From our today's article you will learn about such a widespread and interesting issue, like the cleaning of blood vessels. Let's talk about what the vessels are cleaned from, why it is needed and in what way they do it.
Article content:
- What is atherosclerosis of vessels, and how to deal with it?
- Prevention of atherosclerosis
- Folk remedies for the cleaning of blood vessels
- Medical treatment for atherosclerosis
To begin with it is worthwhile to understand what is meant by the so-called "cleaning" of blood vessels. This is a non-medical and slightly vulgar term, meaning purification of the inner wall of vessels from atherosclerotic plaques or, rarely, thrombotic masses. Most often, the purification of blood vessels means fighting precisely with atherosclerotic plaques - cholesterol salts deposited in the lumen of the vessels - most often arteries of different localization and caliber. Plaques narrow the lumen of the vessel and interfere with normal blood flow and nutrition of cells and tissues. Therefore, the concept of "clean the vessels" in the official medicine is equated with the concept of "prevention and treatment of arteriosclerosis of blood vessels."
Atherosclerosis of the carotid artery Modern medicine implies several directions of "cleaning" vessels:
- Prevention of atherosclerosis of blood vessels by normalizing nutrition, diet, lifestyle.
- Treatment of minor manifestations of atherosclerosis with non-medicament means or cleaning the vessels with folk remedies, which in principle gives a good effect with proper and rational use.
- Treatment and prevention of atherosclerosis directly by methods of official medicine.
A little later we'll talk about each of these blocks separately.
The choice of this or that method of "cleaning" directly depends on the following factors:
- Age of the patient.
- Weight and obesity.
- Heredity, namely: the presence of heart attacks, strokes, ischemic heart disease in the genus.
- The level of cholesterol and its dangerous fractions.
- The presence of clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis - ischemic heart disease, ischemic attacks, pre-sultural states, "intermittent claudication," and so on.
- Additional risk factors: smoking, drinking alcohol, propensity to thrombosis and so on.
Before starting the fight with atherosclerosis, it is worth consulting with a doctor-therapist or cardiologist, passing a minimum set of tests and undergo some tests:
- Blood test.
- Biochemical blood test with mandatory determination of total cholesterol and its fractions: triglycerides, high and low density lipoproteins, atherogenicity coefficient.
- Make a cardiogram of the heart.
- Run the blood pressure profile.
- If necessary, especially in patients with severe forms of atherosclerosis, it makes sense to perform ultrasound of internal organs, heart, chest x-ray, study of cerebral vessels.
An obligatory analysis for atherosclerosis is the determination of the number of high-density lipoprotein( HDL) and low-density lipoprotein( LDL) Why is it necessary to fight atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is truly a disease of the 21st century, associated with lifestyle, the nature and culture of nutrition, metabolic diseases. If a few decades ago, atherosclerosis was considered a disease of the elderly, today some of its signs and manifestations are already found in people 35-45 years old, which terrifies doctors.
The essence of the disease is the deposition of the so-called "harmful" cholesterol in the form of salts on the inner lining of the vessels. Over time, calcium salts accumulate in the plaque, the plaque can ulcerate, attract a coagulating blood system that forms blood clots, and completely cover the lumen of the vessel, disrupting the nutrition of organs and tissues. Affected by atherosclerosis, the vessels become brittle and can break at blood pressure changes - a hemorrhage occurs in this or that tissue.
What you need to know about atherosclerosis and cholesterol?
- Cholesterol is the general name for a group of organic compounds soluble in fat, lipophilic alcohols. There is the concept of "total cholesterol", as well as its fractions or constituents.
- Cholesterol not only comes to us with food, but it can also be formed by the body itself( liver, intestines, kidneys, adrenals, sex glands).
- Not all cholesterol is harmful! Cholesterol is the most important component of the cell membranes of every cell in the human body. This is the so-called "useful cholesterol" in the composition of HDL, or high-density lipoproteins. Cholesterol is a precursor and a component of steroid or sex hormones. This is why it is impossible to completely exclude cholesterol-containing foods from the diet.
- Harmful are some fractions of cholesterol - atherogenic fractions. These include LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, and triglycerides, or TG.It is these fractions that form plaques and cause atherosclerosis.
- It is important to understand that cholesterol is a product of purely animal origin, therefore, vegetable oil on which it says "No cholesterol" is just an advertising trick.
