Vasoconstriction of the lower extremities treatment

Classification of the disease

Femoral artery occlusion is classified depending on the causes, nature, location and extent of the disease. Types of disease by nature:

• Occlusion. Impaired patency of a vessel due to damage to its walls, ensuring sealing of the pleural cavity in case of penetrating wounds.
• Stenosis. Narrowing of the lumen of a hollow structure.
• Thrombosis. The formation of blood clots inside the artery, which interfere with free blood circulation.

According to the degree of development, pathology is divided into three categories:

• Mobility and sensitivity of the limb are preserved. Coldness, numbness, and pain in the distal extremities may be felt at rest.
• Movement and sensitivity disorders occur. Some experience paresis and paralysis.
• Necrobiotic phenomena develop. These include subfascial edema, partial muscle contracture, and total muscle contracture.

The localization of occlusion can be any: both throughout the artery and in its individual sections.

Symptoms

The disease begins with a slight narrowing of small vessels - non-stenotic atherosclerosis. At the same time, only half of their lumen is closed, which explains the absence of symptoms at this stage. The first signs appear when a large organ, an artery, is damaged. This is where vascular stenosis of the lower extremities begins, the general symptoms of which are:

• chilliness in the legs;
• cold feet;
• heaviness in the lower extremities;
• tingling;
• "goosebumps" sensation.

There are manifestations that depend on the blockage of a certain type of vessel: supplying the iliac region, genitals, thighs, knees, legs, feet. Taking this into account, additional signs of stenosis include:

• pain in the legs from the feet to the buttocks;
• impotence;
• pain in the legs, feet, fingers.

As the disease progresses, the pain intensifies so much that when walking a person is forced to stop and continue on his way after resting. Depending on the intensity of the pain, there are four stages of the disease, when you can go through without stopping:

• 1 km or more;
• no more than 1 km;
• less than 50 m;
• walking is impossible.

Diagnosis

Early detection of the disease will help prevent stroke and heart attack. Therefore, diagnosing stenosis requires timely implementation of the necessary procedures. The initial appointment with a specialist begins with collecting an anamnesis to establish the main and accompanying factors in the development of the disease. To do this, the doctor examines the patient. Using palpation and external examination of the legs, the doctor determines objective signs of the disease.

After this, a study of the reflex functions of the body is carried out: neuropsychic, skin, tendon. The final stage will be laboratory testing.

The third stage is more in-depth and allows you to determine the severity of the disease if it is diagnosed. The group of these methods consists of:

• general clinical blood and urine tests;
• blood lipid analysis;
• coagulogram;
• determination of the fibrinolysis process;
• immunogram.

In addition, in diagnosing stenosis, the specialist uses instrumental examination methods:

• Dopplerography;
• radiopaque venogram;
• ultrasound examination;
• radioisotope scanning;
• cardiography.

The doctor independently determines the need for certain tests. The symptoms will be significantly influenced by the patient’s age, body weight, and individual characteristics of the body. An accurate diagnosis will be the key to adequate and effective treatment.

A universal diagnostic method has not been developed. The considered methods of the necessary examination complement each other. Each laboratory analysis has its pros and cons, indications and limitations. A neurologist, cardiologist or attending physician will be able to determine the scope of appropriate measures for your clinical case.

Symptoms of stenosis

The clinical picture of different types of occlusive diseases is similar. In the initial stages:

• fatigue in the legs;
• tingling, burning;
• decreased sensitivity;
• chilliness.

Then intermittent claudication sets in, numbness occurs, and with heavy exertion, severe pain is felt in the lower extremities.

In severe and advanced forms of stenosis of the iliac or femoral artery, lameness and pain appear after 50-100 meters of walking. The patient's muscle strength decreases and there is no active movement in the distal and proximal joints. In the future, this can lead to complete paralysis or gangrene.

Then intermittent claudication sets in, numbness occurs, and with heavy loads, severe pain is felt in the lower extremities. In the English-language medical literature, occlusion is characterized by the “five P complex.” It stands for pain, pulselessness, pallor, paresthesia and paralysis.

