Hypoplasia refers to disorders that occur in the body during the development of the fetus. This is such a phenomenon when a certain organ is not sufficiently developed. This can happen to blood vessels as well.
Hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery can be either congenital or acquired. But most often it is a birth defect.
About illness
Hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery is diagnosed if its lumen is below normal. Under such conditions, certain areas of the brain are poorly supplied with blood, which can cause problems. This disease does not manifest itself immediately and may open in adulthood, as its symptoms are associated with circulatory disorders.
Symptoms and signs
Signs of hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery appear rather slowly, as adaptation mechanisms allow avoiding problems in the body that appear due to poor blood supply. Symptoms begin to develop gradually as the body changes with age.
OnIn the early stages, the disease causes severe pain in the neck. Although, in the absence of other signs, it is almost impossible to diagnose it.
When the stage of arterial involvement is advanced enough, more and more symptoms appear. Headaches and dizziness begin, vision decreases, nervous disorders appear, weakness in the limbs may occur. In some cases, there may be problems with coordination of movements.
During the examination, other signs of the disease often appear. Branches of the left vertebral artery may increase. This is due to the fact that the biological fluid does not flow in sufficient quantities through the artery and small vessels are forced to perform more functions than they are capable of. This should not occur during normal operation.
The consequence of the increase in branches is a significant increase in blood pressure. In some cases, this can lead to nosebleeds, nausea and vomiting, and confusion.
Over the years, hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery is developing more and more. Symptoms become more pronounced.
Causes of disease
The exact cause of the disease is difficult to determine, as it is a birth defect. It is believed that the main factor is the wrong lifestyle of a woman during pregnancy. These are mainly bad habits of a pregnant woman, such as smoking, using drugs and alcoholic beverages.
On appearanceThe disease can also be affected by injuries and bruises of a woman during pregnancy. If the mother-to-be has had a serious illness (for example, influenza, rubella, toxoplasmosis), this may contribute to the development of the disease. Recent studies have shown that stress and depression during pregnancy can contribute to problems with the vertebral arteries.
Disease diagnosis
Signs of this pathology are similar to other diseases, so the doctor must exclude all of them before making a diagnosis. The specialist must study the symptoms in detail and prescribe certain examinations.
Most often, in order to accurately diagnose such symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging is used. in some cases, ultrasound of the vertebral arteries is prescribed. With the help of these studies, the condition of the vessels of the brain is determined.
Treatment
Not in all cases, people suffering from such a disease need treatment. In most cases, the body independently compensates for the disruption of this artery at the expense of other, smaller ones. Thanks to this property of the body, a person can feel great and not suspect that he has he alth problems.
In mild cases, you need to take certain measures to alleviate the damage to the body, which can bring a disease such as hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery. Treatment consists of prescribing drugs forvasodilatation. To some extent, they can reduce pressure and normalize blood circulation in constricted vessels. Such drugs are quite potent, they should be taken when really needed. Since the use of such drugs causes a number of side effects, they are most often prescribed together with other drugs that can alleviate some of the negative effects.
The use of vasodilators can cause chest pain, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion, severe dizziness. The amount of hair on the body may increase.
Stenting
In certain cases, surgery is necessary for patients with a disease such as hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery. The operation is called "stenting". It lies in the fact that during the procedure the patient is inserted into a small tube into the artery, this normalizes blood circulation.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. On the day of the procedure, it is better to refuse food and drink. After stenting, the patient is prescribed medications that thin the blood. For some time, you should not do hard work, play sports, it is better to avoid any kind of physical activity. If the doctor's recommendations are followed, the rehabilitation process will pass without complications.
