Most of the time a person spends on his feet. Upright walking is one of the features that distinguishes people from the animal world. Unfortunately, heavy loads on the legs often lead to various pathologies. Often the vessels of the lower extremities suffer. In medicine, there are many diseases associated with circulatory disorders. The most common of them are: varicose veins of the lower extremities, atherosclerosis and endarteritis. The consequences of these ailments can be very dangerous. However, if you start treatment on time and know about methods for preventing the progression of diseases, in most cases complications can be avoided.
Causes of pathologies of the lower extremities
Vessels are distributed throughout the body. On the legs, they are necessary to provide nutrition to the muscles, skin and musculoskeletal system. There are 3 types of vessels: veins, arteries and capillaries. Large vessels are of the greatest importance, since when they are damaged, serious circulatory disorders occur. These include the femur,greater- and peroneal, popliteal arteries and veins.
The defeat of the vessels of the lower extremities occurs for various reasons. These include: genetic factors, physical effects, various diseases of the arteries and veins, inflammatory processes, a sedentary lifestyle, prolonged standing, etc. The most significant reasons are:
- Hereditary predisposition.
- Increased blood cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins.
- Diabetes mellitus.
- Vascular anomalies.
- Old age.
- Bad habits.
- Inflammatory pathologies of veins and arteries.
Currently, everyone can afford to do an ultrasound of the vessels of the lower extremities. This will help to identify the disease and begin to treat it in time. Especially the examination is necessary for people who have the listed risk factors.
Vessels of the lower extremities: symptoms of the disease
Clinical manifestations of pathologies of the vessels of the legs depend on the severity of the disease and the nature of the course of the disease. Chronic processes in the early stages practically do not make themselves felt. Therefore, diseases are often diagnosed only with progression. Acute pathologies of arterial vessels and veins of the lower extremities have pronounced clinical symptoms. Symptoms of leg disease include:
- Fast fatigued when walking.
- The manifestation of veins on the skin of the lower extremities.
- Swelling of legs and feet.
- Pain in the legs.
- Convulsivemuscle contraction.
- Change in skin temperature of the extremities.
- Appearance of ulcers.
The first sign of illness is most often an unpleasant sensation when walking for a long time. The legs, as it were, begin to “buzz”, that is, they get tired and hurt. This symptom is characteristic of all chronic processes developing in the vessels of the lower extremities. In the evening, short-term cramps in the calf muscles or foot are often observed. These symptoms are rarely noticed, as most people consider this condition to be normal. However, timely diagnosis of blood flow disorders helps to avoid the progression of pathologies such as varicose veins, endarteritis and vascular thrombosis.
Symptoms of neglected pathologies include: swelling of the leg, changes in temperature and skin color, the appearance of ulcerative defects. Similar manifestations are observed in both acute and chronic diseases in the later stages of the process. Pale and cold lower extremities indicate a violation of blood flow resulting from atherosclerosis or thrombosis. An increase in the temperature of the legs or feet, as well as redness, often indicate the development of an acute pathology that requires urgent intervention. Edema of the lower extremities is observed due to stagnation of lymph in the vessels or thrombosis of veins and arteries.
In order not to miss a serious illness, you should consult a doctor as soon as the first symptoms appear. In case of pain in the calf muscles and convulsions, it is necessary to perform an ultrasound of the vessels (veins) of the lowerlimbs with dopplerography. This examination will help to quickly identify a violation of blood flow, even at an early stage.
Diseases of arteries of the lower extremities
Arteries are vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the tissues of all organs. When they are damaged, cell hypoxia and their death occur. The blood supply to the lower extremities is provided by the femoral artery and the branches of this vessel. The lesion is more often observed in the distal parts of the legs. Diseases resulting from a violation of arterial vessels are:
- Atherosclerosis of the lower extremities.
- Angiopathies.
- Buerger's disease.
Such pathologies arise both as a result of a genetic predisposition, and because of an unhe althy lifestyle. Despite the fact that they have almost the same symptoms, each nosology has its own code according to the ICD 10 classification. Vessels of the lower limb are included in the section under the English letter "I". One of the most common ailments that affects the arteries of the legs is Buerger's disease. The development of this pathology is associated with autoimmune vascular inflammation. The reason that triggers such a mechanism has not been established to date. A synonym for Buerger's disease is such a formulation of nosology as endarteritis of the vessels of the lower extremities. The main predisposing factor in the development of the pathological process is smoking.
