Obliterating atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities: treatment, medical history, photo

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There are a number of diseases that develop insignificantly for a person. Discover yourself when there is already a definite threat to health.

Obliterating lower limb disease begins to signal its presence when the lumen of the arteries can be blocked for blood flow by seventy percent. It is important to know the signs of the disease in order to undergo treatment in time and not to allow a serious stage of pathology development. This ailment, as well as endarterit, refers to diseases of peripheral arteries.

Features of the

Disease Infringement of blood flow in the arteries supplying the lower extremities, initiates the disease obliterating atherosclerosis. This phenomenon is associated with a decrease in the lumen of the vessels or its complete overlapping with cholesterol deposits.

Disease atherosclerosis can create plaques in the vessels throughout the body and provoke, depending on the dislocation of the problem, the corresponding malfunctions in the organs and tissues that have received less oxygen and nutrition from the blood. If trouble occurs with the lower limbs, then with the worst development of events, the appearance of necrosis of tissues and gangrene.

Over time, the sediment on the walls of the vessels is reinforced by the appearance of connective tissue and leads to the formation of a plaque. It can be precipitated and other substances. So, now you know the brief history of such a disease as obliterating atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities, let's talk further about the causes of its occurrence.

More details about the concept of the disease and the history of such a disease are told by the following video:

Causes of

The following factors contribute to the lower limb health disorder:

• small motor activity,
• male sex is more likely,
• weight significantly higher than normal;
• smoking,
• hypertension,
• diabetes mellitus,
• hereditary propensity to cholesterol deposits in the mainstream of blood vessels,
• elevated blood viscosity,
• metabolic disturbances.

Obliterating atherosclerosis of lower extremities( photo)

Symptoms of

The main symptom of obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower limbs is the appearance of leg pain during walking. Because of the narrowing of the arteries, blood flows more slowly, and the tissues of the legs are fed in a smaller volume.

• When a person moves, the need for oxygen and nutrients increases in the muscles of the legs. Because of the obstruction in the artery for the flow of blood, there is a shortage of food, this causes muscle pain.
• If a person stops, will give himself a rest, then at that time the venous blood will go away, and the artery will fill the muscles with a shortage of oxygen and necessary substances. After the resumption of walking, pain can return. This will happen sooner or later - depends on the degree to which the disease has developed.

The main signs of the disease include:

• The phenomenon of intermittent claudication.
• Temperature imbalance: the leg where the arteries are narrowed may be cooler than a healthy limb.
• The feet of the sick legs go numb and freeze.

In the later stages:

• There is no pulse on the arteries of the limbs.
• Appearance on the legs below the occlusion site of the artery of dark spots.
• Unhealed wounds appear on the affected limb. This happens on the lower part of the foot.

The following video will tell you more about the symptoms that signal the appearance of obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities:

The stages of development of the disease

The severity of the lesion of the lower extremity vessels by pathology specialists distinguish four stages:

The manifestation of the disease in the legs	stage
Because of a lack of oxygen in the tissuesextremities appear necrotic changes, trophic ulcers develop, gangrene is possible.	4
When moving a few steps, there is pain in the lower limbs;the same phenomenon occurs when a person is at rest in a horizontal position.	3
When walking for less than 200 meters in the legs, pain appears.	2B
Appearance of leg pain after walking more than 200 meters.	2A
The patient experiences pain in the lower extremities if he is subjected to great physical exertion.	1

Diagnosis

The appointment for treatment should take into account all the characteristics of the patient's disease, be individual. And for this you need an accurate diagnosis of the problem.

You need to contact a vascular surgeon. To clarify the diagnosis, he can prescribe procedures in angiorzhime:

• magnetic resonance imaging,
• computed tomography.

In addition:

• ultrasound duplex scanning,
• radiopaque angiography.

On how treatment of obliterating atherosclerosis of the arteries of the lower extremities occurs, read on.

