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It may be hard to believe, but your body contains over 60,000 miles of blood vessels. That is long enough to go around the earth 2.5 times! These blood vessels keep our bodies healthy and functioning properly by carrying oxygen and nutrients. If they are not working properly however? You can run into serious problems. Poor circulation can be a real concern, particularly for people with preexisting heart conditions. Recognizing the signs early can help prevent more severe complications. Here are some key indicators and things you should know.
The Circulatory System
The circulatory system is made up of three parts: the heart, blood vessels, and blood itself. The heart is a pump that sends blood throughout our body, carrying oxygen to organs and cells. Once delivered, the blood returns to the heart where it is reoxygenated. Blood moves through veins and arteries. Arteries carry blood away from the heart, and veins carry it back.
Signs of Poor Circulation
Poor circulation can lead to a number of symptoms, which can vary person to person. There are a number of common symptoms to watch for.
- Muscle Cramps: This often starts in the legs. When your body can't supply enough oxygenated blood, you can start to experience muscle cramps. It commonly is felt in the calf, thigh or butt.
- Swelling: Poor circulation can cause blood clots. When blood builds up behind a clot, it can lead to swelling. You may also experience edema, which is the buildup of fluid, usually in the arms or legs.
- Sores: Without enough blood being supplied to your skin, you can start to see sores or ulcers. They tend to take a while to heal and may get infected.
- Numbness and Tingling: These are common symptoms of poor circulation. It typically starts in the hands or feet. There is a disease called Reynaud's phenomenon that limits blood supply to the extremities. They feel numb until blood returns, which causes them to tingle.
- Cold Hands and Feet: When comparing the temperature or your hands and feet to your torso, you may notice a difference. This can be a sign of poor circulation.
- Discoloration: Skin may appear blotchy with different colors. With a condition like Reynaud's, it can appear pale, blueish, or even reddish in color.
- Varicose Veins: When the valves in the heart aren't moving blood properly, veins can start to bulge. This results in purplish-blue spidery lines on the skin, often in the legs. While not usually serious, this can leda to pain, aching, itching, and muscle cramps.
Physical Side Effects
Besides the signs listed above, if left untreated poor circulation can lead to a number of health problems. Blood flow is essential for helping heal wounds and combat infection. With circulation affected, wounds may heal more slowly and you will be at an increased risk of infection. Limited blood flow can also cause your muscles to atrophy over time. Atrophy is the loss of muscle tissue, and can usually be reversed by changes in exercise habits and diet.
Fatigue and weakness are also common physical side effects of poor circulation. Without enough blood flow, your muscles and tissues are not getting the oxygen and nutrients they need. Over time, this leads to chronic fatigue and general weakness. Poor circulation can also impact your cognitive function! The brain needs blood just as much as any part of the body. Without enough flow, you may experience memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and dizziness.
Finally, poor blood flow can lead to serious heart and circulatory complications. Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition characterized by narrowed arteries. This often leads to pain and cramping, and if left untreated can raise your risk of heart attack or stroke, and even require a limb amputation. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is when a blood clot forms in, you guessed it, one of your deep veins. This typically happens in the leg. Clots are serious because they can break off and travel to the lungs, which can cause a pulmonary embolism. Over time, poor circulation strains the heart as it works harder to pump blood. This can lead to an increased risk of heart disease and heart failure.
Management and Prevention
What can you do to manage and prevent poor circulation? There are a few steps everyone should be aware of. The first is fairly simple - healthy lifestyle change. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and quitting smoking have huge impacts on cardiovascular health. Don't forget to drink enough water too! Blood is about half water, and you need to stay hydrated to keep it flowing. The best way to protect yourself is by making healthy choices. Compression therapy has also been shown to help. Using a compression sock can squeeze the blood vessels in your leg, making the blood move back to the heart.
Controlling blood pressure through medication is also a great step if recommended by your doctor. There are a number of treatments available, and keeping blood pressure at a healthy level will have a tremendous impact. Other medicines for treating heart conditions or complications may be a great avenue as well. Regular checkups with your doctor are recommended! This is a great way to catch any issues before they get too serious, and make changes as needed.
Recognizing poor circulation early is crucial in preventing serious health issues. This is particularly true for anyone with pre-existing heart conditions. Regular medical checkins and lifestyle adjustments can significantly lower risk. Be sure to stop by PatientsLikeMe for more information and support!