The potential risk of atherosclerosis and the need for vascular clearance is judged not by total cholesterol, but by the coefficient of atherogenicity( CA), that is, the ratio of LDL and HDL.If this coefficient is normal, you can limit yourself to preventive measures or the use of traditional medicine.
Prevention of atherosclerosis
Prophylaxis is the best way to prevent the development of arteriosclerosis of blood vessels. If you follow the principles of rational nutrition and a healthy lifestyle from youth, then "cleaning the vessels" may never be necessary. It shows the prevention of absolutely everything, there are almost no contraindications to preventive measures.
Preventive measures include three main blocks.
Proper nutrition of
Since about 20-30% of cholesterol comes to us with food, it is important to understand how you can influence this process:
1. Increase the amount of "useful" cholesterol and vegetable fats consumed.
High-density lipoproteins act as a counterweight to harmful cholesterol fractions, reducing the coefficient of atherogenicity. Such wonderful products include all vegetable oils, fatty fish, seeds, nuts.
2. Reduce the intake of "harmful" cholesterol.
Please note, this item was put on the second place, because it is proved that even with a decrease in the amount of products containing cholesterol in the diet to a minimum without other preventive measures, its blood levels do not decrease. Harmful cholesterol, which causes atherosclerosis of blood vessels, is contained in the following products: trans fats, contained in mayonnaise and sauces based on it, "overfried" oils and lard, semi-finished products such as cutlets and pelmeni. Products containing large amounts of cholesterol are: liver, brains, eggs, fat pork, lamb and beef, butter, lard. However, these products contain both LDL and HDL, so their use should only be reasonably reduced, but not to give up completely.
3. Increase the amount of products that can bind cholesterol in the gastrointestinal tract and reduce its absorption into the blood.
Leaders in "binding" cholesterol include vegetable fiber, which is contained in fruits and vegetables - both raw and minimally thermally processed. Also ovine croup, bran, soya, almonds, flaxseed are good for binding cholesterol.
4. Normalize the drinking regime.
The more pure water a person consumes, the better the gastrointestinal tract works and the excretion of feces with the excess cholesterol dissolved in the bile occurs.
5. Observe the culture of drinking alcohol.
The following fact was confirmed by the World Cardiological Communities: small amounts of alcohol positively influence cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. In implementing this recommendation, it is very important to remember the measure and clearly understand what "small amounts" are. Under such preventive doses, cardiologists understand a glass of red wine at dinner, 50-100 grams of cognac, a glass of good "live" beer, but no more than the indicated quantities!
The only contraindications to such preventive measures are liver diseases, chronic alcoholism, peptic ulcer disease, pregnancy, breast-feeding and taking medications that are not compatible with alcohol.
Refusal of bad habits
If with alcohol and its doses in the fight against atherosclerosis we sorted out, then smoking definitely increases the risk of atherosclerosis. Therefore, quitting smoking is an extremely important stage in the fight for vascular health.
Physical activity
No matter how trivial it sounds, it is impossible to fight excessive cholesterol without metered physical exertion. This is understandable, because the remaining 60-70% of cholesterol is produced by the human body itself, so it is impossible to overcome them with a diet or refusal to smoke!
Sport and physical activity fundamentally change the nature of metabolism. Excess cholesterol is launched into the production of new cell membranes, steroid hormones necessary for sports, and a decrease in the fat layer proportionately reduces the depot of "harmful" cholesterol in the body.
There is no contraindication to exercise - the question is in its intensity and nature. For everyone, even the most "old" or "sick" patient, you can pick up a suitable kind of physical education. Walking, swimming, yoga, pilates, joint gymnastics, outdoor games, cycling do not require any exceptional abilities and physical fitness.
Non-pharmacologic therapy for atherosclerosis
Purification of vessels or the fight against arteriosclerosis of vessels without the help of official medicine or medications is a very trendy direction today.
Folk remedies for cleaning the vessels with proper application often become extremely effective. Purify the vessels with folk remedies must be done wisely and wisely. Here are the most popular recipes and tools - from the most effective and scientifically sound to truly "folk".
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is the undisputed leader in the fight against harmful cholesterol. It operates at once in three ways: contains a direct antagonist of harmful fractions - flaxseed oil, contains fiber, which binds cholesterol, and also improves intestinal motility and the removal of associated harmful cholesterol.
