Vascular Diseases and Vascular Causes

Vascular Diseases and Vascular Causes

What is Vascular Diseases? A system of flexible tubes, some big, some very tiny and move fluids throughout your body. If they were stretch... 23:46:00

What is Vascular Diseases?

A system of flexible tubes, some big, some very tiny and move fluids throughout your body. If they were stretched end-to-end, there would be enough to circle the Earth multiple times.

Some of them  move blood. As your heart beats, it pumps blood with oxygen and nutrients to feed your tissues and carry  off waste. Arteries move blood away from the heart. Veins return it.

Lymph vessels and  lymph nodes are part of a cleaning system that removes damaged cells from your body. They also help protect  your body from infections and cancer. The vessels pick up fluid from tissues throughout your body. That fluid eventually drains back into veins under your collarbones.

This whole network of vessels is known as your vascular or circulatory system. "Vascular" comes from a Latin word for hollow  container. Any condition that affects this system is considered vascular disease. The diseases range from problems  with your arteries, veins, and vessels that carry lymph to disorders that affect how blood flows. A  disease can lead to your tissues not getting enough blood, a condition called ischemia, as well as other serious even life-threatening problems.

Vascular problem 

Atherosclerosis and Peripheral Artery Disease

Coronary arteries supply blood to your heart muscle. Peripheral arteries carry blood to other tissues and organs throughout your body. Both can have deposits of fat, cholesterol, and other substances on their inside walls. These deposits are known as plaque. Over time, plaque can build up, narrowing the vessel and making it hard for blood to flow.

Eventually, the artery will be so narrow that your body's tissues don't get enough blood. Depending on where it happens,  you can have different symptoms and problems. For example:

Blockage in coronary arteries can cause chest pain (angina) or a heart attack.
If it's in the carotid arteries  that supply your brain, it can lead to a stroke or mini stroke, which is called a transient ischemic attack or TIA.

Blockage in the kidneys can lead to trouble with how they work, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and heart failure.

A blockage in a leg can lead to leg pain or cramps when you're active -- a condition called claudication -- skin color change, sores or ulcers, and your legs feeling tired.
When you don't have  any blood flow to a part of your body, the tissues could die. If that happens, you may lose a limb or an organ.