Enarteritis is most often diagnosed in middle-aged and elderly men. Unfortunately, this disease has a chronic course and is steadily progressing. Manifestationspathologies are as follows: pain when walking and running, dryness and pallor of the distal legs, tingling sensation, decreased skin sensitivity in the affected area. With the progression of Buerger's disease, lameness and ulcers occur on the foot or lower third of the leg. Patients suffering from this pathology require constant prevention of complications. Treatment of the disease is mainly operational.
Another disease that leads to disruption of arterial blood flow is diabetes mellitus. As you know, the complications of this disease are very serious. In the terminal stages, doctors often have to perform amputation of the lower extremities in order to save the patient's life. The defeat of the legs is due to the fact that one of the main complications of diabetes is angiopathy. Both venous and arterial vessels are affected. The main symptom of angiopathy is the appearance of ulcers on the skin of the feet, which are difficult to treat with medication.
Venous blood flow disorders
There are several reasons for the violation of venous blood flow. In this case, the lower limbs are often affected. This is due to the heavy load on the legs. Veins carry blood away from the lower extremities. The diseases of this group include varicose veins and phlebitis. Both pathologies are associated with structural changes in blood vessels. The veins of the lower extremities are affected in systemic vasculitis, some infectious diseases, and diabetes mellitus. Blood circulation in the legs is disturbed due to pathological tortuosity of blood vessels, stenosis and inflammationvascular wall.
Obturation of the lumen of the vein leads to the formation of trophic ulcers and tissue necrosis. If help is not provided in time, gangrene of the lower limb develops. Most often, necrosis of the tissues of the legs occurs due to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood in diabetes. The second most important reason is thrombophlebitis. It occurs due to the appearance of a blood clot in the lumen of a vein. Thrombophlebitis is not an independent disease, but is considered a complication of other pathologies. An example is various infections that lead to systemic blood clotting, in particular sepsis.
Also, the appearance of blood clots may be due to cardiovascular pathologies. At the same time, the mechanism of the development of the disease is similar to the pathogenesis of heart attack and stroke. The only difference is the location of the lesion. Other causes of impaired venous blood flow in the lower extremities include prolonged immobilization and oncological diseases.
Symptoms of thrombophlebitis include leg swelling and hyperemia. Violation of blood flow is accompanied by severe pain, not only when walking, but also at rest. Immediate surgical treatment is required to save the leg from amputation.
Atherosclerosis in the lower extremities: consequences
Unfortunately, such a disease as atherosclerosis of the vessels is currently considered one of the most common among the adult population. It can affect almost every artery in the body. The vessels of the lower extremity are no exception. Atherosclerosis develops slowly over several years. Pathology is damage to the internalvessel walls and the accumulation of cholesterol plaques in the affected area. The main risk factors for developing this disease are: obesity, old age and smoking. When eating a large amount of fatty foods in the blood, the level of low-density lipoprotein and cholesterol increases. These substances settle in the endothelium of the vessel and narrow its lumen. As a result, the blood flow in the arterial bed is disturbed. In addition to the wrong diet, high cholesterol can also be hereditary.
For several years, atherosclerosis does not make itself felt. However, the consequences of this pathology can be fatal. This disease is one of the main causes of acute circulatory disorders of the vessels of the heart, brain, lower extremities and other organs. Cholesterol plaques can completely close the lumen of the artery, leading to ischemia and tissue death. In addition, pathology often provokes the development of blood clots due to blood clotting. In order to prevent dangerous consequences, an ultrasound of the arteries with Dopplerography should be performed when symptoms such as fatigue when walking, cramps in the calf muscles, and chilliness of the legs appear. Only with the help of instrumental methods of examination, it is possible to establish the diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the vessels of the lower extremities. ICD 10 distinguishes this pathology as a separate nosology, which is coded depending on the location of the affected arteries.
