Vascular Disease
What are the symptoms of Vascular Disease?
What are the symptoms of Pulmonary Embolism?
- A sudden feeling of apprehension
- Shortness of breath
- Sharp chest pain
- Rapid pulse
- Sweating
- Cough with bloody sputum
- Fainting
If you experience the sudden onset of any of these symptoms,
contact your doctor or seek emergency treatment immediately!
Varicose veins , also called "varicoceles," result when the
valves that control the flow of blood in and out of veins fail to work
properly and the pull of gravity causes blood to pool in the legs or elsewhere.
Varicoceles in the scrotum may cause infertility in men. Varicoceles in
the veins of the ovaries may cause chronic pelvic pain in some women.
When valves fail in the legs, the superficial veins become enlarged
and twisted, where they appear as twisted, dark blue vessels just under
the skin’s surface. Smaller varicose veins are sometimes called
spider veins. Obesity, pregnancy, constriction of the veins with garters
or tight clothing, and an inherited tendency are among the contributing
causes of varicose veins. Usually, there are no symptoms. Varicose veins
are diagnosed by physical examination.
Women between the ages of 30 and 70 are most often affected by Varicose
Veins. In the United States, 10 percent of men and 20 percent of women
have varicose or spider veins. Treatment usually is not required. While
most treatment is sought for cosmetic reasons – to improve the appearance
of the veins in the legs – some varicose veins are painful and require
treatment for medical reasons.
Symptoms of Varicose Veins
Most varicose veins have no symptoms other than the appearance of purplish,
knotted veins on the surface of the skin. A physician should be consulted
and treatment may be required if there is:
- Pain or heaviness in the leg, feet and ankles,
- Swelling,
- Sores or ulcers on the skin, or
- Severe bleeding if the vein is injured.
Phlebitis is an inflammation of a vein that can be due to bacterial
infection, injury or unknown causes. Thrombophlebitis is inflammation
that results from the formation of a blood clot in an arm or leg vein.
It can occur in a superficial vein near the skin surface or in a deep
vein. Pain and inflammation are the most common symptoms. Unfortunately,
in the case of thrombophlebitis in the deep veins (see deep vein thrombosis)
there may be no symptoms unless the clot travels to the lungs, resulting
in a life-threatening pulmonary embolism.
Venous stasis disease also is caused by defective values in the veins,
but it is far more serious than varicose veins. If a damaged valve does
not close completely, pooled blood can build up in the veins causing pain,
swelling and tissue damage that may lead to painful sores or ulcers. Chronic
venous stasis disease can result in devastating disfigurement, disability
and a lifetime of treatments and hospital stays. Fortunately, early diagnosis
and treatment can avoid these long-term effects.