Blood Vessel Disease ~ Breast Cancer

Blood vessel disease, also known as vascular disease or artery disease is the narrowing down or constriction of blood vessels in the arms, abdomen and legs. The blood vessels in the body are responsible for the transport of oxygen, blood and nutrients throughout the body. Blood vessels comprise veins and arteries. The arteries (except pulmonary artery) carry oxygenated blood and the veins (except pulmonary vein) carry de-oxygenated blood. Narrowing of arteries and veins leads to artery disease. The constriction of arteries causes less oxygenated blood to flow to the different parts of the body, resulting in cell or tissue death. If this condition is not treated, it can end up in gangrene, which is a condition in which the cells and tissues of the body extremities die. When this happens, amputation of those parts of the body is done.

Causes of Blood Vessel Disease

Artery disease is generally caused due to constriction of blood vessels, by plaque built from fats and cholesterol over a long period of time. Saturated fats found in fried and junk foods go and collect on the walls of blood vessels, eventually blocking the path for blood flow. Family history, age, gender, etc. increase the possibility of getting vascular disease. People over the age of 45 or who have family members with such heart or blood vessel diseases are at greater risk of contracting this disease. Moreover, certain conditions such as diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and sedentary lifestyle can lead to blood vessel problems.

Types of Blood Vessel Disease

Vascular is divided into different types depending on the area to which blood flow is restricted. The main types of blood vessel problems and diseases are as follows:

Coronary Artery Disease: The chief cause for this condition is the build-up of fatty acids called plaque on the walls of the coronary arteries. These are arteries supplying blood laden with oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscles. When a person consumes a high-fat diet, the fatty material from the blood gets deposited on the walls of the coronary arteries, causing their pathways to narrow down. Over a period of time, the blood vessels will get blocked due to excess fat deposits and blood flow to the heart muscles will get stopped, thereby resulting in heart attack.

Aneurysm: This disease features a bulge or weakness in the walls of the blood vessel. The genesis of aneurysm takes place as a weakness in the wall of the blood vessel. As time passes, the force of blood in the blood vessel causes this weak portion to balloon out. Once the aneurysm is formed, it gets larger gradually, making it prone to rupture. This type of blood vessel disease can occur in the arteries of the brain or the heart, especially at the basal portion of the brain and the abdominal aorta. This disease can be life-threatening by resulting in brain hemorrhage and even death.

Peripheral Arterial Disease: This disease affects the blood supply to the arms and legs. This happens when the arteries in the legs narrow down, due to the build up of plaque in the arteries. This thickening of arterial walls by calcium, fibrous tissue, fat and cholesterol is called atherosclerosis. The arteries become narrow and blood flow to the different parts of the body is reduced. When the constriction is mild, the afflicted person faces pain in the legs while walking or exercising, which subsides after some rest. In the later stages, the arteries get even more blocked, leading to acute pain and cramping. In severe cases, this condition can also result in tissue death. Diabetes, obesity, hypertension, etc. increase the risks of peripheral arterial disease.

Hypertension: High blood pressure is one very common artery diseases in the West and is caused by the increased pressure of the blood moving through the blood vessels. Hypertension can be life-threatening; however, it has several treatment options. This condition can lead to heart failure and stroke as well. Artery diseases are also called diseases of the cardiovascular system. Coronary artery disease and hypertension are the two most common forms of blood vessel problems. A leading cause of death worldwide is cardiovascular disease. This can also affect blood vessels of the brain, thereby leading to dementia.

Symptoms of Blood Vessel Disease

These signs are observed in the arms, abdomen and legs. They are as follows:

Muscle cramps
Muscle ache
Cold hands and feet
Pale skin
Hair loss on the toes, feet and legs
Sores that take too long to heal
Sores when scabbed over appear black
Slight or no pulse in the feet or legs
Skin and nails appear reddish-blue in color

While nothing much can be done to change inherited genes, one can prevent blood vessel disease by keeping a strict tab on one's diet. By making healthy choices, one can prevent or slow down this vascular disease. One should avoid eating a lot of saturated fats, which are present in abundance in junk food and fried dishes. A high-fiber, balanced and nutritious meal is what will help keep this disease at bay. Regular exercise is also recommended to burn up the excess calories consumed. Moreover, exercise helps increase the levels of good cholesterol in the blood, which reduce risks of heart diseases and artery blocks.

