a burning sensation in the chest region. The main distinguishing features are premature aging, wen on the face.
3. With atherosclerosis of the abdominal region, the vessels of the peritoneum are clogged, which manifests itself in the form of increased gas formation, deterioration of kidney function, diarrhea, and severe pain in the abdomen.
4. Atherosclerosis of the lower extremities - the skin turns pale, a venous pattern clearly appears on them, the limbs hurt, freeze, become numb, severe leg diseases develop.
5. Cerebral atherosclerosis is accompanied by damage to the vessels in the brain - there is tinnitus, severe cephalgia, dizziness, shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, blood pressure increases, memory deteriorates.

Vascular diseases develop slowly, often at the initial stage they occur without pronounced symptoms, so many people go to the doctor already with advanced forms of pathologies.

Ischemia develops against the background of a regular shortage of blood in the coronary vessels that feed the myocardium, brain tissue. The causes of the disease are physical inactivity or constant excessive physical activity, stress, overwork, bad habits, unbalanced nutrition, impaired carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

With ischemia in the heart, blood supply is disrupted

Main symptoms:

• chest pain that radiates to the arm, jaw - first occurs after physical exertion, gradually begins to disturb a person even at rest;
• dyspnea;
• arrhythmia, increased heart rate.

In the acute form, a heart attack develops - with a disease, a large area of ​​tissue falls out of the blood circulation. The pain syndrome acquires a strong, cutting character, shortness of breath turns into suffocation, pulmonary edema.

With ischemia of the cerebral vessels, coordination of movement is disturbed, the person staggers, vision, hearing, memory deteriorate, problems arise with sleep, and character changes.

Nitroglycerin will help eliminate severe pain during ischemia, but this drug does not help with a heart attack.

With a persistent violation of the blood supply to the brain tissues, the death of nerve endings begins, which leads to the loss of some functions. The cause of the disease is prolonged oxygen starvation of tissues in atherosclerosis. With an ischemic stroke, the lumen of a blood vessel is blocked by a thrombus or a cholesterol plaque, with a hemorrhagic stroke, the damaged vessel bursts, an intracerebral hematoma is formed.

With prolonged oxygen starvation, brain cells die.

Symptoms:

• weakness and numbness of the limbs on one side of the body, one half of the face;
• throbbing headache;
• double vision;
• nausea, vomiting;
• lack of coordination, loss of orientation in space.

If such signs appear, you should urgently call an ambulance - qualified assistance should be provided no later than four hours from the onset of the attack.

Ischemic stroke is diagnosed more often, but hemorrhagic occurs in a more severe form. The disease mainly develops at night or in the morning.

Hypertonic disease

The diagnosis is made with a persistent increase in indicators up to 140/90 mm Hg. Art. Provoking factors - obesity, lipid imbalance in the blood, excessive salt intake, insomnia, frequent stress.

Hypertension - high blood pressure

Signs of the disease:

• throbbing headache in the occipital and temporal zone;
• noise in ears;
• flickering black spots before the eyes;
• dizziness;
• shortness of breath, swelling of the limbs;
• nausea, vomiting.

Without proper treatment, hypertension can cause atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack, and cerebral hemorrhage.

Hypertension is diagnosed in every seventh person over 45 years of age.

Cardiopsychoneurosis

Vegetovascular dystonia develops against the background of a malfunction of the nervous system, the work of large and small vessels worsens, doctors describe many causes and signs of the disease. Provoking factors - beriberi, stress, chronic insomnia, sedentary lifestyle. The disease is diagnosed in a child with excessive mental, emotional and mental stress.

How the disease manifests itself:

• pain in the region of the heart;
• cardiopalmus;
• hands and feet are constantly cold, a marble pattern appears on the skin;
• increased sweating;
• panic attacks;
• dyspnea;
• migraine, dizziness, meteosensitivity;
• stool disorder, loss of appetite;
• , or from the left;
• the temperature may slightly increase, fluctuations in arterial parameters are observed.

VVD is a disease of urban residents, every eighth person suffers from it, most often the pathology is diagnosed in people with asthenic body type. Strengthening weak blood vessels will help hardening, regular exercise.

With varicose veins, the arteries of the lower extremities suffer - the lumen of the venous bed expands, the walls of the vessels become weak, the disease is considered female, often occurs during pregnancy. The disease develops in people who have to stand for a long time, with problems of an endocrine nature, disruption of the venous valve, congenital weakness of the vascular walls, and frequent hypothermia.

Healthy and varicose veins on the legs

Symptoms of deterioration of the arteries in the leg:

• bulging, swollen veins on the legs;
• pain especially in the evening;
• spider veins, small ulcers, peeling of the skin;
• convulsions, swelling.

Varicose veins are a hereditary disease, for prevention it is necessary to regularly use plant-based venotonics, wear compression underwear.

Haemorrhoids

Venous disease, a type of varicose veins, in which the cavernous areas of the final section of the rectum expand, venous congestion is formed. The disease often develops during pregnancy or immediately after childbirth, against the background of regular constipation, a sedentary lifestyle, frequent weight lifting, alcoholism.

Hemorrhoids is a venous disease

Signs of hemorrhoids:

• arching pains in the anus in a sitting position and during bowel movements;
• itching and burning in the anus;
• bleeding during the bowel movement.

Hemorrhoids can cause anemia due to chronic blood loss.

Venous and arterial thrombosis, thromboembolism

Blood clots on the walls of blood vessels are a dangerous disease, at any moment the clot can come off, which will lead to a quick death. Pathology develops against the background of endocrine and infectious diseases, after surgical interventions on the vessels, with increased blood viscosity, physical inactivity.

Blood clots on the walls of blood vessels are very dangerous

Symptoms:

• tissue edema;
• pallor of the skin;
• dryness and peeling of the skin, ulcers;
• painful seals;
• acute hypoxia, tissue necrosis.

Thrombosis is a common pathology in bedridden patients.

Which doctor should I contact?

The vascular system is one of the most complex mechanisms in the human body; various highly specialized specialists are involved in the treatment of diseases.

Which doctors treat vascular diseases:

• - eliminates vascular pathologies in the brain;
• - treats varicose veins of the lower extremities, thrombophlebitis, inflammation of the venous wall;
• - a specialist in heart disease;
• angiologist - a doctor specializing in diseases of the arteries, the lymphatic system;
• – is engaged in the treatment of lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, against which there are often problems with blood circulation, blood vessels;
• Sometimes consultation may be required.

If you have heart problems, you should visit a cardiologist.

A newborn often has a hemangioma - an overgrowth of blood vessels, a convex red spot appears on the neck. By themselves, neoplasms are not dangerous, but they negatively affect blood clotting and the immune system. It is necessary to consult with the surgeon, but in most cases no specific treatment is required, the problem disappears on its own by 10 years.

Problems with blood vessels often occur in women during menopause - female sex hormones protect the walls of blood vessels from cholesterol .

Diagnosis of vascular diseases

After examining and questioning the patient, palpation, percussion and auscultation, the doctor prescribes laboratory and instrumental studies to clarify the diagnosis, draw up the correct treatment regimen.

Basic diagnostic methods:

1. A clinical blood test - an increase in ESR indicates the presence of inflammatory processes in the vessels.
2. Urinalysis - the level of LDH is important, an increase in the urine of this substance indicates ischemia infarction.
3. Biochemical blood test - shows the level of cholesterol, in the nome, the indicators for men should be in the range of 5.9-6.5 mmol / l, for women - no more than 5.2 units. The test should be taken only on an empty stomach, the last meal should be 10 hours before the examination.
4. Immunological test for the detection of lipoproteins in the blood.
5. Coagulogram - allows you to determine how the process of blood clotting proceeds in the body.
6. Vascular angiography - contrast x-ray. Used to detect pathological changes in the vessels of the heart, legs, brain. The method is informative, but has many contraindications, requires special training in a hospital setting.
7. Angiography - using a tomograph, they study the state of blood vessels in the heart, neck, abdominal region, and brain.
8. Ultrasound (dopplerography) - allows you to see the presence of cholesterol plaques, their location.
9. MRI - the method will help to identify vascular anomalies, the degree of narrowing of blood vessels.
10. RVG of vessels - the method allows you to see how blood circulates in the arms, legs, assess the tone of blood vessels in the extremities.
11. - with the help of REG, the level of vascular reaction is checked.