Stenosis of the vessels of the legs does not manifest itself in any way at the initial period of its development. Due to insufficient blood supply to the tissues, a person may feel cold in the lower extremities, pallor of the skin, a burning sensation, and a sensation as if goosebumps are crawling on the legs. As the disease progresses, its symptoms become more vivid and begin to cause anxiety in the person. Depending on the Depending on the degree of narrowing of the blood vessels in the legs, signs of the disease manifest themselves in the following:

• swelling of the lower extremities appears;
• the person begins to limp, pain appears in the muscles;
• the color of the skin changes;
• the volume of lesions in the lower extremities increases;
• the muscles of the legs atrophy;
• men may develop impotence;
• pelvic functions are impaired.

Further development of the disease leads to deterioration of tissue nutrition and the appearance of trophic ulcers. The pain intensifies. If the disease takes an acute form, then blockage of the veins in the legs can lead to tissue necrosis. If the disease becomes chronic, then its symptoms smooth out and become less pronounced.

Symptoms of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities

Initially, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. However, over time, the disease causes noticeable pain, which intensifies day by day.

• leg pain that worsens with walking and exercise;
• lameness;

• change in skin color;
• hair loss in the thigh area;
• partial loss of sensitivity;
• chilly feet.

Stenosing atherosclerosis (SA) of the legs is characterized by blockage of the arterial lumens of the human limbs. The disease is quite dangerous; if not treated correctly, it can lead to severe irreversible consequences.

The pathology is easily confused with arthrosis and other similar diseases. But when the walls of the arteries become stenotic, it is not the joints that hurt, but the muscles of the legs.

The features of the course of SA are diverse; the disease manifests itself differently depending on the degree of neglect. There are 4 stages of progression of the disease:

1. At the initial stage, a person should take a closer look at the condition of the skin: with vascular stenosis on sore legs, it becomes pale. There will also be a feeling of chilliness, a burning sensation in the foot, and movement in the feet becomes difficult. Physical activity is accompanied by pain and discomfort.
2. The main symptom of stage 2 narrowing of the arterial walls is the appearance of intermittent claudication syndrome. During physical activity or long walking, one of the patient’s limbs gets tired before the other. Among the manifestations of the pathological process, the development of cyanosis (blue discoloration of the skin on the affected area of ​​the leg) also stands out.
3. The next stage of stenosis is caused by increased intermittent claudication. Pain in the legs begins to bother you even when a person is at rest. Walking becomes a real challenge - it will be difficult to walk 50 meters on your own. Soreness manifests itself in the toes, and the skin on the feet begins to crack and acquire a marbled tint.
4. The last stage of stenosis leads to necrosis of the muscle tissue of the limbs. The patient experiences such excruciating pain that he cannot sleep peacefully at night. At the final stage of the disease, trophic ulcers and numerous swellings form on the affected legs. The skin on the feet and heels turns black (due to tissue necrosis) and becomes thinner. If left untreated, gangrene may form.

DETAILS: Phases of myocardial infarction

Among the general symptoms of the disease, which appear regardless of the stage, it should be noted:

• Decrease in temperature on the affected leg - with stenosis, the healthy limb feels warmer to the touch than the damaged one. This occurs due to a lack of blood flow through narrowed vessels.
• Climbing stairs, walking, and any physical activity increases pain in the leg muscles.
• Disappearance of the pulse in the blood vessels of the diseased limb. There is no throbbing in the thigh, popliteal fossa, or back of the ankle.
• The color of the skin in the affected area changes.
• Men may have problems with potency.
• Hair growth on the affected limb slows down with stenosis.

If the initial signs of the disease are detected, you cannot wait, hoping that the disease will recede over time. Such an attitude towards stenosis of the vessels of the legs results in serious consequences. For this reason, it is important to consult a doctor promptly in order to treat narrowed arteries of the limbs if necessary.

This pathology affects the vessels of the heart, the vessels of the neck and brain, and in third place - the arteries of the lower extremities. The disease is believed to affect men after 40 years of age, but occurs in women and children.

The reasons that cause this disease are similar for different arteries: heredity, diabetes, obesity, hormonal imbalance and others. For atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, the cause is local pathologies: trauma, frostbite, surgery.

Depending on the degree of manifestation of ischemia, the disease occurs in 3 stages. If left untreated, it progresses to trophic changes in tissue and gangrene of the legs.

The initial stage of the disease is asymptomatic. Insufficient blood supply to tissues can manifest itself in coldness and paleness of the skin on the legs, a crawling sensation, and a burning sensation. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced and begin to worry.

