Poor blood circulation in the legs - what to do: change the way of life, drugs

From this article you will learn: how to improve circulation in the legs by changing lifestyle, using medicines and performing surgical operations.

Contents of the article:

• Lifestyle changes
• Medical therapy
• Surgical methods
• Forecast

Poor circulation in the legs is a symptom of various diseases that lead to narrowing of arterial vessels or stagnation of blood in the veins. These diseases include diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, obliterating endarteritis, thrombophlebitis, varicose veins.

It is possible to detect deterioration of blood circulation in the legs due to the presence of symptoms that depend on the type of disease. Violations of the arterial blood flow are manifested by pain in the legs when walking, numbness and weakness in the lower limbs, skin color change and hair loss, a constant sensation of cold in the legs, fragility and slow growth of the nails, a decrease in the muscles of the legs. Venous congestion is manifested by blue skin, edema on the legs, the presence of varicose veins, trophic changes and ulcers on the lower limbs.

In the presence of these symptoms, the doctor conducts an examination of the patient, determines pulsation on the arteries of the legs, reveals signs of venous stasis.

To clarify the diagnosis, doctors use instrumental methods of examination, including:

• The ankle-brachial arterial pressure index is the simplest and most accessible method for assessing the deterioration of blood flow in the legs. A patient in a lying position, a doctor or nurse measures pressure on the shoulder and ankle. Then the figure obtained at the ankle is divided by the index obtained on the shoulder. Normally, the blood pressure level on the arms and legs is almost the same, so the index is approximately 1. However, when the arterial blood flow in the legs is disturbed, the pressure on the ankle decreases, so the index becomes lower than 1.
• Ultrasound examination of the vessels of the lower extremities allows you to assess blood flow in the arteries and veins,to detect their constriction and thrombosis. An irreplaceable method for diagnosing vascular diseases of the lower extremities.
• Angiography - X-ray examination of vessels with the help of a contrast agent inserted inside them.

Methods for diagnosing worsened circulation in the legs

Most of the diseases worsening the blood supply in the legs are chronic, so it is very rare to completely eliminate them. Sometimes the improvement of the condition or the stopping of the progression of the disease is the best result of treatment, which is based on lifestyle changes, the use of medications and the conduct of surgical interventions. Sometimes, with arterial insufficiency, the blood flow in the legs is so bad that you have to do amputation.

Vascular surgeons are involved in the problem of worsening circulation in the legs.

Improving the blood supply to the legs by changing the lifestyle of

In the initial stages of worsening of the blood flow in the legs, it is possible to prevent the progression of the disease and alleviate its symptoms with the help of lifestyle changes:

1. Smoking cessation

Cessation of smoking reduces the risk of worsening of the arterial blood flow. Cigarette smoke contains substances that directly act on the walls of blood vessels, narrow their lumen and worsen blood flow. Passive smoking has the same effects.

2. Refusal of alcohol abuse

Scientific evidence suggests that moderate consumption of alcohol can slow the development of atherosclerosis. However, it is also proved that the abuse of alcohol increases the risk of blood flow in the legs, and therefore, excessive consumption of alcohol should be discarded.

3. Healthy food

Healthy nutrition is good for lowering blood cholesterol, which is one of the main factors in the development of atherosclerosis. Patients with circulatory disorders in the legs should follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

4. Physical activity of

It has been scientifically proven that regular physical activity helps to reduce the severity and symptoms of poor circulation in the legs, both venous and arterial.

Doctors recommend exercise as one of the first ways to improve circulation in the legs. The best way is to help the exercises, the program of which is developed by the physician of physiotherapy exercises individually for each patient.

One of the best types of physical activity is walking. In people with arterial insufficiency, walking can cause pain in the legs, but you can not refuse it, because gradually such patients will begin to note the relief of the symptoms of the disease and increase the distance traveled.

5. Weight normalization

Weight loss can be achieved with the help of rational nutrition and regular exercise. Due to the normalization of body weight, venous and arterial blood flow in the legs improves, which leads to a simplification of the clinical picture of the disease. A healthy weight also contributes to the improvement of the functioning of the entire cardiovascular system, which has a favorable effect on the blood supply of the lower limbs.

6. More recommendations from

To improve the flow of venous blood from your legs, you can use the following tips:

Medical therapy

In some patients, lifestyle changes and non-drug methods can not eliminate or sufficiently alleviate the symptoms of worsening of the flow of blood in the legs. In such cases, doctors, taking into account the cause of blood supply disorders, prescribe drug therapy.

The following drugs are used:

• Antiaggregants( aspirin, clopidogrel) are agents that prevent the platelets from sticking together and forming blood clots. Doctors prescribe one of these drugs for atherosclerosis of the lower extremities. Side effects of aspirin include upset stomach and an increased risk of bleeding;side effects of clopidogrel - headaches, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal pain, bleeding.
• Anticoagulants( heparin, warfarin, xarelto) are the means that prevent blood clotting. These drugs are often prescribed for venous thrombosis, less often - with arterial insufficiency of blood supply. The main side effect of anticoagulants is increased bleeding.
• Statins( atorvastatin, rosuvastatin) are drugs that help reduce the production of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the liver. By lowering cholesterol in the blood, the risk of formation and enlargement of atherosclerotic plaques in the vessels of the lower extremities decreases. Side effects of statins are indigestion, headache, nausea, pain in the muscles.
• Cilostazol is a drug used in arterial insufficiency, which helps to increase physical activity, that is, it increases the distance that a person can pass without causing pain. Cilostazol leads to an expansion of the arteries and increased blood supply in the legs. Side effects include headache, diarrhea and dizziness. Cilostazol can not be used in patients with heart failure.
• Pentoxifylline - a drug that improves blood flow in the lower limbs by reducing its viscosity. It is used for violations of the arterial blood supply of the legs.
• Preparations for diabetes mellitus. The treatment of diabetes and careful monitoring of blood glucose levels are necessary measures for patients with worsening of arterial blood flow in the legs.
• Diuretics are diuretics that doctors prescribe with edema and venous stasis in the legs.
• Diosmin is a preparation that increases the tone of the venous wall. It is used for varicose veins and thrombophlebitis.

Drugs for improving circulation in the legs

Surgical methods

If lifestyle changes and conservative therapy do not help improve blood flow to the legs, surgical treatment is used. The type of operations performed depends on the cause and degree of circulatory disturbance.

Operations with arterial blood supply deficiency

Operations used in arterial insufficiency are designed to restore the flow of blood through the arteries. In medicine, such interventions are called revascularization.

There are two main types of revascularization:

In very severe cases of arterial blood supply insufficiency, some patients develop gangrene legs. In such cases, an amputation of the limb may be necessary.

Operations in case of venous outflow violation

When varicose veins are used:

• Sclerotherapy is the introduction of a drug solution into the lumen of the varicose vein that causes glueing of its walls and disappearance.
• Laser and radiofrequency ablation are operations for which the physician inserts a thin catheter into an enlarged vein. In this catheter, the tip can be heated by radio frequency waves or laser energy. This heat destroys the vein, leading to its disappearance.
• Venectomy - surgical removal of varicose veins.

Forecast

The prognosis for worsening of the blood supply of the legs depends on the disease caused by it.

In case of varicose veins, the prognosis is relatively favorable, as if observing the rules for improving the outflow of blood from the lower limbs and conducting effective treatment, the disturbance of blood flow can be almost completely eliminated.

With diabetic foot angiopathy, the control is more influenced by the control of the blood glucose level. Without this control, almost all methods of improving blood flow will be ineffective, which can lead to the need for amputation.