Vascular diseases never manifest themselves as a separate pathology - they are always closely related to any malfunctions in the body.

A blood test will show the condition of the vessels

Possible Complications

Since the vessels supply oxygen and nutrients to all systems, when they become ill, pathological processes can begin in any organ, but the heart and brain suffer the most.

Consequences of vascular diseases:

• heart attack, various types of stroke;
• dementia;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• encephalopathy;
• severe migraine;
• blindness, impaired speech, coordination;
• paralysis of the limbs;
• tissue necrosis;
• mental disorders.

Vascular pathologies provoke the development of dangerous diseases that cause disability or death.

If left untreated, vascular disease can lead to a heart attack.

Treatment of vascular diseases

To get rid of vascular pathologies, improve well-being, prevent the development of complications, it is necessary to take special medicines. But drug therapy will be ineffective if the patient does not follow a special diet.

Medications

In the treatment of vascular diseases, drugs are used, the action of which is aimed at improving blood circulation, increasing the lumen in damaged capillaries, and cleansing blood vessels from atherosclerotic plaques. The right choice of medicines helps to normalize metabolic processes, eliminate oxygen starvation in tissues.

Groups of vascular drugs:

1. Myotropic, neurotropic drugs, nitrates- Eufilin, Reserpine, Nitroglycerin. Medicines are designed to normalize cerebral blood flow, reduce vascular tone, and affect nerve fibers.
2. Calcium channel blockers- Diazem, Verapamil, Nifedipine, Amlodipine. Prevent the deterioration of the flexibility of blood vessels, strengthen their walls.
3. Heart drugs- Adonizide, Cardiovalen. Improve the work of coronary vessels, eliminate oxygen deficiency in the brain.
4. Preparations based on nicotinic acid- Enduracin. They have a beneficial effect on even the smallest capillaries, but worsen the functioning of the liver.
5. Herbal medicines“Bilobil, Cavinton. They eliminate spasms, normalize blood circulation, have practically no contraindications and adverse reactions.
6. Preparations for strengthening the walls of blood vessels- Askorutin, Venoton, Detralex.
7. Nootropics - Nootropil, Phenotropil. They improve memory, brain function, are necessary for people who are engaged in mental work.
8. Migraine drugs- Maxalt. They reduce vascular tone, eliminate spasms, anesthetize, have a vasodilating and anti-inflammatory effect.
9. Anticoagulants, antiaggregants- Heparin, Hirudin. Medicines prevent the formation of blood clots, reduce the risk of developing a heart attack, and improve the condition of peripheral vessels.
10. Vessel cleansing preparations Cavinton, Capillarin.
11. - used to reduce pressure and strengthen blood vessels.

People who are at risk of vascular pathologies should regularly take ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and fish oil.

Askorutin will strengthen the walls of blood vessels

Food

The health of the vessels is reflected in all the food that a person consumes. Fatty and fried foods, a large amount of coffee, salt, sugar - a direct path to dangerous diseases.

What should be on the menu:

• sea ​​fish, seafood, lean meats;
• vegetable oils - olive, corn, linseed;
• cereals, bran, rye bread, wholemeal flour, durum wheat pasta;
• milk and dairy products with an average fat content - when using low-fat foods, calcium is less absorbed;
• you can moderately eat biscuit cookies, bread rolls, homemade marmalade, marshmallows - provided there is no predisposition to obesity;
• light vegetable soups, meat first courses can be consumed once a week;
• raw nuts;
• legumes, potatoes, carrots, sauerkraut, eggplant, celery squash greens;
• seasonal berries and fruits, dried fruits, citrus fruits.

Fruits have a positive effect on vascular health

All dishes need to be baked, stewed, boiled, steamed, salted after cooking directly on the plate. Hot spices and vegetables thin the blood well - chili, ginger, mustard, horseradish root, onion, garlic, but if you have stomach problems, you can not use them.

To reduce the likelihood of diseased blood vessels, you must completely abandon fast food, eat no more than two chicken eggs per week, drink 1 cup of coffee or strong tea per day.

Prevention of vascular diseases

Vascular diseases are fraught with various severe complications, so it is important to regularly carry out preventive measures that will help reduce the likelihood of developing these pathologies.

How to avoid vascular problems:

1. Take Aspirin. This drug thins the blood, it is recommended to take for the prevention of thrombosis and heart attack - 100 mg every evening during dinner for 4-6 months. The medicine should not be taken with a tendency to bleeding, in order to reduce the negative effect on the stomach, you should choose enteric forms of acetylsalicylic acid - Thrombo ACC, Aspirin Cardio.
2. Proper and balanced nutrition will help to avoid the accumulation of cholesterol in the body, the vessels will retain elasticity.
3. Learning to cope with stress, nervous strain - meditation, yoga, hiking in the fresh air, your favorite hobby will help with this.
4. Regularly measure, record the results in a special diary.
5. Control weight - every extra 10 kg increases arterial values ​​by 10-20 units. Get rid of bad habits.
6. Get enough sleep.
7. Go in for sports - the load should be regular, but moderate.

Aspirin thins the blood

In order to detect vascular pathology in time, it is necessary after 30 years to undergo regular preventive examinations, to control the level of cholesterol and sugar in the blood.

In addition to weight, waist circumference should be measured regularly to detect abdominal obesity. Normally, indicators for women should not exceed 88 cm, for men - 102 cm.

Vascular diseases are second only to oncological diseases in the number of premature deaths. Simple preventive measures, a healthy lifestyle reduce the risk of developing pathologies by 3 times.

Vegeto vascular dystonia, doctors are very fond of using this term when a patient comes to their appointment with a breakdown or jumped pressure. Therefore, its name was heard by almost all people who at least once in their life turned to the services of a doctor. This is an independent disease, which is characterized by a set of various signs that affect the stable functioning of the autonomic nervous system. It is responsible for the normalization of the internal environment of the body - body temperature, blood pressure, sweating, heart rate, respiration, metabolism, and so on. It also mobilizes the protective functions of the body so that they can withstand adverse environmental conditions. Dystonia can affect the well-being of the health of the whole organism, it affects the nervous, vascular, neurological, cardiological system. That is why it is very difficult to make a correct diagnosis with such a complex disease.

Atherosclerosis refers to vascular diseases. It occurs due to the deposition of cholesterol deposits on the walls of blood vessels, which is accompanied by a gradual proliferation of connective tissue, disruption of normal blood supply, and at the same time nutrition of brain cells. The presence of fatty plaques on the walls of blood vessels leads to a narrowing of their lumen.

Inflammatory disease of the veins with the formation of a blood clot in them is called thrombophlebitis. Thrombophlebitis is a complication after infectious diseases. As a rule, people with increased blood clotting are most often affected by this disease. Thrombophlebitis on the face is especially very dangerous, then the inflammation can go to the brain and its veins, as well as the veins in the pelvis, which in most cases affects the liver. There are still some cases when thrombophlebitis can go to the upper limbs of the veins, that is, to the neck and chest. To date, there are many drugs that treat this disease. But the best thrombophlebitis treated with folk remedies.

The human body is made up of many different vessels. These can be capillaries, veins, arteries, or lymphatic vessels. Our well-being and health of the body depend on their normal functioning. The concept of vascular disease combines a whole bunch of different health disorders. And the symptoms of these diseases may not be directly related to them. In the initial stage of the disease, the patient complains about the disease of one organ, in fact, he suffers from interruptions in the work of blood vessels.
It is no secret that the walls of blood vessels are covered with various deposits, plaques appear that slow down blood circulation. As a result, a person's blood pressure rises. The worst thing is that people of any age, from young to old, are susceptible to this disease. But do not despair, it exists and shows good results.