Symptoms of the disease depend on the degree of narrowing of the veins:

• lameness, muscle pain when walking and at rest;
• swelling of the legs;
• change in skin color;
• increase in the volume of the affected limb;
• atrophy of the leg muscles;
• dysfunction of the pelvis;
• impotence.

Tissue nutrition deteriorates, trophic ulcers appear that do not heal for a long time, and pain intensifies. In the acute form of the disease, vascular occlusion (blockage, overlap) leads to tissue necrosis. In a chronic process, the collaterals that form maintain blood supply and the signs of the disease do not appear so clearly.

Stress or hypothermia aggravates the symptoms of stenosis of the arteries of the lower extremities: the sensitivity of the skin is impaired, its color changes, and pain in the extremities intensifies.

Ways to combat the disease

The diagnosis requires a series of subsequent treatment procedures to eliminate disorders and causes of the disease. Today medicine practices two types of treatment.

Drug therapy helps maintain the strength and elasticity of the vessels of the lower extremities. Treatment is combined, which is characterized by a course of hypertensive and vasodilator drugs.

Thrombodissolving drugs have become widely known in recent years. Thrombolytics can effectively dissolve existing blood clots. After completion of thrombolytic therapy, relapses of thrombosis are not possible, since this pharmacological group of drugs destroys the blood clot without creating conditions for the subsequent appearance of blood clots. Therefore, the entire course of treatment is accompanied by the use of anticoagulant medications.

Types of diagnostic tests

Diagnosis of vascular stenosis of the legs involves a whole range of studies. At the initial visit to a specialist, anamnesis is collected and a superficial examination is carried out. Palpation is required at typical points:

• on the dorsal artery of the foot;
• in the popliteal fossa;
• on the posterotibial artery;
• on the femoral artery.

There are also a number of functional tests to detect arterial circulatory insufficiency. The most common:

• Delba-Perthes (marching);
• Panchenko (knee phenomenon);
• Moshkovich (determination of the zone of reactive hyperemia).

In addition to these, a blood test is taken. Acute stages of stenosis are characterized by increased values ​​of PTI, fibrinogen and a decrease in bleeding time. The final diagnosis is carried out using equipment. The methods used are ultrasound dopplerography, CT arteriography, MR angiography, and peripheral arteriography. They provide the most complete graphical picture of the condition of the vessels.

Stenosis of the lower extremities is determined by a phlebologist or vascular surgeon. The doctor examines the medical history, listens to complaints, conducts a visual examination, assessing the condition of the blood vessels, skin structure and functionality of the limb. To make a diagnosis, it is recommended to undergo examinations such as:

• duplex scanning of the affected artery;
• Doppler ultrasound;
• contrast magnetic resonance angiography;
• phlebography;
• general clinical blood and urine tests;
• blood test for lipids.

In addition to these, a blood test is taken. Acute stages of stenosis are characterized by increased levels of PTI, fibrinogen and a decrease in bleeding time.

Main manifestations of stenosis of the leg arteries

An important feature of current stenosis of the arteries and vessels of the lower extremities should be considered the absence of noticeable negative changes in the state of health and well-being at the initial stage of development of the pathology. In this case, the patient may not be aware of the development of the disease until the manifestations become more noticeable or a pronounced change in health appears.

There is a certain gradation of characteristic manifestations of arterial stenosis, which can be more general, and sometimes more characteristic specifically for stenosis of the vessels of the legs.

General symptoms of stenosis

The most characteristic symptoms of arterial stenosis include the following:

• the occurrence of causeless numbness in the fingers and toes;
• disturbance in the process of thermoregulation;
• frequent periods of weakness, dizziness, causeless fainting;
• manifestation of initial signs of chronic fatigue;
• rapid fatigue under standard or minor physical and emotional stress;
• frequent depression, mood lability;
• disturbances in the perception of the surrounding world: the appearance of spots in the eyes, tinnitus.

The listed conditions are often attributed to patients by increased fatigue, seasonal vitamin deficiency, and lack of a good night's sleep. However, it is the symptoms listed above that most clearly indicate disturbances in the circulatory process and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. And by paying attention to them, you can avoid their aggravation with the risk of more serious and dangerous manifestations for health in general.

