The inactive lifestyle of a modern person, along with an unhe althy diet, leads to various failures. Especially the body suffers from foods rich in cholesterol. It is for this reason that atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta most often occurs. What is it, what are the symptoms of the disease and how to treat it correctly, you will learn from today's article.
Medical certificate
Aorta is one of the largest vessels in the body, which is divided into thoracic and abdominal branches. Through them, blood and oxygen enter the organs located in the respective areas.
When the lipid balance is disturbed in the body or a large amount of bad cholesterol circulates in the blood, it begins to settle on the walls of blood vessels in the form of atherosclerotic plaques. Gradually, they calcify, clog the lumen, which leads to a deterioration in blood transport. The walls of the vessel become dense and inelastic. If the aortacompletely blocked by calcified plaques, death occurs.
Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta - what is it?
This is a disease characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol and its derivatives on the inner walls of the artery. This happens due to a violation of lipid metabolism. The disease develops rather slowly. At the initial stage, cholesterol plaques are small and practically do not affect the patency. As the disease progresses, the risk of complete blockage of the vessel increases. First of all, the lower half of the body begins to suffer. If left untreated, the pelvic organs and legs are expected to experience ischemia, sclerosis, and necrosis.
Causes of disease
Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta most often occurs in very old people. At risk are patients who have crossed the threshold of 55 years old. But under certain unfavorable conditions, young people can also face signs of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta.
The main causes of the disease are the following:
- bad habits (smoking, drugs, alcohol abuse);
- passive lifestyle;
- lack of exercise;
- Hypertension history;
- lipid metabolism disorder;
- hormonal imbalance;
- frequent stress and depression;
- overweight;
- disruptions of the endocrine system;
- malnutrition;
- violation of fat metabolism.
Atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta is hereditarydisease. If a similar problem has already been diagnosed in close relatives, you should pay special attention to your own he alth.
Clinical picture
About the diagnosis of "atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta" (what it is, will be described in detail below), many patients learn during a routine medical examination. At the initial stage, the pathology does not manifest itself, and characteristic plaques on the walls of blood vessels can only be detected by CT.
As the disease progresses, the following he alth problems occur:
- heaviness and discomfort in the abdomen;
- indigestion, manifested by constipation and diarrhea;
- after eating there is nausea, heartburn;
- pulsing feeling on the left side of the navel;
- unreasonable weight loss.
If therapy is not started in time, the pathological process begins to spread to the kidneys. This is evidenced by problems with urination, pain in the lumbar region, swelling of the face and limbs.
Other manifestations of the disease
When the aorta is affected by the area where it divides into the left and right iliac arteries, this can negatively affect the circulation in the legs. In this case, patients complain about:
- decrease in tone in the lower extremities;
- numbness and coldness in the legs;
- pronounced swelling, lack of pulsation of the arteries in the feet;
- erection problems in men.
The visceral arteries branch off from the aorta. They are responsible for the nutrition of internal organs. As a result of theirthrombosis, severe pain in the intestinal region appears. They arise as a result of the death of body cells. The clinical picture is complemented by constipation, alternating with diarrhea, fever and disability. Thrombosis results in peritonitis, which is often fatal.
Diagnostic Methods
When symptoms of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta appear, treatment should begin immediately. During the initial visit to the doctor due to the pronounced signs of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, the patient is first referred to a gastroenterologist. In most cases, the specialist does not see problems. Therefore, the patient is sent for additional examination. It consists of the following activities:
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- FGDS;
- blood test to determine the lipid spectrum;
- aortoangiography;
- blood clotting assessment;
- duplex scanning.
The last diagnostic option allows you to identify the disease at an early stage of development. Angiography is considered another informative method of examination.
Elderly patients often do not understand the danger of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta, what kind of disease it is. Therefore, they enter a medical institution in the last stages of the disease, when the body has already suffered significant damage. However, regular medical examination allows you to detect the disease at the initial stage of development.
Treatments
Atherosclerosis belongs to the category of incurable pathologies. Relief of symptoms with the help of medications is a necessary, but not a priority task. A much more important role is played by measures to reduce the amount of harmful lipids in the blood, restore the nutrition of organs and tissues affected by the pathological process. However, their complete disappearance cannot be achieved even in the case of radical intervention.
In atherosclerosis, the leading role in therapy belongs to lifestyle changes and understanding of the current situation on the part of the patient. Unfortunately, the rejection of the disease in old age happens quite often. Therefore, it is important for the doctor to convey to the patient the need to comply with the following measures:
- Change in lifestyle to a more calm and measured one. Stress and excessive physical activity can provoke fluctuations in blood pressure, which is undesirable in atherosclerosis.
- Power correction. Fats of animal origin, sugars, refined foods, fast carbohydrates should be excluded from the diet. More details about the diet for atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta will be discussed below.