Hypertension is a disease of the cardiovascular system, in which blood pressure rises and rises. The first descriptions of this disease were made by Soviet scientists, back in 1922. We have heard about hypertension even in our time, only thirty percent of the world's population has not encountered this disease at least once. And for the remaining seventy percent who have encountered it, the issue of treatment is very topical. There are many varieties of this disease, but essential hypertension is more common than others. Hypertension is the scientific name of the disease, is a chronic disease that adversely affects the blood vessels and heart. At diagnosis hypertension treatment with folk remedies is in no way inferior to medical preparations, and in many cases even wins.

Many representatives of the stronger sex have heard about such a disease as varicocele. It is one of the most common male diseases. About fifteen percent of all men suffer from this disease. Among men who cannot conceive a child, this figure is 40 percent, and among fathers who want to have another child, it is 80 percent. Varicocele is a varicose vein in the area of ​​the spermatic cord. In medical institutions, it is eliminated surgically, but in the early stages it will bring relief treatment of varicocele folk remedies.

Pressure surges can appear in a person at any age, sometimes they are not paid attention to for a long time, but this inattention can lead to a serious illness. Hypertension is high blood pressure, and Hypotension- reduced, both of these phenomena are very dangerous for human health and the causes that cause them are still unknown to science. But the main concomitant factors can be identified - nervous stress, antibiotics and an unhealthy lifestyle. In modern medicine, there are many different drugs that should be used as directed by a doctor, but at an early stage of the disease, a sick person can successfully use pressure treatment folk remedies.

Vasculitis is considered a general term used to refer to diseases associated with vascular inflammation. With inflammation, the blood vessels lose their elasticity, become stretched. They can expand or narrow, until the lumen is completely blocked. This disease can affect at any age, regardless of gender. Vasculitis is often complicated, so it is best to diagnose and treat it in the early stages. Besides, vasculitis wonderful be treated with folk remedies.

By definition anemia This condition of the body is called, in which the content of hemoglobin decreases. In the common people, anemia is called anemia. Of all the known types of this disease, iron deficiency anemia is considered one of the most common. It is quite often considered not only as an independent disease, but also as a consequence of another disease, as a result of which the level of iron in the blood decreases. In order to avoid any complications, anemia must be treated in a timely manner, and it is not necessary to do this only with the means prescribed by the doctor, because you can treat anemia with folk remedies.

Vessels are a kind of transport network of the body. Blood moves along it, delivering oxygen and nutrients to all organs and tissues. This circulatory transport network in an adult is ninety-five thousand kilometers. Every day, seven thousand liters of blood move through it. That is why the main place in the human body is occupied by blood vessels. Their treatment in case of damage should be entrusted only to specialists.

Causes of the disease

• Neurocircular dystonia. Vessels begin to narrow and expand randomly.
• Hypertension over time, if left untreated, it can lead to atherosclerosis of the vessels.
• Lots of bad cholesterol.
• stressful situations. In order to recover from stress, you will need a large amount of steroid hormones. For this to happen, the liver begins to produce large amounts of cholesterol. Part of it goes "to work", and part settles on the walls of blood vessels.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoke damages the lining of arteries. It needs blood cells to heal. But not only they are delayed, cholesterol, thrombin, fibrinogen get there with them. Over time, the vessels can become impassable, the blood pulsation stops.
• Exchange disorder.
• The appearance of a thrombus. In a healthy body, its occurrence is almost not dangerous, it dissolves under the influence of nutrients. If the body is weakened, a blood clot can clog damaged vessels.

Symptoms

The work of the human body depends on the state of the vessels. Treatment of the circulatory transport system is related to the symptoms that occur. Now let's talk about what are the signs of the disease. Most often, they begin to appear after forty years and depend on which organ vessels are damaged. Common symptoms include:

• Constant dizziness. They occur when the brain is poorly supplied with oxygen.
• Headache.
• Fainting.
• Heat intolerance.
• Hands and feet are cold.
• Heartbeat quickened.
• An ache in the joints.
• Well-being depends on weather conditions.
• Decreased sexual function.
• The pressure is dropping.

In addition, hearing begins to gradually decrease, sleep worsens, memory becomes worse, often makes noise in the ears, periodically staggers when walking, speech is sometimes incomprehensible. There is pain in the legs, in the evening they swell, at night there are cramps in the muscles of the legs, they become insensitive, their skin color changes.

Vascular disease of the lower extremities

The most common ailments associated with vascular disorders include:

• Varicose veins.
• Venous insufficiency.
• Thrombophlebitis.
• Thrombosis.
• Lymphostasis.
• Vasculitis.
• Trophic ulcers.
• Acute obstruction of the arteries.
• diabetic angiopathy.
• Stasis dermatitis.
• Hyperpigmentation.

Treatment of vessels of the lower extremities occurs as follows. Experts recommend complex therapy. The main activities used in this regard are as follows:

• Carrying out physical exercises that regulate blood circulation in the limbs.
• Constant wearing of a special elastic bandage.
• The use of tonic gels that strengthen the walls of blood vessels.
• Drink more, it is good if herbal infusions are used for these purposes.
• A great option is a vodka compress. Thanks to him, you can remove the swelling.

In addition, the treatment of vessels of the lower extremities includes the use of medications. The doctor approaches each appointment individually, depending on the diagnosis, the complexity of the disease and its stage.

Cerebral vascular diseases

Impaired coordination, incoherent speech, dizziness, tinnitus are the first signs that the vessels of the brain are damaged. Symptoms and treatment are interrelated. The treatment program depends on the severity of the disease, which will be aimed at restoring blood circulation.

• Complete examination of the patient: blood test, its viscosity, ultrasound doppler.
• The appointment of drugs leading to an improvement in vascular microcirculation and lowering cholesterol levels.
• If necessary, a course of physiotherapy is prescribed.

If we talk about drugs, then in this case, the number one salvation worth remembering is the ordinary medicine Aspirin. This remedy perfectly thins the blood and counteracts the formation of blood clots.

If the vessels are damaged, treatment without drugs will be ineffective. In order to return the “blood transport network” of the brain to normal, the following medications are prescribed:

• "Vinkamine" - improves blood circulation, has a sedative effect.
• "Cavinton" - dilates blood vessels, reduces platelet aggregation.
• "Cinnarizine" - improves cerebral circulation.
• "No-shpa", "Dibazol" - relieve spasms of blood vessels.

Treatment of the vessels of the head and neck is also possible with the help of traditional medicine, but we will talk about this a little lower.

Damaged vessels of the heart

The heart is the engine of our body. And it’s bad if faulty “equipment” approaches it. That is why great attention is paid to the vessels that lead to this organ.

If they are damaged, then a disease such as coronary heart disease cannot be avoided.

How is the treatment of the vessels of the heart?

The first thing to do is to follow a diet. The amount of cholesterol should be kept to a minimum.

The second is to lead an active lifestyle.

Drugs that are used for treatment should provide blood thinning. They are prescribed after six months of dieting. If the case is particularly severe, then an operation is prescribed.

But, as mentioned above, the main task is to lower cholesterol. To help the body cope with this task, the specialist prescribes the following medications:

• "Enduracin".
• "Acipimox".

They will have to be taken in large doses, they have many side effects.

Don't Forget the Plants

Treatment of vessels with folk remedies is widely used in practice. Here are a few recipes that can not only improve your health, but also contribute to a full recovery.

• Grind a head of garlic and one lemon on a grater. Pour the mixture with one liter of boiled water. You insist for two days. Take one tablespoon four times a day.

• Fifteen minutes before meals, drink half a glass of fresh cabbage leaf juice.
• Do not forget to eat apples and drink radish juice.
• Take ten grams of birch bark, add ash leaves to it and boil everything in one liter of water for ten minutes. Strain and drink one glass of decoction in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Instead of tea, you can brew twenty grams of hawthorn in one glass of boiling water. You insist two hours.