Characteristic manifestations of stenosis of the leg arteries

With stenosis of the lower extremities, characteristic symptoms may be observed that specifically affect the condition of the legs and the patient’s ability to move. These include:

• the appearance of severe fatigue after relatively little physical activity, which previously did not cause pronounced discomfort;
• the skin on the feet becomes thinner, it may begin to crack and small, poorly healing ulcers and wounds may appear;
• Gradually, manifestations of rapid fatigue of the lower extremities worsen, the patient cannot walk a distance of more than 30-50 steps, while manifestations of intermittent claudication are noted, when one of the legs gets tired faster than the other;
• ulcers and wounds on the skin of the legs (feet and legs) do not heal well, swelling of the calf muscle tissue increases.

The listed characteristic manifestations most clearly illustrate the picture of stenosis of the arteries of the lower extremities, which experience the greatest load throughout life. Therefore, maintaining their health is the key to normal mobility and the absence of leg problems. Timely attention to the condition of the legs; when the first symptoms of impaired functioning appear, you should consult a doctor for an examination and to draw up a treatment regimen that will eliminate the manifestations of this serious disease and the cause that caused them.

Source: cardioplanet.ru

Disease Prevention

Surgical intervention in the vascular cavity, as well as drug therapy, do not guarantee the absence of recurrence of the disease. You can avoid recurrence of stenosis by observing the necessary conditions in your daily life, as well as the instructions of your doctor.

Some people need to radically change their usual lifestyle and learn simple rules:

1. Engage in necessary sports. Gentle exercise in the form of stretching, Pilates and yoga become an effective rehabilitation course for recovery after an illness, as well as its prevention.
2. Stick to a diet. Dishes containing red meats and sweets should be excluded from the usual menu. Confectionery products based on wheat flour should be forgotten, as well as smoked and salted foods.
3. If you have such a bad habit, you should quit smoking immediately. The vessels have the ability to self-regenerate within six months if this measure is followed.

Medical experts state the fact that the most effective results are obtained by surgical methods of treating vascular stenosis of the legs. Such data are not unfounded, but are confirmed by many years of experience.

An active lifestyle, therapeutic exercises and proper nutrition will help to avoid such an insidious disease.

Prevention

To avoid narrowing of the veins in the lower extremities, it is recommended to lead an active lifestyle. You should exercise daily and engage in feasible sports. You also need to follow a diet, excluding fatty, fried and highly salty foods from your diet. Such foods contribute to the accumulation of cholesterol and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. It is recommended to give up bad habits, since the toxic substances contained in nicotine and alcohol weaken and thin the blood vessels. All leg injuries must be treated promptly. You should also monitor your weight and hormonal levels.

Source: etovarikoz.ru

Treatment methods

Treatment of femoral artery stenosis is always carried out in a hospital setting. Depending on the stage of development of the disease and the patient’s wishes, they resort to a conservative (medicinal) or surgical method. In the early stages or during postoperative rehabilitation, physiotherapy and lifestyle changes are effective.

The main goals of drug therapy are to relieve pain, relieve spasms and normalize blood circulation. Drugs used for this purpose: Anticoagulants are prescribed only for thrombosis.

Surgical intervention is recommended if medical treatment is ineffective and the occlusion progresses. In some cases, surgery should be performed immediately: severe pain with minor exertion, necrosis, ulcers, embolism of other large vessels.

Procedure options:

• removal of the affected area completely and installation of a graft in its place;
• opening the vessel and removing a thrombus, embolus or atherosclerotic plaque;
• aortofemoral bypass or femoropopliteal bypass.

At his discretion, the specialist can combine several options into one operation. At an extremely severe stage of development of occlusion, the operation involves amputation of the limb.

Physiotherapy

All physiotherapeutic methods of influence are aimed at expanding narrowed blood vessels. The most popular:

• diadynamic currents;
• ultra high frequencies;
• hydrogen sulfide baths.

The effect of them is noticeable only in the initial stages of the pathology, during periods of recovery and prevention.

Lifestyle modification is a complement to traditional forms of treatment. The approach to this must be comprehensive. Key aspects:

• a complete diet;
• healthy and long sleep;
• moderate physical activity;
• rejection of bad habits.

Among all sports, it is recommended to choose those that have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system: swimming, cycling or yoga.

The choice of therapy for stenosis of the leg arteries depends on the stage of the disease. At the initial stage, the patient is prescribed medications that will help get rid of pain in the limbs, dilate the walls of blood vessels, and improve blood circulation. But drug therapy, even in the first stages of stenosis, will be ineffective if you do not give up bad habits, unhealthy diet and change your lifestyle for the better.