Varicose disease of the lower extremities
Surely such a thing as varicose veins is known to almost everyone. This diseaseoften found among the female population of middle and old age. In recent years, pathology is increasingly being diagnosed in young people. Unfortunately, not everyone attaches importance to this disease even when clinical symptoms appear. However, it is worth knowing that the disease has a progressive course and serious consequences if the prevention of complications is not started in time. Varicose veins are manifested by the following symptoms:
- The appearance of veins on the legs, which were not observed before.
- Tired after walking.
- Twisted veins and knots.
The main cause of varicose veins is a genetic predisposition to this pathology. It lies in the weakness of the venous valves on the legs, namely in violation of their elasticity. However, even with a predisposition, pathology is not observed in everyone. Provoke varicose veins on the lower extremities can be factors such as physical inactivity or, on the contrary, constant stay on the legs, obesity and bad habits. The disease is more common in the female population, which is associated not only with genetic characteristics, but also with wearing shoes with heels. You can identify varicose veins with the help of ultrasound of the vessels (veins) of the lower extremities. Complications of the pathology are in violation of the blood circulation of the legs, resulting in ulcers and phlebitis. The most formidable consequence of varicose veins is considered to be pulmonary embolism, since such a condition leads to death.
Unfortunately, if the pathology has already givenknow about yourself, it is very difficult to completely cure it. However, with the right lifestyle and prevention, you can stop the progression of varicose veins. For this purpose, various medications and laser procedures are used. In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.
Diagnosis of diseases of the lower extremities
Detecting vascular disease at an early stage through clinical examination is difficult. After all, the initial symptoms of such pathologies are rather non-specific, and therefore people rarely go to the clinic on time. Therefore, today there are many methods of instrumental diagnostics. They allow you to visualize arteries and veins, assess the state of their lumen, wall thickness, and also identify blood flow disorders.
The main method of examination for a long time was considered to be ultrasound of the vessels. This diagnostic method has not lost its relevance to this day. However, many other modern methods have appeared that make it possible to better assess the state of the venous and arterial system. In particular, duplex and triplex scanning of vessels of the lower extremities. These studies improve visualization by staining arteries red and veins blue. At the same time, the doctor evaluates the blood flow in the vessels using Doppler ultrasound. Also, computed tomography is used to diagnose thrombophlebitis.
Treatment methods
If you suspect vascular pathology of the legs, you should consult a surgeon. However, this does not meanthat diseases can only be cured by surgery. If the pathological process is not started, the doctor prescribes drug therapy. However, only the surgeon will be able to assess the stage and determine with certainty whether surgery is required or not. The methods of treatment of vascular diseases of the lower extremities include:
- Drug therapy.
- Laser treatment.
- Cryosurgery.
- Open surgery on veins or arteries.
There is a direct relationship between the symptoms and treatment of the vessels of the lower extremities. After all, the method of providing assistance depends on how strongly the pathological process is developed. Therefore, the sooner the patient sees a doctor, the greater the chance of avoiding surgery.
Medical and surgical treatment
Drug therapy is used at the initial stage of diseases of the veins and arteries. It is used in almost all vascular pathologies. The choice of medication depends on the nosology. In infectious processes, antibacterial and antiviral agents are used. If the cause of blood flow disorders are systemic pathologies of the connective tissue, hormonal drugs are prescribed. With varicose veins, it is recommended to use ointments and gels to strengthen the vascular wall. Such drugs include drugs "Troxevasin", "Antistaks", "Ascorutin". If these medicines do not help, laser procedures or cryosurgery are prescribed.
If the violation of blood flow is severe, surgical treatment of the vessels of the lower extremities is required. It is necessary when the lumen of an artery or vein is more than 50% obstructed. ATsuch cases require stenting or shunting of the vessel. The extent of the operation depends on the extent of the lesion and the general condition of the patient.
Prevention of vascular diseases
Prophylactic measures should include the normalization of nutrition and lifestyle. The diet should be selected in such a way as to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. If this cannot be achieved, lipid-lowering drugs are additionally prescribed. Attention should be paid to walking, but at the same time not to abuse prolonged standing. It is also recommended to wear comfortable shoes. One of the main preventive measures is to stop smoking.
