Vascular Disease May Lurk Behind Varicose Veins By Sanford Health
H
ealth conditions are often obvious, but a serious vascular disease sometimes hides behind seemingly minor signs that, left untreated, can cause major health problems.
"Such is the case with some artery and vein ailments like blood clots, varicose veins, aneurysms, and stroke," said Greg Nissen, M.D., a vascular surgeon at Sanford Health. USUAL CAUSES The greatest causes of most vascular disease are smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
WARNING SIGNS Although vascular disease can strike without warning, sometimes people have vision changes or slurred speech, which indicate poor blood circulation to the head and brain through the arteries in their neck. Besides a healthy lifestyle, regular heart and vascular screenings can help avoid more serious trouble down the road. Sometimes with poor circulation to the head, a screening will show blood moving faster through arteries, which could indicate a blockage. STROKE
A lot of our population smokes, which is the biggest thing that keeps people from having good health. High-fat diets and a more sedentary lifestyle all increase their blood pressure and can cause diabetes.
A stroke happens when there’s a lack of oxygen to the brain. Every body cell needs oxygen to survive. When there’s a blockage in the head or neck or arm, that creates a lack of oxygen.
Part of it can be genetics, so it’s important that if family members have had strokes or aneurysms they talk to a doctor to see if they need to do a screening test or lifestyle modifications to improve their chance of not having a vascular disease.
The brain is the control center for the body, so when there’s a lack of blood flow to it, people can’t get words out, and they can’t move part of their body. Sometimes a piece of plaque breaks off and goes into the eye. These are all signs that there is a lack of oxygen to the brain.
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SiouxFallsWoman.net | August/September 2021