The recommended scheme of reception is as follows: on an empty stomach in the morning, slowly chew a tablespoon of flaxseed, then drink a glass of cold water. If you chew hard or uncomfortable, you can grind the seed in a coffee grinder and use it in this form, washing it down with water. You can have breakfast in 30-40 minutes after taking flaxseed. The course of treatment is about a month. In a few weeks, the course can be safely repeated.
Flaxseed oil
Flaxseed oil is a natural opponent of harmful cholesterol. Use oil only fresh, purchased at the pharmacy in the form of liquid or capsules. Pure oil can be filled with salads or cereals, and you can drink on an empty stomach. With the latter option, you need to be extremely careful of patients with gallstones or dyskinesia of the biliary tract - oil in its pure form can provoke biliary colic!
The course of treatment is individual - on average it is a month 2-3 times a year. When you take a clean oil, drink it once a day in a teaspoonful, gradually increasing the dose to the dining room. When accepting ready-made capsules, follow the instructions, since the oil content in the different capsules varies.
Other vegetable oils
Pumpkin oil, olive oil and walnut oil are good cholesterol-counteracting properties. Take them the same way as linseed oil.
Bran and ready-made fiber
Bran, especially oatmeal, as well as ready-made fiber in the form of granules mechanically bind harmful cholesterol in the intestines and help to improve its emptying.
Bran and fiber are sold in pharmacies and supermarkets. When applying, follow the instructions on the package, since the concentration of fibers in different brands is different. On average, it is recommended to use a tablespoon of bran for half an hour before meals. Be sure to observe the drinking regime, because bran must swell in the intestine. With a lack of fluid, you can get a pronounced constipation.
Nut mixtures
Nuts are rich in vegetable oils, microelements, vitamins and are very nutritious, so you can make an interesting and tasty food supplement with your own hands.
Take various kinds of fresh( not roasted!) Nuts, for example walnuts, almonds, cashews, mix them in minced meat on a blender or meat grinder, put it in a jar and put it in the refrigerator. To improve the taste and increase the useful properties of the nut mixture, you can add any dried fruits - dried apricots, prunes, raisins. Take the supplement on a teaspoon 2-3 times a day.
Walnut tincture
Walnuts are a real storehouse of substances useful for blood vessels and heart. You can use both nuts themselves and their partitions - dense membranes that separate halves of a walnut in a shell.
To prepare the tincture, you need 500 ml of vodka and a glass of shredded nuts and partitions. Fill the nuts with vodka, cover and insist in a cool place for two weeks. Take tincture of 20 drops 3 times a day for three weeks. Such courses can be repeated three to four times a year.
Garlic, lemon, honey and their mixtures
Herbalists recommend using these components for cleaning vessels, either individually or in combination. The mechanism of action of these drugs is inexplicable from the position of official medicine, but in some patients there is an effect. The simplest example of a therapeutic mixture is the following recipe:
Take two lemons, 4 cloves of garlic, two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of vegetable oil - olive or pumpkin. Lemons are mixed in the meat grinder along with the skin, chop the garlic, mix with the rest of the ingredients and leave in a refrigerator in a sealed container for a couple of days. Take a mixture of 2-3 spoons three times a day before meals.
Official medicine from atherosclerosis
It is important to understand that in the presence of a large number of risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes in history, overweight, burdened heredity, treatment of atherosclerosis can not be limited to "grandmother" methods. To many groups of patients, drugs are absolutely necessary, since they reliably reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and strokes. So, we "clean the vessels" with the means of official medicine.
The only proven means of reducing triglyceride levels and harmful cholesterol fractions are the two drug groups:
- Statins are a group of drugs that affect the enzymes responsible for the synthesis and transformation of cholesterol and NPLP in the body. Examples of statins are "Atorvastatin", "Simvastatin", "Rosuvastatin" and others.
- Fibrates - a very heterogeneous group of drugs that have the ability to enhance the synthesis of bile acids, the removal of cholesterol salts with them, reduce their absorption in the intestine, as well as other unexplained effects. Examples of fibrates are "Ciprofibrate", "Lipantil", "Fenofibrate" and others.
These groups of drugs interfere with metabolic processes, so their own application is completely unacceptable. Doses of drugs and their courses are prescribed only by a doctor after tests and tests. Medicines have a number of contraindications and side effects, of which the doctor further informs the patient.