Month: June 2018

A human’s cardiovascular system is one of the most fascinating, complex systems our world has ever seen. By enabling the transportation of necessary oxygen to our cells, filtering CO2 out of the body, transporting nutrients throughout the body, and helping control our body temperature, it is truly amazing.

Just like an irreplaceable antique car or expensive boat, it is necessary to maintain and take care of all the moving parts working hard in your vascular system. Here are three easy habits to focus on to ensure your body is in its most optimal condition to stay healthy!

Sleep 
While this may not come as a surprise, quality sleep is one of the most important factors to staying healthy. Your body is a machine and, as such, it needs time to recharge just as any other piece of technology does. It has been found that not enough sleep, or lack of quality sleep, can disrupt critical functions in the body which puts people at high risk for vascular disease. Quality 6-8 hours of sleep is enough to take some of the load off your system and decrease the chance of any potential problems.

Physical Fitness
In a world where people can access so many things with the touch of a few buttons, it is important for folks to remember to spend time fine tuning themselves. Daily exercise is crucial to maintaining proper vascular health. Exercise is vital to your overall health as it directly affects your heart’s ability to pump blood through your arteries. Physical activity can also significantly decrease vascular problems from occurring in your limbs.

Stress
While this part might not be easy, it may as well be the most crucial aspect to your cumulative health. While it is impossible to eliminate all stress in your life, it is important to try and manage it as much as possible. It is necessary to plan out mental health days and experiment with new stress-relieving hobbies like yoga or meditation. Try your best to keep your work at work, and don’t let it follow you home. Give your brain a chance to rest and recuperate.  To get the most out of yourself, you need to minimize the effects of high stress levels on your cardiovascular system.

Forming these necessary habits to maintain your cumulative health is one of the most important steps you can take to keep your vascular system in check.

An aortic aneurysm is a condition where a weakening on the actual wall of the aorta causes an abnormal swelling or bulge to grow. The aorta is the major blood vessel that carries blood from your heart to the rest of your body. These bulges can occur anywhere along the aorta, swelling to different sizes and shapes, sometimes several times its normal size. There are two types of aortic aneurysms, abdominal and thoracic. The abdominal type occurs in the aorta that passes through the abdomen, whereas the thoracic occurs in the chest cavity.  Interestingly, abdominal aneurysms are more common than thoracic aneurysms.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms often tend to grow slowly, and usually without any early symptoms, making them difficult to detect. As an aneurysm enlarges, people may notice a pulsating feeling near the navel, deep constant pain in the abdomen, or back pain. Signs that an aortic aneurysm has ruptured may be sudden intense abdominal pain, radiation of pain to the legs or back, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, or a rapid pulse. Because the aorta is the body’s main supplier of blood, it can cause life-threatening internal bleeding if it ruptures; on top of that, emergency surgery for a ruptured aortic aneurysm can be rather risky.  If you have any of these symptoms, you must not ignore them!

Like all vascular diseases, the causes of aortic aneurysms increase with age and depend on overall health. The exact cause of aortic aneurysms is unknown, but multiple risk factors include: tobacco use, high blood pressure, physical trauma, and in some cases it is hereditary. All of these cause damage to the aorta walls, making them weaker and more susceptible to an aneurysm.

Another complication of aortic aneurysms is the risk of blood clots. Small blood clots can develop within an aortic aneurysm. If a blood clot breaks loose from the inside wall of an aneurysm and blocks a blood vessel elsewhere in your body, it can cause pain or block the blood flow altogether to the legs, toes, kidneys or abdominal organs.

Don’t avoid what your body tells you; it is better to be safe than sorry in the long run! Make an appointment with the professionals at Vascular Surgery Associates; they are here to help prevent and treat vascular disease and complications.