Do not be afraid to use traditional medicine recipes if you have damaged blood vessels. Treatment in this way, although it has been tested for centuries, still try to carry it out under the supervision of a specialist.

Disease prevention

If there has been a violation of the blood system of the body associated with the heart, lower limbs, or the vessels of the brain are damaged, the symptoms and treatment for each of these diseases are different. But there are several rules that should be followed not only during treatment, but also for prevention:

• Lead the right way of life.

• Healthy food.
• More movement and less stress.
• Every morning - exercises, every evening - a walk.
• Give up alcohol and smoking.
• Eat less salt and more vegetables and fruits.
• Visit your doctor regularly for preventive check-ups.
• Take vitamins that help strengthen blood vessels.
• To raise the tone, douse yourself alternately with cold and warm water.

Expert advice: To prevent cardiovascular disease, consume two tablespoons of olive oil every day.

Only in this case will your blood vessels be healthy. They don't need treatment. No cholesterol plaques will clog them. After all, they say the truth: it is better to prevent a disease than to treat it later.

Conclusion

In most cases, our health depends on us. Vascular disease is proof of that. After all, it is worth once again giving up fatty, sweet, salty, bitter, and cholesterol plaques can leave us forever. And if you devote a little more time to sports, then your health every day will be simply excellent.

Compliance with very simple rules will exclude the appearance of the most complex diseases that can lead to dire consequences. So let's at least try to follow these rules.

A person is able to live for about a hundred years, so why do the resources of our body run out in 60-70? Heart pains, problems with arteries and capillaries, sclerotic diseases - all this overtakes a person long before the time measured by nature.

Our "Achilles' heel" is the blood vessels. The slightest malfunction in the functioning of the circulatory system can lead to total problems throughout the body. To push these dark days away, it is necessary to strengthen the capillaries and arteries. We will outline effective methods for strengthening blood vessels in this article.

Symptoms of emerging problems

What are the "first bells" of future misfortunes? You will have to think about visiting a doctor and changing your lifestyle if the following symptoms are recorded:

• frequent dizziness and general weakness;
• fast fatiguability;
• chronic headaches;
• darkening in the eyes;
• deterioration of health when the weather changes;
• noise in ears;
• sleep problems;
• drowsiness and lethargy (even if you slept well);
• palpitations;
• numbness of the extremities (plus tingling in the fingers);
• heaviness in the chest;
• evening fatigue of the legs;
• freezing limbs;
• shortness of breath that occurs with frivolous physical exertion.

These symptoms indicate neurocirculatory - the gradual deterioration of blood vessels. No one invented miraculous pills for this ailment - you will fight the problem that has piled up through a whole range of preventive actions. We will also connect traditional medicine and pharmacological preparations, but more on that later.

Take a look at your lifestyle. Go in for sports, regular physical exercises, start eating right. Swimming, dancing, running and yoga will have a beneficial effect on the elasticity of your blood vessels. Let's consider the problem more locally.

Dealing with capillaries

Capillaries deliver nutrition to the muscle fiber, these are microscopic blood vessels. The microvascular network is very large - the total length of the capillaries can exceed several kilometers.

Problems arise in the case of thrombosis - the vessels "fall asleep" and they will have to be restored by continuous stimulation.

• intense physical exercise;
• massage (especially with Kuznetsov's applicator);
• contrast douches;
• Russian bath (using a broom);
• turpentine baths (have an antiseptic and local irritant effect).

Kuznetsov's applicator implies regular use - it is necessary to act on the spine, face, forehead skin, chin. Turpentine baths and broom massage help capillaries open and increase blood circulation.

Strengthening the eye capillaries

Weak are not only the vessels that supply blood to various parts of our body. The capillaries that feed the mucous membrane also need to be strengthened. Bruising, tingling, pain in the eyeball are alarming symptoms indicating that the capillary has burst.

The reasons may be different:

• alcohol and smoking;
• allergy;
• lack of vitamins;
• infection.

To keep your eyes in good shape, avoid direct exposure to artificial light.

While working at the computer, periodically be distracted - look at the sky and the greenery outside the window. Try to keep a distance of about 50 centimeters between the monitor and your eyes. To improve the eye capillaries, the best means are:

• honey and green tea (lotions based on green tea are especially effective);
• rosehip broth (added to tea, instead of sugar - honey);
• vitamins (K, C).

Arteries and veins

Coronary arteries supply useful substances to the heart muscle - with age, these vessels become vulnerable, they need to be strengthened and rejuvenated. The main cause of arterial wear and tear is obesity. Arterial walls are covered with plaques of cholesterol, lose elasticity, acquire scars and other defects. To strengthen the walls and increase their elasticity, the following means are recommended:

• tincture of birch buds;
• mountain arnica (water infusion);
• flower infusion of hawthorn;
• birch buds (alcohol tincture);
• atherosclerotic preparations (mint, dandelion, knotweed, sweet clover, lingonberry leaf, St. John's wort);
• infusion of corn stigmas.

Hawthorn flower infusion helps to cleanse the vessels, but the main attention should be paid to the organization of your regimen (rest and work).

You will be helped:

• jogging;
• walking;
• swimming;
• walks.

Vessels of the brain and their strengthening

The affected vessels that feed the brain subsequently narrow and deform. If the problem is not given proper attention, the consequences can be horrendous - the case ends with a hemorrhagic stroke, cerebral infarction, and even dementia.

People who earn by mental work are at risk - they experience increased brain stress, which leads to stress and overwork. The result is a weakening of the vessels of the brain. High-calorie foods and a lack of fresh air can also exacerbate the situation. The vessels become clogged, overgrown with cholesterol plaques, their walls are damaged.

How to strengthen the vessels of the head? There are many recipes that are not particularly difficult.

These recipes are predominantly of folk origin. Below we present a couple of the most effective.

Folk remedies

1. Hawthorn and walnuts. You will need not the nuts themselves, but their internal partitions. 350 grams of partitions must be poured with hawthorn tincture purchased at a pharmacy. The elixir is infused for about two weeks - in a cool place, in a container under the lid (you need to close it tightly). After that, the tincture is filtered and consumed three times a day. Dosage - a teaspoon. The course of treatment is a week.
2. Garlic tincture. Garlic is extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system. You can use it both in the form of cloves and in the form of tincture. Chopped garlic (250 g) is poured with the same amount of alcohol, tightly closed and infused for 10-12 days (cool dark room). The intake scheme for garlic tincture is quite complicated, so we will talk about it separately.

So, your elixir is infused and ready to use. The next algorithm looks like this:

• First day. Pour milk into a glass by one third and add a drop of the drug there. Consume the mixture on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast. Before dinner (half an hour before), prepare a new portion - with two drops. Before dinner, 3 drops of tincture are added to milk.
• Second day. The dosage before meals increases to 4, 5 and 6 drops. The half-hour interval must still be respected.
• The following days. The scheme logically continues in the following days - gradually you add one new drop at a time. By the sixth day, the number of drops will reach 15. Now start the reverse process - reduce the dosage in the same proportions. After that, take 25 drops - until the end of the course (until the drug runs out). The process will take about 90 days.

Leg problems

To activate blood flow and strengthen the vessels of the legs, it is worth combining the power of traditional medicine with physical exercises. Regular workouts and phyto-collections purchased at a pharmacy are the key to future longevity. It is worth paying attention to the following drugs:

• A mixture of herbs (rhodiola rosea, lemongrass, ginseng root, eleutherococcus). The proportions are equal (50 grams each), they must be filled with 250 ml of alcohol. The infusion process takes two weeks. The remedy is taken three times a day, 20-25 drops.
• Immortelle. Crushed immortelle leaves (20-30 g) are poured with a glass of boiling water, after which they are boiled for 8-10 minutes over low heat. The final touch is infusion under the lid (about an hour). Strained broth is used three times a day. Dosage - a third of a glass.

