Vascular disease affects the health and function of your blood vessels, disrupting the blood flow. Unlike what you may think, vascular disease is a term for various conditions that affect the vascular system, including peripheral artery disease, varicose veins, atherosclerosis, and more. You might not recognize you have the disease, but signs such as leg swelling, slow healing wounds, leg pain, and discoloration usually indicate a vascular problem. Luckily, Tinley Park, IL general surgeon Sanjeev Pradhan, MD, and the team at Vascular Specialists offer specialized care for vascular health issues to promote and restore your health. Below are among the services you can expect to find at the practice.
Peripheral artery disease
It is among the most common types of vascular disease. It affects the leg arteries. The disease occurs due to cholesterol buildup, among other substances, blocking the blood flow.
Peripheral artery disease is also likely to occur when conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. It can affect any artery carrying blood to your arms, legs, or pelvis, most common in leg arteries. You are likely to encounter the following.
- Leg numbness
- Muscle cramps
- Leg pain
- Non-healing wounds
- Hair loss
- Skin rashes
- Leg fatigue
- Reddish-brown skin
If you are experiencing the above symptoms, Vascular Specialists can help you find relief.
Leg swelling
Leg swelling is a typical problem among many individuals, but people ignore it most of the time. Though it may occur for many reasons, venous insufficiency is the most common reason for leg swelling. A condition occurs when there is a disruption of blood flow to the heart or lungs.
Venous insufficiency occurs when there is valve damage causing the blood to gather in your veins leading to leg swelling and varicose veins. Leg swelling may also occur with,
- Leg ulcers
- Leg pain
- Leg ulcers
- Leg heaviness
- Leg cramps
- Skin discoloration
Venous ulcers
Usually, when you develop ulcers on your legs, they should heal quickly with no delay. However, in the case of venous ulcers, they are open wounds that take time to heal. They usually develop due to poor blood flow in the leg veins.
The venous ulcers may begin with swelling, skin changes, itchiness, or tingling. Other ulcer symptoms include pain, shiny, tight skin around the wound, red sore, drainage from the wound, and yellow tissue covering the sore. Wound care is necessary to avoid infections and further damage.
Varicose veins
These are enlarged, discolored veins that appear underneath the skin. Though not usually painful, they may cause discomfort, itchiness, and heavy feelings. They usually occur due to valve damage, causing blood to flow back to your legs and flood your veins.
Vascular surgery
It involves minimally invasive procedures to correct problems with your veins and arteries. The common vascular procedures performed by Vascular Specialists include:
- Open carotid endarterectomy
- Peripheral artery bypass
- Open aortic aneurysm repair
Most vascular problems can become serious when left untreated. Therefore, it is critical to let the experts at Vascular Specialists have a look at your problem and provide the necessary help. The team conducts a thorough diagnosis to evaluate your problem and find the right treatments. Healthy lifestyle modifications are also key in treating vascular disease. Let the vascular health experts help you. Contact them for all vascular health issues today.
