What is Veinous and Arterial Disease?
Treating Vein Diseases Using The Most Advanced Vein Surgery Techniques Since 2011. The staff at our Advanced Vein Center are passionate about and committed to their mission of providing excellent vein and vascular care.
What is Venous Disease?
Venous disease occurs when the veins in the body start malfunctioning. The function of the veins is to carry the oxygen-depleted blood from the organs and extremities back to the heart and lungs to be re-oxygenated.
Blood circulation back to the heart is passive and of low pressure. Muscle contractions in the arms and legs are what make it possible for the blood to travel back up to the heart through the veins.
Venous disease affects over 100 Million people in the United States. In fact, one out of three Americans over the age of 45 suffer from some kind of vein disease.
Some vein diseases develop in the superficial leg veins and are easily noticeable while other vein diseases develop within the deeper leg veins and are not immediately noticeable and ultrasound technology is necessary to detect them.
As blood accumulates on the vein walls, with time, the vein walls stretch beyond their limits. As the vein walls continue to stretch and the accumulation of blood continues, eventually this can lead to:
- Blood Clots.
- Leg Ulcers.
- Spider Veins.
- Varicose Veins.
- Leg Swelling and Leg Pain.
- Chronic Venous Insufficiency.
- Phlebitis (Inflammation of The Veins).
What is Arterial Disease?
The arterial disease occurs when the arteries that carry oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain, bodily organs, arms, and legs become narrow, blocked, or weakened.
Arteries are elastic, strong and are normally smooth and unobstructed on the inside to allow efficient blood flow throughout the body.
Continuously high blood pressure flowing through the arteries can eventually cause the artery walls to weaken, making the artery expand like a balloon. If the weakened artery continues to expand, the artery can burst, causing sudden internal bleeding that can lead to death.
Typically, ballooning of the artery happens in the aortic artery. When this ballooning happens in the thoracic (chest) area, this is referred to as a Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm (TAA). And when this ballooning happens in the abdominal area, this is referred to as an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA).
Also, when the arteries become narrow or blocked due to the accumulation of plaque, made up of cholesterol, calcium, and fibrous tissue, blood circulation to the arms, legs, and brain becomes restricted.
As more plaque builds up, arteries narrow and stiffen. This process is called Atherosclerosis, or “hardening of the arteries.”
When the arteries in the legs and arms become narrow, blocked, and stiffen due to Atherosclerosis, this is a medical condition known as Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). And when the arteries that transport blood to the brain become narrow and blocked, this medical condition is known as Carotid Artery Disease.
Peripheral Arterial Disease and Carotid Artery Disease only worsen with time and can become fatal if not treated in time because they can eventually lead to limb loss and stroke.
What causes Arterial Disease?
- Aging.
- Obesity.
- Smoking.
- Diabetes.
- High Cholesterol.
- High Blood Pressure.
- History of Vascular Diseases.
Some of the symptoms related to the arterial disease are pain while walking, chest and back pain, headaches, blurred vision, and difficulty speaking.
Arterial Disease can go Unnoticed
If the arterial disease is not discovered and treated, it can lead to limb loss, stroke, and death. It is on the rise in the United States. More and more people are losing their lives to a deadly arterial disease.
Over 130,000 Americans die from stroke every year and the majority of deaths were related to Carotid Artery Disease.
Approximately 200,000 people are diagnosed with Aortic Aneurysms annually in the United States, and 11,000 of them have died from Aortic Aneurysm Rupture.
10 Million Americans have developed Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and half of them do not even know it. 75,000 Americans need to have their leg amputated because of poor blood circulation in their legs caused by PAD.
Arterial Disease Diagnosis and Treatment
At the Advanced Vein Center diagnosing arterial diseases is performed using ultrasound technology that can help discover any blockage or weakening of the arteries.