Of the physical activities that have a beneficial effect on the vessels of the legs, it is worth highlighting:

• overcoming flights of stairs on foot;
• cycling;
• walking;
• raising legs (effective for sedentary work);
• rises on toes (with subsequent lowering on the entire foot);
• foot circular motion.

Strengthen the heart and blood vessels that feed it

Fast food and an abundance of stressful situations lead to weakening and deformation of the vessels that feed the heart muscle. Constant employment undermines our health, so you need to follow a preventive set of measures that strengthen the heart and blood vessels.

The complex looks like this:

• avoid stressful situations;
• take strengthening vitamins (C, P, E, K);
• eat right (fatty and high-calorie foods are best excluded from the diet);
• get rid of cholesterol, clean the arteries with folk methods;
• exercise (there are special complexes for the heart and blood vessels);
• use water procedures (a universal remedy - a contrast shower).

Vessels in the nose

Loss of elasticity of the nasal vessels is usually caused by a lack of vitamins (C, P). This is an alarming bell, it indicates the need to strengthen the vessels in the nose. And again folk recipes come to the rescue:

• Yarrow juice. It is required to crush the leaves of yarrow and squeeze the juice through gauze. Portions are prepared daily from fresh leaves. The resulting liquid is instilled into the nose at least 2-3 times daily. In parallel, the juice is taken orally - three times a day for a tablespoon. If the yarrow was not at hand, you can replace it with plantain juice.
• Viburnum bark. It sounds rather exotic, but the remedy is effective. 15-20 grams of crushed bark is brewed in a glass of boiling water. The water bath mode is maintained for about half an hour, after which the broth is filtered. Internal use - a tablespoon three times a day.
• Askorutin. This remedy is not at all folk - it is sold in all pharmacies in the country.

What to eat and what to take

There are universal folk medicines and drugs developed by pharmacists that strengthen the circulatory system.

You should also pay close attention to your diet. Start using right now:

• horseradish;
• beets;
• carrot;
• wild garlic;
• garlic;
• citrus;
• raisin;
• dried apricots;
• fish;
• lean poultry meat.

These products have a strengthening effect on the walls of blood vessels. Food should be taken in small portions. Regular overeating is the cause of weakness and dizziness. Drink caffeinated drinks with extreme caution - by increasing the tone, they also have a side (loosening) effect on the circulatory system.

Drinking mode will help normalize blood circulation - drink at least one and a half liters of water daily. Preference should be given to vegetables and fruits, but it is better to refuse salt.

Medications

In some cases, doctors prescribe special drugs, the purpose of which is to strengthen the walls of your arteries. These funds belong to several drug groups.

• fibrates (clofibrate, atromidin, atromid, simvastatin, zocor, simvalitin);
• statins (mefacor, lovostatin, mevakos);
• ascorutin;
• cerebrolysin;
• lecithin;
• medicines (papaverine, eufillin).

The selection of the drug is carried out by the attending physician individually. The list of drugs will depend on the results of the diagnosis and the personal characteristics inherent in the patient's body. It is highly undesirable to arbitrarily use the listed medicines.

Some diseases are easier to prevent than to cure. Strengthening blood vessels prevents a whole range of ailments that are better not to face in old age. Stock up on patience and strength, discipline yourself. Exercise regularly for 15 minutes (at least) every day. By defeating laziness, you will postpone your appointment with cardiologists for a long time.

Cardiologist

Higher education:

Cardiologist

Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after A.I. HM. Berbekova, Faculty of Medicine (KBGU)

Level of education - Specialist

Additional education:

"Cardiology"

State Educational Institution "Institute for the Improvement of Doctors" of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Chuvashia

Vascular diseases develop against the background of failures in the regulation of life support. Various instrumental and laboratory methods are used to diagnose the disease. Vascular treatment is carried out after identifying the cause of the pathology.

Medical indications

The human vascular system transports metabolic products from the heart to other parts of the body and vice versa. Symptoms in vascular diseases indicate the localization of insufficient blood supply.

Conditional classification of ailments:

• diseases of the heart and central vessels (aorta);
• pathology of peripheral vessels (in the area of ​​the peritoneum, extremities).

With the development of the disease, the structure of the walls is disturbed, the nerve fibers of the regulation of tone are blocked, occlusion develops, the lumen expands or narrows. Vascular diseases occur suddenly, accompanied by acute symptoms. If the pathology is formed gradually, then there are no signs.

Experts identify the following causes of the development of heart disease and blood vessels:

• infectious inflammation with arteritis or thrombophlebitis;
• congenital anomaly;
• malformation;
• thrombosis;
• embolism;
• atherosclerotic plaque under the musculo-elastic artery;
• broken wall structure;
• high or low tone.

The causes of the development of vascular disease are associated with the spread of atherosclerosis, dysfunction of the central nervous system, endocrine disruptions, heart failure, vitamin deficiency. Pathologies of the vessels of the hands develop against the background of impaired blood flow in the arteries that go from the chest to the extremities. Such conditions are associated with narrowing or blockage of blood vessels. Such diseases are a rare form in which atherosclerotic plaque forms on the walls of arteries in the upper extremities.

They develop gradually, progressing over time. At the initial stages, the patient's condition does not change. As the disease of the heart and blood vessels increases, a person may complain of discomfort in the hands when performing physical work. If left untreated, sores appear, gangrene of the fingers begins.

Pathologies of the central blood vessels (CS)

The central vessels supply blood to the heart and brain (GM). More often, the manifestation of vascular diseases is associated with a pathological process in the arteries of the GM. At the same time, atherosclerotic plaque contributes to the narrowing of the artery, provoking the formation of blood clots and tissue ischemia.

The latter disease develops against the background of insufficient blood supply to the coronary vessels that feed the myocardium.

Chronic ischemia in humans is manifested by the following symptoms:

1. An attack of angina pectoris - in the first stages, pain occurs only during exercise, and then at rest. The attack lasts 30 minutes, radiating to the left arm, throat, shoulder blade. It is possible to treat diseases of the cardiovascular system with nitropreparations.
2. Shortness of breath.
3. Arrhythmia.

Acute myocardial ischemia provokes a heart attack. The defeat of the cardiovascular system depends on the following factors:

• ischemia zone;
• development of other vessels;
• depth of injury.

Such vascular disease leads to general circulatory failure. Signs of pathology are manifested in the form of intense and cutting pain, radiating as in angina pectoris. But in this case, nitroglycerin is ineffective. Shortness of breath can turn into pulmonary edema and suffocation, provoking acute heart failure.

Heart disease can be accompanied by cardiogenic shock caused by secondary vascular damage. In this case, thromboembolism develops. Treatment of cardiovascular pathologies is aimed at saving the life of the patient.

MS ischemia

Atherosclerosis of the cerebral vessels contributes to the development of ischemia of the arteries of the brain. Scientists have proven that the first signs of pathology appear on the walls of the carotid artery. For example, this one could be an atherosclerotic plaque. With blood retention in the vertebral vessels, the course depends on the condition of the cartilage and bones.

The chronic form of this disease develops in stages and is more often diagnosed in older people. Its main symptoms include migraine, decreased vision and hearing, and insomnia. The acute form is characterized by ischemic stroke, which often occurs in the morning or at night.

Given the localization of the focus, the patient may complain of dizziness and coma, changes in the sensitivity of the limbs, difficulty speaking, difficulty swallowing. It is recommended to treat such a disease of the cardiovascular system by dissolving the thrombus and restoring vascular patency. Therapy will be effective if it is started within the first 6 hours after an attack.

Intravenous (through a dropper) administration of Urokinase, Streptokinase and Fibrinolysin is also shown. Their action is aimed at preventing complications and reducing the ischemic zone. People suffering from ischemia of the cerebral vessels should take vasodilators, sedatives, vitamins, anabolics.

