Vascular conditions are medical problems that affect your blood vessels, carrying oxygenated blood throughout your body. These conditions can prevent good blood flow to different parts of your body, causing symptoms like pain, swelling, and even redness on some parts of your skin. Although vascular conditions usually don’t threaten life directly (unless they are malfunctioning seriously), they can be life-threatening if not treated right away. Vascular conditions can also signify another, more severe health condition. A specialist in vein treatment in Frisco can help diagnose and treat these problems and the causes that lead to them. Here are some of the most common vein problems you should know about.
- Peripheral Artery Disease
Peripheral artery disease is an arterial condition that blocks blood flow to your legs, arms, organs, and tissues. It most commonly affects people who are 55 or older. If you have it, the arteries in your lower limbs become narrower than usual, and hard deposits called plaque build up on them. Over time, this prevents good blood flow, so your tissues and organs don’t get enough oxygen. You can have it without knowing about it, but if you find out you have the condition, there are ways to treat it before it worsens. Varicose veins can be one of the signs that you might have PAD. Other symptoms include leg fatigue, cramping in your calves and feet, and skin discoloration.
- Carotid Artery Disease
Carotid artery disease (CAD) is a specific peripheral artery disease that affects the neck. It’s often called carotid stenosis because it’s caused by an obstruction in the main artery on each side of your neck, which is called your carotid artery. CAD causes plaque buildup and blood clots to form in these arteries, which can block blood flow to your brain. It’s often linked to other conditions like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which you can manage with medical treatment. If CAD gets too severe without being treated, it can lead to a stroke or heart attack.
- Venous Insufficiency
It’s normal for the veins in your lower body to swell and become engorged when you stand up or sit down because your blood moves downward. However, if this happens all the time for no reason, it can be a sign of venous insufficiency (VI), which is the inadequate flow of blood back to your heart. People with this condition have damaged valves outside their hearts that let blood flow backward and pool in their veins. You can develop this problem after an illness or injury, but some people just have it because of the way they’re built. Symptoms include:
- Leg pain and swelling that lasts longer than 30 minutes at a time.
- Discoloration on your legs and ankles.
- Varicose veins.
- Skin changes such as a shiny skin texture and a thickened appearance.
To summarize, vascular conditions are a wide range of medical problems that affect your arteries and veins. However, if you have one, there are ways to treat it before it gets worse. Your legs, in particular, can be affected by different vein problems, which you should know about if you want to keep living a healthy lifestyle.