When a patient, along with narrowing of the walls of blood vessels in the legs, is diagnosed with vascular heart disease, pathologies of internal organs or hypertension, doctors recommend a special diet (table No. 10). The goal of this diet is to reduce blood cholesterol levels. Also, everyone who suffers from atherosclerosis of the lower extremities should devote time to physical therapy, develop a love of sports, swim in the pool, and take daily walks.

There are the following types of physiotherapeutic procedures aimed at improving the health of the body with vascular stenosis of the lower extremities:

• Therapeutic gymnastics is effective in the initial stages of pathology. Special exercises strengthen the muscle tissue of blood vessels.
• Laser therapy is used in the last stages of stenosis development.
• Electrophoresis.
• Healing massage with special oils helps improve blood flow.

Physiotherapy quite effectively eliminates the symptoms of vascular stenosis of the legs, especially in the first stages of the disease.

• Treatment without the use of drugs;
• Treatment with medications.

For non-drug treatment, the patient is required to:

• maintain a daily routine;
• lead a healthy lifestyle;
• go to the pool, do aerobics in water, take a contrast shower, bath, and take other water procedures;
• adjust your daily menu, limit salt, fatty and fried foods;
• do exercises in the morning, walk more often, do yoga, take bike rides;
• use herbal medicine and hirudotherapy;
• It is advisable to use physiotherapy for treatment: electrotherapy, diadynamic therapy, darsonvalization, electrophoresis;
• massage;
• a person with diseased veins is recommended to wear compression garments or use an elastic bandage.

When treating a disease with medications:

• It is mandatory to take Simvastatin, Fluvastatin, Gemfibrozil, Bezafibrate, which are lipid-lowering drugs;
• taking Atenolol, Bisoprolol, Lisinopril, Captopress, which are antihypertensive drugs. They will help bring blood pressure levels back to normal;
• it is possible to take antispasmodics Euphyllina, Papaverine, Drotaverine;
• the doctor prescribes drugs related to anticoagulants, fibrinolytics, antiplatelet agents;
• diuretics are prescribed;
• when using Nootropil, Vinpocetine, microcirculation improves;
• Usually a vitamin-microelement complex is also prescribed;
• Carrying out symptomatic therapy allows you to relieve the inflammatory process and pain. For problems with the cardiovascular system, cardiac glycosides are prescribed. The doctor may prescribe cytostatics and antibiotics.

If the disease is in an advanced stage, then surgery is necessary. It happens that only it saves the patient’s life. Surgical intervention involves the following steps:

• that part of the vessels that narrows is restored to its original size;
• A stent is placed inside the vessel, which will subsequently prevent the vessel from shrinking.

Which treatment method to choose for narrowing of the blood vessels in the legs depends on:

• the patient’s age group and health status;
• how long the disease lasts;
• on what type of vessels are affected;
• what is the risk of developing acute blockage of veins or arteries;
• How pronounced are the clinical symptoms?

The attending physician, together with the surgeons, decide whether surgery is necessary to treat narrowing of blood vessels in the legs.

Drug and surgical treatment of narrowing of blood vessels in the legs is combined with physiotherapeutic procedures, special diets and exercises. To maintain the normal state of the body, folk recipes are used.

Physiotherapy

For vascular stenosis of the legs, the following physiotherapeutic procedures are used:

• laser and magnetic influence;
• phonophoresis;
• shock wave therapy;
• electrophoresis;
• infrared irradiation;
• inductothermy;
• electromyostimulation;
• ultrasound therapy.

The procedures relieve pain, improve the flow of blood and lymph, eliminating swelling. Increased blood circulation helps restore tissue nutrition and disappearance of signs of ischemia. After completing the course of treatment, cellular metabolism improves, the functioning of the immune system normalizes, and the volume of fat deposits decreases. Laser and magnetic effects restore the innervation of the limbs and strengthen the vascular walls.

Treatment of femoral artery stenosis is always carried out in a hospital setting. Depending on the stage of development of the disease and the patient’s wishes, they resort to a conservative (medicinal) or surgical method. In the early stages or during postoperative rehabilitation, physiotherapy and lifestyle changes are effective.

