What is the vascular system?
The vascular system refers to the network of vessels that carry blood and oxygen to all different body parts. There are three different types of blood vessels namely – arteries, veins, and capillaries.
To avoid a vascular disease, it is essential to protect this network and keep it running smoothly. Any hindrance in the blood flow can damage vital body organs such as the heart, arms, legs, lungs, and brain.
What is the impact of vascular disease?
Due to numerous reasons, plaque may develop in the arteries. This causes the arteries to become narrow and thus restricts the supply of blood and oxygen to various body parts. This is the primary cause of a vascular disease.
Limited blood supply causes blood vessels to become hard. This condition can further lead to serious health conditions such as heart attack, amputation, and stroke.
Vascular diseases can take many forms. The most common venous disorders are Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Peripheral Artery Disease(PAD). In CAD, the plague is known to form in the blood vessels that are responsible for supplying blood to the heart. In PAD, the plague formation is reported in the arteries that carry blood to the limbs.
Even though cardiovascular diseases such as PAD and CAD are the leading cause of death across the World, vascular health is still misunderstood, ignored, and often left undiagnosed and untreated.
Thus, it is essential to understand the early signs and risk factors of vascular diseases. This will not only help in timely diagnosis and efficient treatment but also lead to early recovery of the patient while also preventing any other major health complications.
Another important thing to understand is that even with regular preventive measures, plague can still develop in the blood vessels and it is thus vital for a patient to have his vascular health consistently addressed and managed.
How to reduce the risk of a vascular disease?
Vascular diseases are known to be either genetic or caused due to a poor lifestyle. Although there is nothing that we can do to reduce the likelihood of vascular disease in a patient who has a family history of venous disorders, there are numerous small things that we can do to correct our lifestyle and decrease the overall chance of a vascular disease.
As a primary task, you should focus on eating nutritious food and performing some form of physical activity every day. Eating balanced meals and forming a daily habit of exercise is known to promote healthy blood circulation in the body. This helps prevent vascular disorders in people of all age groups.
On the other hand, smoking and excessive intake of alcohol is known to have adverse effects on our vascular health. You must inculcate good habits, avoid any form of stress, and get enough sleep in order to take care of your vascular system and keep it working well.
How is a vascular disease diagnosed?
Diagnosis of vascular disease is tricky in asymptomatic patients (those who do not have any signs of pain or discomfort). In case of any pain or swelling in the limbs, the doctor will begin the diagnosis with a physical examination of the affected area.
The doctor will also ask you questions about the medical history of your family to check for the genetic cause of vascular disease. He/she is also likely to request you to get done blood work and undergo an ultrasound scan where he/she can check for the presence of damaged blood vessels.
How is a vascular disease treated?
Treatment for a venous disease depends upon the current health condition of the patient. Doctors usually advise lifestyle changes with oral medications for most patients. Some patients are also advised to use compression garments. However, in some extreme cases, vascular surgery may become absolutely necessary.
These days, non-surgical removal of damaged blood vessels is also possible through a painless and minimally invasive procedure. In this process, the body automatically re-routes the blood to neighbouring healthier vessels after the damaged ones are removed and re-absorbed by the body.
This procedure is performed by an interventional radiologist under the influence of local anaesthesia. It is a brief procedure and the patient can go back home on the same day. It does not require any cuts or stitches and does not leave any scar marks. Patients can go back home on the same day.
If you are contemplating undergoing a medical check-up to rule out the possibility of vascular disease, visit none other than the best interventional radiologist and an experienced vascular surgeon Dr. Rajah V Koppala at Avis Vascular Centre. He has over two decades of medical experience and has treated 40,000+ patients.
Schedule your appointment for world-class treatment at the most affordable prices at Avis Vascular Centre. We have special arrangements for non-local patients and offer quick friendly support for Mediclaim settlements. Book your consultation today!