Schematic depiction of atherosclerosis obliterans of lower extremity arteries

Treatment of obliterating atherosclerosis of lower extremities vessels

The help in blood flow disorders associated with a decrease in the lumen of the arteries of the lower extremities or their complete blockage depends on the severity of the problem, the localization of deposits on the walls.

The earlier the problem is detected, the more hope for normalization of the state without serious consequences. At the first stage, a specialist can make an adjustment by influencing the causes that contribute to deposits in the arteries, including suggesting that the patient needs to be changed in his behavior.

Therapeutic

• Patient, if he is a smoker, you must part with a bad habit. During smoking, the vessels dilate and immediately narrow, when nicotine ceases to flow. This process contributes to the aggravation of the disease and negates treatment.
• The increase in physical activity before the onset of pain is shown. Experts recommend walking, avoiding fatigue.
  If there are unpleasant symptoms, you should stop and pause until they go away. It is also good to be engaged in swimming. Physical exercise helps to create blood bypasses because of a difficult or completely blocked section of the artery. There is a collateral circulation, which helps the body to adapt to the problem and protects against gangrene.
• It is necessary to revise the diet:
  • to eliminate fatty foods, fried potatoes,
  • to reduce the consumption of animal fats,
  • to supplement the diet with seafood, especially useful is red fish;or pick up other products containing omega-3.
• To be treated if other problems affecting the vascular condition are found:
  • to regulate elevated blood sugar,
  • to improve metabolism if required;
  • correct the blood condition if it is prone to blood clots.
• To be treated annually in a hospital to support vascular health.

More details about the different methods of treatment of such a disease as obliterating atherosclerosis will be described by the following video clip with clear diagrams:

Medicated

This treatment is also called conservative. He is prescribed to people suffering from obliterating atherosclerosis, twice a year.

Apply medications:

• improves microcirculation - to create conditions for the appearance of collateral circulation,
• to reduce blood cholesterol:
  • fibrates prevent cholesterol from increasing its presence, due to the increase in the number of lipoproteins;
  • statins do not give the liver to form cholesterol,
  • preparations of nicotinic acid - act as vasodilators,
  • other drugs that do not allow the appearance of plaques.
• Drugs that improve blood properties so that it does not contribute to deposits on the walls of blood vessels.

Other methods

Conservative treatment includes physiotherapy procedures.
This:

• magnetotherapy,
• barotherapy,
• ozone therapy.

If the disease has developed into a more advanced form( stage 2B or more), the doctor can expand the treatment methods used.

• Small-invasive method Angioplasty - under the control of scanning equipment in the artery, a tube is inserted through which a folded canister is inserted. He straightens and expands the vessel. After this place, it is possible to establish a supporting framework( stent).
• Operative interventions
  • Thrombenderterectomy - extraction from an artery of a plaque, by its opening( a cut of a wall).
  • Shunting is the creation of a bypass for blood flow through shunting the shunt. As a new vessel( shunt), a part of the vein taken from the patient can serve.
  • Prosthesis - a blocked part of an artery is replaced with a vessel of artificial materials.

Prevention of the disease

Factors that promote cholesterol deposits and add health-improving habits should be excluded:

• maintain a diet that does not contribute to clogging of the artery walls - use a cholesterol-free diet,
• not smoke,
• give the body the feasible physical exertion.

Complications of

You can not engage in self-medication, medicines should be selected by a specialist. Careless use of drugs can hurt. If a leg artery disease is found, it is necessary to be treated, otherwise the development of the disease can lead to the loss of limbs - the need for amputation due to gangrene.

Forecast

If the formation of cholesterol deposits in the arteries of the lower limbs has occurred, but the fourth stage of the disease has not yet begun, the patient's condition can be normalized. Conduct a conservative treatment, and, if necessary, apply other methods. But then you should observe your health, follow preventive measures and be treated regularly.

If the disease has developed to the fourth degree, then the doctor can recommend amputation of the limb. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully treat the signals that the disease gives in order to help the body in time.