Treatment of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities

Vascular stenosis of the lower extremities is a serious disease that causes impaired blood circulation in the tissues and leads to disability, thrombosis and subsequent inevitable amputation of the damaged limb.
The prognosis for conservative drug therapy for this disease is extremely unfavorable, and the treatment itself does not bring any tangible result. Therefore, treatment of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities is usually carried out surgically.

Among the factors provoking stenosis are:

• atherosclerosis,
• drinking alcohol and smoking,
• the presence of various infections and related diseases that can cause vasoconstriction,
• injuries and pathological conditions,
• hereditary genetic factors.

The symptoms of a disease such as vascular stenosis of the lower extremities are practically no different from many other vascular diseases of the legs and include such factors as: heaviness in the legs, swelling, “stars” of blood vessels, muscle and limb cramps, dilated veins, hemorrhages in various places, pain when walking and lameness. In addition, side symptoms may include headaches, noise in the head and dizziness.

Treatment of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities abroad is carried out in the form of a whole complex of measures aimed at relieving pain, lameness and other negative symptoms that are caused by complete or partial blockage of the arteries of the lower extremities by atherosclerotic plaques.

Experienced specialists from these neurological medical centers choose the course of treatment for vascular stenosis in each individual case, strictly according to individual indicators. The pharmacological therapy chosen is usually in addition to other doctor's recommendations and may include the prescription of antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants.

Surgical treatment of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities is aimed at stopping the progression of the general disease - atherosclerosis and eliminating the immediate narrowing in a locally defined location.

All types of surgical interventions to eliminate occlusion or stenosis of the vessels of the lower extremities in these clinics are carried out using modern minimally invasive techniques.

Patients of the neurological clinics we recommend have the opportunity to undergo diagnostics at the highest level. A diagnosis of vascular stenosis of the lower extremities is confirmed by angiography, which reveals corroded vessel walls at the site of stenosis, CT, MRI, rheovasography and Doppler ultrasound, which shows the blood flow velocity in the affected limbs and the ankle-systolic pressure index.

is an ideal platform for organizing effective and comfortable treatment of lower limb stenosis abroad.

Our advantage is that we employ exclusively qualified specialists who will help you get answers to all your questions, who will provide all possible assistance in selecting a specific medical center and doctor.

Contact us and we will make every effort to achieve the expected result - recovery or, at a minimum, restoration of health as much as possible.

Vasoconstriction of the lower extremities is the most common form of pathology of the cardiovascular system.

Among the factors causing this disease are:

1. Vascular atherosclerosis. The adverse effects of external factors and disruption of metabolic processes in the body cause the accumulation of cholesterol. Vascular atherosclerosis develops under the influence of cholesterol deposits. Such plaques grow, cutting off blood flow. Vascular atherosclerosis most often requires surgical therapy.

1. Tobacco smoking. Nicotine tars penetrating into the human body disrupt the structure of the tissue walls of the arteries of the lower extremities and capillaries, causing a narrowing of the lumen of blood vessels.
2. Alcoholism. Excessive consumption of alcohol-containing drinks causes the rapid development of internal clogging of the arteries with toxins.
3. Injuries. They are recognized as an obvious “reason” for surgical intervention due to severe vasoconstriction. The operation allows you to correct defects caused by bruising, as well as other disorders that compress the vessel.
4. Heredity. People whose relatives are diagnosed with “critical stenosis” are at maximum risk.

What is vascular stenosis? This

It is characterized by the absolute absence of clinical manifestations in the initial stages of the disease and a high risk of complications, even fatal, as the pathology progresses and a significant disturbance in the blood supply occurs.

All stenoses can be divided into 4 categories, depending on the degree of narrowing: small up to 30%, moderate from 31 to 49%, severe up to 70%, critical up to 99% and complete occlusion, in which the artery becomes completely obstructed.

Among the reasons that contribute to the development of stenosis it is worth highlighting:

• atherosclerotic lesions of the arteries;
• hypertension;
• obesity;
• diabetes;
• autoimmune systemic diseases of connective tissue and blood vessels (vasculitis);
• nicotine addiction;
• alcohol abuse;
• sedentary lifestyle and poor diet;
• hereditary burden;
• age factor.

Stenosis can affect various vessels, depending on the location:

1. Stenosis of the coronary vessels of the heart.
2. Stenosis of blood vessels in the neck and head.
3. Vascular stenosis of the extremities.