Neurocirculatory dystonia is characterized by damage to peripheral arteries against the background of problems in the work of the main parts of the central nervous system. The disease is manifested by headaches, dizziness, fainting, arrhythmia, prolonged constipation or loose stools. This pathology is diagnosed in adolescents after overwork or infection. Treatment includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and taking sedatives.

Pathologies of peripheral CS

Common pathologies of peripheral vessels:

• obliterating diseases;
• atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities;
• varicose veins;
• thrombophlebitis;
• blockage of deep veins.

With atherosclerosis, there are no areas with obliterated walls in the artery, and corresponding plaques form inside. The leg is exposed to this disease against the background of autoimmune processes that are inherited. Such a disease of the cardiovascular system often affects middle-aged men. Bad habits have a direct influence on its course. Nicotine has a negative effect on the vessels located along the periphery of the lower extremities.

Endarteritis is a pathology in which the structure of the walls of the joints is disturbed, which contributes to the narrowing of the vascular lumens. Obliterating endarteritis is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• convulsions;
• pain when walking;
• vascular cephalgia;
• ulcers and cracks in the skin.

Occlusion in endarteritis often develops in the postoperative period. If left untreated, the pathology, like all obliterating vascular diseases, can lead to amputation of the legs. Arteritis, unlike endarteritis, is a pathology of the vessels of the lower leg and feet. Most often, this disease is diagnosed at the age of 20-40 years.

Varicose veins of the lower extremities begin with a loss of tone, which provokes sagging of blood vessels. Such a clinical picture is accompanied by high and rapid fatigue of the legs, swelling, pain in the feet and calves, the appearance of "spiders" on the skin in the thigh and lower leg.

If diseases of the heart and blood vessels affect the deep veins, then the patient is worried about severe and constant pain. The feet turn blue, and thickened plexuses of veins are visible under the skin. Experts believe that varicose veins are a female disease, as they develop during pregnancy. But this pathology can also occur in men of the "sedentary" profession.

Treatment of mild varicose veins includes taking tonic drugs, doing gymnastics, and wearing compression underwear. Varicose veins in pregnant women can be complicated by hemorrhoids. In this case, a special diet is observed.

In severe pathology, surgical intervention is performed. The technique is selected by the doctor, taking into account the diameter and depth of vascular damage:

• sclerotherapy;
• radiofrequency ablation;
• removal of the entire vein.

The course and therapy of thrombophlebitis

Thrombophlebitis is a complication of varicose veins, in which the inflamed area turns red and swells. On palpation, the patient experiences severe pain. The disease often affects the superficial veins of the legs and arms. The patient may have an increase in body temperature. This disease of the heart and blood vessels is characterized by such a dangerous consequence as the separation of a part of a blood clot. The resulting embolus can enter the right atrium and pulmonary artery, causing a heart attack or instant death.

This complication occurs more often after surgery. Therefore, before surgery, prevention of vascular diseases is indicated: taking anticoagulants, tight bandaging of the lower extremities.

A large ulcer on the lower leg is manifested by the lost function of nourishing the skin and muscles. If the pathology is severe, gangrene of the toes is possible. Therapy is aimed at preventing tissue necrosis. Thrombophlebitis is severe against the background of atherosclerosis of the femoral artery, diabetes mellitus.

To diagnose the venous system of the legs, specialists use the following methods:

• ultrasound dopplerography;
• duplex scanning;
• phlebography.

The standard for detecting thrombophlebitis and other pathologies of the cardiovascular system is considered to be an X-ray contrast technique. Using ultrasound angioscanning, the doctor can determine the location of the thrombus, its extent and the nature of the pathology.

When conducting retrograde iliocavagraphy, a catheter is used, which is inserted into the iliac vein. An accurate method for diagnosing pathologies is spiral CT and MRI. If venous thrombosis is suspected, laboratory tests are prescribed.

Surgery

In the acute form of superficial thrombophlebitis, surgical treatment is used if the size of the clot exceeds the level of the middle third of the thigh. The Troyanov-Trendellenburg method is considered a classic operation. Rarely, crossectomy is performed.

In the first case, the doctor bandages the great saphenous vein, crossing its trunk in the wound area. This prevents the spread of the disease to the femoral vein. During crossectomy, the orifices of the large vein are additionally isolated and tied up. This operation eliminates reflux by safeno-femoral fistula. In acute deep vein thrombosis, which is accompanied by flotation, surgical treatment is performed.

Otherwise, occlusive diseases require the use of compression garments; gels that tonic and strengthen the walls of blood vessels; treatment of the underlying disease. The patient is recommended to undergo a course of massage and drug therapy (statins).

But such treatment will not give the proper result if you do not follow a diet. The latter therapy is aimed at normalizing weight and cholesterol levels in the blood. It is recommended to refuse products with animal fats. The menu includes foods with fiber, which improve bowel activity, contributing to the removal of cholesterol.

Preventive measures

Therapy for vascular and heart diseases depends on the cause that caused them and the stage of the course. It is recommended to change the habitual way of life. Therapeutic exercise has a positive effect on the course of pathology. It is required to completely abandon bad habits. If the disease was provoked by hypodynamia, then therapy takes into account the change of profession.

Prevention of diseases of the heart and blood vessels is aimed at maintaining the tone of the walls. Therefore, it is necessary to eat fruits and vegetables. If atherosclerosis of the arteries is detected, fatty and fried foods, sweets and alcoholic beverages are excluded from the patient's menu. The required products are:

• lean fish;
• milk and its derivatives.

Smoking is considered a serious obstacle in the treatment of pathologies of the heart and blood vessels. Movement is the key to a healthy vascular system. Daily moderate exercise contributes to the activation of blood flow in the capillaries and veins in the periphery. It is not recommended to lift weights and engage in heavy sports. You can swim, get involved in Pilates and walking.

If symptoms of diseases of the vascular and cardiac systems appear, it is recommended to consult with a general practitioner, surgeon, neurosurgeon, cardiologist, phlebologist. Timely therapy will prevent dangerous complications and sudden death.

Modern stressful life leaves a person less and less likely to maintain the body in a healthy state. And first of all, vessels suffer from the negative impact of the environment. Pathologies of the circulatory system are steadily "younger", reduce the quality of life of people of working age and take first place among the causes of death and disability. Most vascular diseases are not curable, but require constant monitoring and maintenance therapy.

Vessels permeate the body with a huge network - their total length in the body of an adult is about 100 thousand km. The number and total length of capillaries cannot be counted at all; they are individual for each person. The main organ of the circulatory system is the heart. This tireless worker for 70 years of human life makes 2.5 billion strokes and pumps 250 million liters of blood.

Functions of the circulatory system:

• arteries carry blood to all organs, delivering nutrients and oxygen to them;
• through the veins there is an outflow of waste blood, which enters the heart, liver, kidneys to remove metabolic products from the body;
• capillaries - the smallest vessels - conduct oxygen and nutrients to the cells and take away toxins from them;
• in general, the vascular network maintains the constancy of the internal environment of the body - temperature, acid-base balance, immunity.

It is not surprising that vascular diseases have a sharply negative effect on the functioning of human organs and systems. The deterioration of their blood supply leads to a decrease in function, and then to organic changes.

Vascular problems are of a different nature and can appear at any age. Young women suffer from leg veins, men of working age are threatened with endarteritis, pathologies of the heart and coronary vessels. From a young age, the "base" of atherosclerosis is laid, which in the elderly is the main cause of vascular pathologies.

The first signs of vascular problems

Although venous disease is more common, arterial disease is more dangerous and can be fatal quickly. Clinical signs depend on the location of the pathology. The main symptoms of problems with the central vessels:

• fatigue, weakness, poor sleep;
• pallor, hand trembling, restlessness, absent-mindedness;
• swelling at the end of the day;
• cough that is not relieved by mucolytic agents;
• increase in pressure;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• shortness of breath, palpitations, chest tightness;
• pain in the shoulder blades, in the jaw, in the left arm, which occurs during moments of great excitement and physical exertion.

