In a healthy individual, blood will freely flow through arteries and veins like a stream. Also, when that stream gets disturbed, the blood flow will be restricted. Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) is a systemic disorder that involves the narrowing of peripheral blood vessels. Further, let’s have a close look at whether peripheral vascular disease affects both veins and arteries.
What is peripheral vascular disease (PVD)?
Peripheral vascular disease is a blood circulation disorder that develops when blood vessels outside the heart and brain narrow, block, or spasm. Your limbs, legs, and blood flow will be disturbed by this condition. The actual question that arises in everyone’s mind is whether PVD impacts veins, arteries, or both.
Before getting into other details, it is crucial to know the difference between veins and arteries. Typically, arteries carry oxygen-rich blood from your heart to the rest of the body, while veins will return that oxygen-depleted blood back to the heart. Both arteries and veins are crucial, but they perform different roles in keeping things moving smoothly in your body. So, whenever you experience issues with arteries or veins, visit the vascular specialist in Coimbatore to prevent the further progression of your condition.
Can PVD affect both veins and arteries?
Peripheral vascular disease can affect both veins and arteries but in different ways. The two main types of PVD include peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and chronic venous insufficiency (CVI). Both conditions target different types of arteries and veins.
Simply, peripheral arterial disease is the most common form of PVD, and it affects the arteries. When your arteries narrow due to plaque formation, it disturbs the blood flow to your limbs.
While venous PVD is a condition that disturbs the veins. This includes issues like chronic venous insufficiency, where veins in the legs fail to transmit blood back to the heart efficiently, resulting in pain and swelling.
What is arterial peripheral vascular disease?
The actual cause of arterial PVD is atherosclerosis, which is the build-up of fatty deposits on artery walls. Other factors that contribute to this condition include smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. After some time, these risk factors cause the arteries to narrow and harden, blocking blood flow, and further, the arterial vein in the neck will also be disturbed. The common symptoms of arterial PVD include,
- Leg pain
- Leg cramps during activity
- Coldness in your lower leg or foot
- Sores on your feet, toes, or legs
- Loss of hair in legs
- Shiny skin on the legs
What is the venous peripheral vascular disease?
In this condition, the veins will find it difficult to transfer the blood back to the heart effectively, causing blood to pool in the legs veins and arteries. This occurs due to weakened vein walls, damaged valves in the veins, or long-term inactivity. The common symptoms of venous PVD include,
- Inflammation in veins and ankles
- Heaviness or pain in the legs
- Changes in skin color
- Leg ulcers
- Varicose veins
How does PVD progress in arteries and veins?
Both PVD in arteries and veins can worsen over time if left untreated. In arterial PVD, the narrowing of arteries can result in complex blockages, causing critical limb ischemia, which may result in amputations. For venous PVD, ongoing pooling of blood can cause ulcers, infections, and even other serious blood clots.
How to diagnose peripheral vascular disease?
Diagnosis of PVD involves several tests, including:
- Ankle-brachial index: Measuring blood pressure at both the ankles and the arms.
- Ultrasound: Helps to find blocked arteries and veins.
- Angiography: X-rays using dye to see blood flow in arteries.
- Venography: For checking veins.
If you fail to treat PVD in veins and arteries, it may result in heart attacks, strokes, and amputations. Also, venous PVD can result in prolonged leg ulcers, deep vein thrombosis, and severe infections.
How to treat PVD?
– Treatment for arterial PVD:
- Medications: Medications will be given to lower your cholesterol, control blood pressure, and prevent blood clots.
- Angioplasty: This procedure is used to widen those blocked arteries.
- Bypass surgery: To reroute blood around blockages.
– Treatment for venous PVD:
- Compression stocking: This method will be used to reduce swelling and improve blood flow.
- Sclerotherapy: This method is used to treat varicose veins, which will benefit your overall condition.
- Surgical vein removal: This method will be used in severe cases of chronic venous insufficiency.
– Lifestyle changes:
- Quit smoking: Smoking will worsen vein and artery damage.
- Consistent exercise: Daily exercise like walking can improve circulation.
- Healthy diet: Try to consume heart-healthy foods to manage your condition.
- Control diabetes and hypertension: Proper management can reduce PVD risks.
When it comes to treatment for PVD, there are several options available, and the vascular surgery cost in Coimbatore is also affordable, so even a common man can afford it.
Can PVD be prevented?
If PVD is running in your family genes, it’s quite difficult to prevent it, also making healthy lifestyle choices can significantly lower your risk. Daily exercise, a balanced diet, and frequent screenings are the key.
Simply, whenever experiencing leg pain, inflammation, or any other vascular disease symptoms, it’s crucial to consult a doctor immediately to prevent yourself. Also, timely diagnosis and intervention can prevent severe complications.
Final thoughts:
In conclusion, we can say that peripheral vascular disease can disturb both your veins and arteries. Also, it can cause significant health risks if left untreated. Understanding the symptoms, and adopting preventive measures, are crucial to managing this condition.