Clinical manifestations depend on the artery affected. The most life-threatening damage is to the arteries of the brain and heart. It is necessary to know the symptoms and treatment methods for stenosis of the cerebral vessels and coronary arteries.

With their prolonged deficiency, hypoxia (oxygen starvation) develops.

When the coronary, or coronary, arteries of the heart are narrowed, moderate pain in the chest, shortness of breath after exercise, cardiac arrhythmias, and swelling of the lower extremities first appear.

With complete occlusion of the vessel, myocardial infarction develops - necrosis of the heart muscle. It is characterized by:

• sudden sharp pain behind the sternum, which can spread to the shoulder blade or upper limb;
• feeling of lack of air;
• feeling of panic;
• dizziness and weakness, shortness of breath.

Stenosis of the arteries of the lower extremities develops gradually. First, patients note the appearance of weakness and pain in the legs after walking, limping, pale skin, changes in skin temperature, and cooling.

In the area of ​​the affected vessel, the blood supply to the hair follicle is disrupted, and hair begins to fall out. The femoral, tibial and peroneal arteries may be affected.

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Stenosis of the vessels of the lower extremities leads to complications such as:

• trophic ulcers;
• necrosis and gangrene;
• severe pain syndrome;
• muscle atrophy;
• impotence.

Trophic ulcers, and especially gangrene, are difficult to treat with conservative methods. They can cause limb amputation. Therefore, when the first signs of impaired patency of the arteries of the extremities appear, you need to consult a specialist.

Prolonged narrowing of the arteries of the brain causes disruption of the blood supply to its cells, oxygen starvation and leads to the development of dystrophic non-inflammatory changes in the brain substance, or encephalopathy.

The following symptoms are typical:

• headache;
• impairment of performance, feeling of weakness;
• decreased attention, memory and concentration;
• increased emotional lability;
• sleep disturbance;
• loss of coordination, decreased muscle strength;
• deterioration of vision and hearing;
• change in speech: slurring, slowing down the rate of pronunciation of words.

As cerebral vascular occlusion progresses, ischemic stroke develops. It is characterized by a sudden intense headache, possible loss of consciousness, incoherence of speech, paresis or paralysis. Having had a stroke is a risk of becoming disabled for the rest of your life.

Immediately after the diagnosis is established, they move on to the next stage: therapy for narrowing the lumen of the vessel. Treatment can be conservative, using medications, or surgical.

Conservative treatment of vasoconstriction of the lower extremities, head and heart includes taking the following groups of drugs:

• hypolipidemic – lower cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation (statins and fibrates are more often used);
• antispasmodics - relax the vessel and increase its diameter, for example, Drotaverine;
• antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants - reduce the risk of new blood clots and slow the growth of existing ones;
• antihypertensive drugs are used to lower blood pressure;
• metabolic drugs;
• nootropics.

Some patients experience severe pain and depressed mood due to the disease; in these cases, the issue of taking painkillers and antidepressants is additionally decided upon.

If conservative therapy is ineffective, the vessel is completely occluded, or if life is threatened, they switch to surgical methods of treatment. Can be used:

• stenting – expansion of the lumen of the vessel with a special balloon catheter;
• bypass and creation of anastomoses, that is, bypass vascular pathways;
• removal of a section of a damaged vessel - endarterectomy.

• Drug treatment. Medicines that will need to be taken for stenosis are aimed at maintaining the strength and elasticity of blood vessels. A course of antihypertensive and vasodilator drugs is required.

• Headache
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Dyspnea
• Vomit
• Heartache
• Impaired movement coordination
• Memory impairment
• Heart rhythm disturbance
• Hearing impairment
• Impaired concentration
• Change in skin color in the affected area
• Lameness
• Visual impairment
• Cold lower extremities
• Edema of the lower extremities
• Paralysis
• Slow wound healing
• Muscle spasm of the lower extremities
• Stopping hair growth in affected areas

Vascular stenosis is a medical term that characterizes the narrowing of blood vessels in the circulatory system. It very often occurs due to the development of atherosclerosis in the cavity of the coronary arteries. The formation of this pathology leads to the closure of the arteries due to the accumulation of plaques that impede the flow of blood throughout the body. The danger of their formation and growth is due to the fact that they can break away from the walls of blood vessels and move through the circulatory system, and once they get into a small vessel, completely clog it.