The first signs that the vessels of the legs hurt are heaviness and fatigue in them, the vascular network, and swelling. If you have two or more of these signs of blood vessel problems, you need to see a doctor and get tested.

In people who spend a lot of time in a static position (office workers, IT specialists), the vessels of the neck and head suffer first of all. The insidiousness of the pathology lies in the absence of any symptoms in the initial stages. The problem manifests itself when the disease goes far and requires urgent treatment.

Causes of vascular pathology

Vascular pathologies give rise to etiological factors. However, there are common causes related to lifestyle, nutrition and negative environmental influences. Mankind is paying for the blessings of civilization, progress and evolution with a real epidemic of cardiovascular diseases.

The vascular system was formed in the process of evolution under the physical loads necessary for a person to survive. Today, to get food and other things necessary for life, you do not need to move much. The activity level decreased, and the muscles no longer received an adequate load. The heart is also a muscular organ and it needs training.

Vascular diseases of the legs are directly related to a decrease in physical activity. For venous blood, the calf muscles play the role of a pump, pushing it up against the law of gravity.

Smoking, alcohol and stress

Starting to smoke at a young age, people hardly think about how nicotine affects the biochemical processes in the body. One cigarette smoked causes vasospasm for 20 minutes and reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood by 5%. Long-term smoking, even 10 cigarettes a day, causes irreparable harm to blood vessels and the heart. Harmful substances entering the blood increase the ability of blood cells to stick together with each other and with the vascular wall, which inevitably leads to the formation of blood clots.

Alcohol brings no less harm, which arranges real gymnastics for the vessels. First they expand, then sharply narrow. Such drops reduce the elasticity of the vascular walls, and a decrease in pressure worsens the blood supply to the organs. Ethanol destroys the membrane of erythrocytes, they begin to stick together and worse perform their main function - oxygen transport.

The work of the heart and blood vessels is regulated by the central and autonomic nervous system. From stress, the heartbeat becomes more frequent, a spasm sets in, and blood pressure rises.

Endocrine disorders

The human endocrine system is involved in all life processes. In particular, it coordinates the coordinated work of all organs and systems through the production of hormones. Estrogen protects women of reproductive age from atherosclerosis, so vascular diseases overtake them more often during menopause. Men do not have such protection, so they have heart attacks at the age of 40-45 years.

The work of blood vessels is influenced by hormones synthesized in the adrenal glands - adrenaline and norepinephrine. Adrenaline accelerates the heartbeat and constricts blood vessels, norepinephrine - on the contrary. An imbalance between them leads to serious vascular pathologies. Elevated blood sugar damages small-caliber blood vessels.

Food habits

Food can make or break our health. Semi-finished products stuffed with preservatives, fatty high-calorie fast food, sweet soda cause obesity and damage the circulatory system. Fat is deposited on the vessels and the heart, reducing the functionality of the myocardium and the elasticity of the vascular wall. Foods high in cholesterol increase the risk of atherosclerosis.

Other causes of vascular pathologies

There are other causes of cardiovascular diseases, and they do not depend on the will of a person:

• genetic predisposition;
• infectious and viral lesions;
• spine diseases;
• congenital defects (not necessarily hereditary);
• injuries associated with large blood loss.

How to Diagnose

Angiology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of vascular pathologies. Many vascular diseases have similar symptoms. Angiological diagnostic standards provide for clinical analysis and a set of instrumental methods. This combination gives a complete picture of the disease, allows you to accurately determine the typology, stage and localization of the pathology.

When diagnosing obliterating diseases of the limbs and varicose veins, the examination includes an assessment of the condition of the skin and nails, hair growth on the legs, and palpation of the pulse. Functional tests are carried out for the presence of blood clots and insufficiency of arterial circulation. Auscultation of the great vessels reveals stenosis and aneurysms. Heart disease is primarily diagnosed with an ECG.

duplex sonography

Vascular ultrasound includes two methods - Dopplerography (USDG), which allows to assess hemodynamics and duplex scanning (USDS). Ultrasound visualizes a tubular formation and shows problems with the vessels - atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots that block their lumen. Extracranial ultrasound examines the main vessels, intracranial - the vascular pools in the brain.

echocardiography

Echocardiography is often confused with cardiac ultrasound. EchoCG, in fact, is ultrasound, but supplemented by electrocardiography, which significantly increases the information content of the diagnostic method. The study is absolutely safe, painless and available in any medical institution. EchoGC allows you to determine the parameters of the heart (myocardial thickness, size of the ventricles), heart rate, stroke volume, vascular function. Identification of such vascular pathologies as aneurysm, heart failure, pericarditis, defects, tumors, heart attacks occurs with the help of echocardiography.

Angiography is an x-ray examination of blood vessels with the introduction of a contrast agent into them. With its help, places of stenosis and the formation of blood clots are detected, the state of the vascular walls is determined. The concept of "angiography" combines a set of examinations:

• cerebral explores the vessels of the brain;
• fluorescent - eye vessels;
• thoracic aortography shows the condition of the aorta and heart vessels;
• renal examines the state of blood circulation in the organ, shows tumors and hematomas;
• angiopulmonography allows you to assess the state of the vascular network of the lungs;
• phlebography diagnoses diseases of the veins of the lower extremities.

Timely diagnosis with the help of angiography allows treating vascular diseases at an early stage.

Computed tomography is one of the types of angiography. The scanning device is connected to a powerful computer, which makes it possible to obtain a three-dimensional image of the vessel. CT of vessels detects thromboembolism, atherosclerosis, pathological varicose veins, vasculitis, intracranial hemorrhage.

Computed tomography is not an examination of the first stage. It is used to confirm the diagnosis or in case of difficulty in making it. Due to radiation and the use of contrast, the use of CT is limited. It is not prescribed for children, pregnant women, patients with diabetes mellitus, renal and heart failure.

Magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging differs from previous methods and is the most accurate diagnostic method in modern medicine. The research principle is based on the response of hydrogen nuclei contained in the liquid medium of the human body to electromagnetic oscillations of a certain frequency (nuclear magnetic resonance). The pictures contain information about the pathology of vessels of any caliber and its localization. The accuracy of diagnosis is ensured by the contrast agent used in the examination of blood vessels.

Laboratory tests

Laboratory tests of blood and urine reveal factors that affect the functioning of blood vessels and the heart. They assess the level of hemoglobin (presence or absence of anemia), ESR (presence of inflammation), blood glucose (diabetes mellitus as a risk factor), the level of cholesterol and electrolytes necessary for the normal functioning of the heart.

Major vascular diseases

Vascular diseases are divided into two types: pathologies of the central vessels (aorta, coronary, cerebral) and peripheral (vessels of the extremities and abdominal cavity).

Acute venous thrombosis or thrombophlebitis

The name of the pathology speaks for itself - it is a blockage of a vein by a thrombus that disrupts blood flow and causes inflammation in the veins. Thrombophlebitis and phlebothrombosis are vascular diseases that have similar causes, diagnostic methods, treatment principles and prognosis. The reasons:

• lack of physical activity;
• features of the structure of blood vessels;
• increased blood clotting;
• injury.

Symptoms - pain, discoloration of the limb, swelling, heaviness in the legs. Treatment includes medication and surgery. Of the drugs used are anti-inflammatory drugs, agents for thinning the blood and dissolving blood clots, drugs to improve tissue trophism. Surgical methods - removal of a thrombus, shunting and, as a last resort, amputation of a limb in case of tissue necrosis. There is no complete cure.

Post-thrombophlebitic syndrome

As a result of acute venous thrombosis, the vascular wall is destroyed and a persistent violation of the venous outflow occurs, which is called post-thrombophlebitic syndrome. It is expressed in constant pain, inability to stay on the legs for a long time, the appearance of ulcers, cramps, itching. The saphenous veins are deformed. Drug treatment includes venotonics, anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant drugs. If there is no effect, surgical treatment is carried out - sclerosis of the affected vein, removal of its section and ligation of the communicating vessels connecting the superficial and deep veins. Complete cure of vascular diseases of this type is impossible.