- Rejection of bad habits. Alcohol abuse and smoking contribute to the destruction of the vascular walls, which provokes the accumulation of cholesterol plaques on them.
The above recommendations are important for all patients, regardless of the stage of the pathological process.
Drug therapy
Treatment of atherosclerosis of the aorta of the abdominal cavity at the initial stage is carried out with medication. Therapy has 2 goals: reliefunpleasant symptoms and pain, lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. In the first case, antispasmodics are used ("Duspatalin", "Trimedat") to relieve spasms, eliminate constipation and excessive gas formation. Analgesics relieve pain well, but do not eliminate the root cause of the disease ("Analgin", "Ketoprofen").
In order to lower blood cholesterol levels, patients are prescribed drugs from the following groups:
- Statins ("Atorvastatin", "Atoris", "Rozart"). These are highly effective drugs that are well tolerated by patients. Tablets should be taken once a day, but for a long time.
- Fibrates ("Fenofibrate", "Clofibrate"). They affect the formation of "bad" cholesterol in the liver.
- Bile acid sequestrants (Cholestyramine, Colestipol). The drugs bind bile acids, and then remove them from the body.
In addition, vitamin complexes are always prescribed.
Principles of nutrition
Treatment of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta always involves diet. Doctors recommend completely excluding from the diet products that contain animal fats (mayonnaise, eggs, lard, fatty meat). They should be replaced with vegetable high in omega-3 (avocado, various oils and cereals). This substance helps to dissolve cholesterol plaques in the vessels. It is advisable to consume the listed products daily.
Special attention deserves the fish. In its fatty varieties (mackerel, herring, trout, salmon)contains a large amount of omega-3. Patients with atherosclerosis should eat fish dishes 3-4 times a week.
From dairy products will have to be completely abandoned or begin to control the fat content of the products taken. Preference should be given to low-fat options, and it is better to replace milk with a vegetable analogue (soy, hemp, almond).
Surgery
If the medical elimination of the symptoms of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta was ineffective, they resort to surgical intervention. As a rule, abdominal surgery is used, during which the doctor removes the affected area and replaces it with a prosthesis.
Surgical treatment is performed only when there is a high risk of blockage of the aorta or its destruction.
Help of traditional medicine
Treatment of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta by folk remedies is carried out only as an addition to the main course. It enhances the effect of drugs, but is not able to completely eliminate the disease. Moreover, you must first consult with your doctor about possible contraindications.
How to treat atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta with folk remedies? You can make these tinctures:
- Tincture with hawthorn. For cooking, you need to pour 200 g of fresh berries into 300 ml of medical alcohol (it is better to choose the 70% option), leave in a dark place for a week. After the remedy should be filtered. Take it 3 ml in the morning and at bedtime, it is better to do this before takingfood. The duration of the course of therapy is 3 months, after which a break is required.
- Garlic tincture. It is recommended to chop a medium-sized head of garlic, place it in a dark glass dish and pour a small amount of alcohol. Infuse the remedy for about a week, shaking occasionally. After it should be filtered and treatment can begin. Take the medicine 15 drops in the morning and before bedtime for six months.
- Tincture of viburnum. Approximately 200 g of fresh berries should be chopped, add 50 g of honey to the resulting mass. Then pour in 400 ml of wine made from red grapes. The tool is recommended to infuse for a week. Take it 5 ml three times a day before meals.
Pumpkin juice is good for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Every day, experts advise drinking 100 ml of the product on an empty stomach. It is better to prepare the product immediately before use.
Possible Complications
In the absence of timely treatment of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta, the symptoms of the pathology will progress rapidly, worsening the quality of human life. In addition, the likelihood of complications increases. Among them, the most dangerous is total blockage and subsequent rupture of the aorta. As a result, death occurs. Other complications pose a deadly threat:
- gangrene of the legs;
- heart attack/stroke;
- angina;
- cardiosclerosis.
The appearance of these he alth problems in old age leads toto death or loss of autonomy on the part of the patient. You can predict the likelihood of their occurrence after analyzing the clinical picture and the results of the examination.
Prevention Methods
It is impossible to completely exclude the possibility of a disease. Therefore, preventive measures are aimed at early diagnosis of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta. For this purpose, it is recommended to take an annual blood test for cholesterol and glucose, to control blood pressure. After the age of 55, a body check should be performed more often - once every 6 months.
To prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis of the abdominal aorta, you must:
- stick to the principles of a he althy lifestyle;
- adhere to the principles of proper nutrition;
- eliminate bad habits;
- normalize physical activity;
- treat all diseases in a timely manner;
- strengthen the immune system;
- get rid of excess body weight.
The disease develops slowly, but its treatment always takes time.