Varicose veins

Varicose veins are a common disease of the veins, the etiology of which has not yet been reliably established. Risk factors: hypodynamia, constant load on the legs, uncomfortable shoes. Symptoms: heaviness in the legs, changes in local temperature, cramps in the calves, vascular network and visible varicose veins. Drug treatment is similar to that carried out with thrombophlebitis. If it is impossible to carry out microsurgical operations for sclerosis or gluing of the affected vessels, a complete removal of the vein is performed. There is no cure, only supportive therapy is carried out.

Thromboangiitis (endarteritis, spontaneous gangrene) is the lot of men, women practically do not get sick of them. Thromboangiitis obliterans is first partial and then complete blockage of small arteries and capillaries of the legs or arms. The impetus for the development of the disease is bad habits (especially smoking), frostbite or hypothermia, stress, that is, everything that leads to prolonged vasospasm.

The disease begins asymptomatically, signs of damage are detected at the stage of ischemia. As the disease progresses, the legs get tired even from a small load, the foot and lower leg or hand become cold to the touch, sensitivity is lost, and tissue necrosis occurs. Drug therapy consists in the use of antispasmodics, vasodilators, hormonal drugs, anticoagulants, drugs that regulate cholesterol metabolism, reduce pain and inflammation.

Stages of thromboangiitis obliterans

Surgical treatment consists in cutting off the fibers of the sympathetic nerves going to the diseased vessels (sympathectomy), removing necrotic tissues in case of dry gangrene and amputation of the limb in case of weeping. It is impossible to cure the disease, patients must constantly take medicines, exactly following the doctor's instructions.

Among cardiovascular diseases, cardiac ischemia is the most common. This is a malnutrition of the myocardium caused by pathologies of the coronary vessels. This group of CVD includes arrhythmias, heart failure, heart attack, sudden cardiac death, cardiosclerosis after a heart attack. Causes - clogging of blood vessels with atherosclerotic plaques, stenosis due to spasm, the formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries.

The symptoms of an angina pectoris attack in these diseases are approximately the same:

• pain behind the sternum, radiating to the shoulder, left arm, under the shoulder blade or to the jaw;
• shortness of breath, shortness of breath;
• poor exercise tolerance;
• rhythm disturbances;
• increase in pressure.

Depending on the disorders caused by myocardial ischemia, cardiac glycosides, antiarrhythmic drugs, antihypertensives, diuretics, vasodilators are prescribed. Some pathologies have to be corrected surgically. Minimally invasive methods include the installation of a stent in the artery. Coronary artery bypass grafting is performed on the open heart. Ischemia cannot be cured.

Aneurysm and aortic dissection

The aorta is the largest vessel, its damage leads to serious consequences for all body systems. Stratification of the vascular wall occurs when its inner layer is disturbed by atherosclerosis, inflammation, and high blood pressure. An aneurysm - a protrusion of the vascular wall - is formed where it is more thinned and cannot withstand the pressure of blood. It can reach gigantic sizes - up to 10 cm in diameter. The danger of an aneurysm is that in this place the vessel can suddenly burst and cause massive bleeding.

The causes of dissection and aneurysms are infectious vascular diseases, heredity, trauma, major operations, hormonal effects. Symptoms and signs:

• burning in the chest;
• difficulty breathing and swallowing;
• increased heart rate;
• neurological symptoms as in a stroke;
• urinary retention;
• pain in the legs.

Drug treatment includes antihypertensive drugs, tachycardia drugs, painkillers, cardiac glycosides, heparins, oxygenation. A prosthesis is surgically installed in place of the affected area of ​​the aorta or the vascular wall is strengthened. It is possible to cure with the help of surgery at an early stage of the pathology.

Malformations of large vascular trunks

Vascular malformations are laid at the embryonic stage or are the result of the inability of the newborn to physiologically adapt to life outside the womb. Vascular defects include deformities of the aortic arch, its stenosis in different parts, improper connection with the heart and lungs, fistulas between arteries and veins, expansion, vascular rings, and break in the arch. Among the reasons: heredity, mother's bad habits in the first months of pregnancy, external influences on the embryo.

Symptoms occur in different combinations depending on the type of defect and the degree of its effect on blood circulation. The child is whiny, eats badly, is weakened. His skin turns blue, breathing and swallowing are difficult, his heart rate is fast, development is slowed down. Medical support - glycosides, diuretics, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs, prostaglandins and pressure stabilizers. With a simple defect, surgical intervention completely compensates for the condition.

Chronic insufficiency of cerebral blood flow

Violation of cerebral circulation occurs due to blockage of the vessel by a thrombus, embolus or atherosclerotic plaque. Acute failure is an ischemic stroke. The chronic form of the pathology causes a violation of cognitive and motor functions, a disorder of sensitivity, and headaches. To maintain brain activity, antihypertensive drugs, drugs that improve blood flow in the vessels of the brain, and antioxidants are prescribed. Vascular patency is restored surgically. Pathology is not completely cured.

Obliterating atherosclerosis

The defeat of peripheral vessels with atherosclerotic plaques and blood clots leads to their obliteration and reduced tissue nutrition. Ischemic changes cause pain in the legs, which is manifested by a characteristic sign - intermittent claudication. Due to the lack of oxygen, the skin, and then the deep tissues, ulcerate, lose sensitivity, change color and temperature. Treatment includes the use of vasodilators and venotonic agents, as well as drugs that increase the resistance of tissues to oxygen starvation. The disease is not curable.

Vasculitis

Vasculitis (angiitis, arteritis) unite a large group of inflammatory diseases of the vessels of an immunopathological nature. Vasculitis is divided into primary (independent diseases) and secondary (associated with other pathologies). By the size of the affected vessels, vasculitis of the arteries of large, medium and small caliber is distinguished, by the scale of the lesion - systemic and local with involvement of only the skin in the pathological process.

Causes: infections (hepatitis B), allergies, autoimmune reactions, heredity. Symptoms and signs of vasculitis - fever, tachycardia, shortness of breath, heart pain, hemorrhagic rash, cloudy urine with blood, arrhythmia, weight loss. Therapy is carried out with hormonal drugs, cytostatics, antibiotics, anticoagulants. The disease is not cured.

The second name of the disease is Takayasu's syndrome. It occurs in Asians and affects mainly young women. The syndrome is rheumatic in nature and represents the destruction of the walls of the aorta and the replacement of smooth muscle tissue with connective tissue. The walls thicken, huge cells - granulomas - develop inside the vessel. They block the channel and provoke the formation of aneurysms. Damaged walls are a springboard for the formation of fatty plaques and blood clots.

A characteristic symptom of nonspecific aortoarteritis is the asymmetry of the pulse and the difference in blood pressure numbers on the right and left hands. The person feels pain in the arms, left side of the chest, neck and shoulder. He experiences weakness, problems with memory and concentration, decreased performance. Treatment of pathology is aimed at minimizing the consequences of ischemia. After the diagnosis is made, the patient is prescribed Prednisolone for continuous use. In case of insufficiency of monotherapy, a cytostatic agent is added to Prednisolone. The method of extracorporeal hemocorrection allows to identify and remove from the blood components that provoke the disease. The syndrome is not completely curable.

Prevention

Prevention of vascular pathologies begins with quitting smoking and alcohol. One of its most important elements is physical activity. Doctors have established that a person needs aerobic exercise 3 times a week for 30 minutes. Cardio workouts are complemented by daily strength exercises of medium intensity.

Following the principles of a healthy diet will allow the vessels to remain clean. To reduce the strength of emotions - anger, fear, irritability - do auto-training. Leisurely walks in the fresh air help a lot. The best way to prevent vascular diseases or to identify them at an early stage is an annual medical examination.