The inflammatory disorders - Diseases of the Blood Vessels -
www.faqs.org Diseases of the Blood Vessels
Family Planning, Infertility, Pregnancy, Birthing, Complications of Pregnancy, and Child Care
Blood pressure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressure
Blood pressure (BP), sometimes referred to as arterial blood pressure, is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the ...
The vessel-clogging disorders - Diseases of the Blood Vessels ...
www.faqs.org Diseases of the Blood Vessels
Family Planning, Infertility, Pregnancy, Birthing, Complications of Pregnancy, and Child Care
Disease Where Blood Vessels In Brain Swell
www.scumdoctor.com/.../Disease-Where-Blood-Vessels-In-Brain-Swell.html
Disease Where Blood Vessels In Brain Swell The disease where the blood vessels in the brain swell up is known as aneurysm. This is nothing but
Blood Vessel Diseases Healthcare and medicine Khan Academy
www.khanacademy.org/.../healthcare-and-medicine/blood-vessel-diseases
Learn about how arteries differ from veins and how arteries can get damaged over time.
Blood Vessel and Kidney Disease - EzineArticles Submission ...
ezinearticles.com/?Blood-Vessel-and-Kidney-Disease&id=1251043
Jun 15, 2008 Blood vessels of kidney have profound paid distinctive consideration extensively. It is related with the requirements of clinical medicine and morphologic ...
Blood vessel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_vessel
The blood vessels are the part of the circulatory system that transports blood throughout the body. There are three major types of blood vessels: the arteries, which ...
Blood Vessel Pain in Neck - Heart Disease - MedHelp
www.medhelp.org/posts/Heart-Disease/Blood-Vessel-Pain-in-Neck/show/...
4 days ago, I was under a lot of stress preparing for out of town guests (Things weren't going well) and all of a sudden, I had a lot of pain in my right chest and ...
Tips for Reducing Blood Vessel Inflammation and Heart Disease
ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-Reducing-Blood-Vessel...Disease&id=1046845
Mar 14, 2008 Inflammation is one way the body responds to infection or injury. We are all aware of the classic symptoms of an inflammatory immune response - redness ...
The Heart and Blood Vessels - Genes and Disease - NCBI
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22227
Oxygen is vital to life as it provides fuel for all the body's functions. The heart's role is to pump oxygen-rich blood to every cell in the body.
blood vessel - definition of blood vessel in the Medical ...
medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/blood+vessel
vessel /vessel/ (ves'l) any channel for carrying a fluid, such as blood or lymph. blood vessel one of the vessels conveying the blood, comprising arteries ...
Broken blood vessels are the real problem in lifestyle diseases
7bigspoons.com/...blood-vessels-real-problem-lifestyle-diseases
Cardiovascular disease is about heart problems and diabetes is about sugar problems and the pancreas right. Wrong, faulty blood vessels are the real problem.
Blood Vessel Cancer eHow - eHow How to Videos, Articles &
www.ehow.com Health Cancer Other Cancers
Blood vessel cancer is essentially a form of soft tissue sarcoma, which is any cancer that shows its origins coming from the soft tissue of the body, in this case the ...
Altering Calcium Build-Up In Blood Vessels May Be New
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/258856.phpRating: 5/5 3 ratings
Current ratings for: Altering Calcium Build-Up In Blood Vessels May Be New Treatment Method For Heart Disease
Burst Blood Vessel in Brain eHow - eHow How to Videos ...
www.ehow.com Health Conditions & Treatments Aneurysm
A burst blood vessel in the brain, otherwise known as a cerebral aneurysm, is a very dangerous and life threatening condition. It happens when a thin wall of a blood ...
Histopathology Blood vessels--Buergers disease - YouTube
www.youtube.com/watch?v=whJF412vi2g
Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to add WashingtonDeceit 's video to your playlist.
Blood Vessels of the Brain - Alzheimer's Association
www.alz.org/braintour/blood_vessels.asp
Your brain is nourished by one of your body's richest networks of blood vessels. With each heartbeat, arteries carry about 20 to 25 percent of your blood to your ...
Blood Vessels Definition and Patient Education
www.healthline.com Symptoms and Conditions
Blood vessels compose a continuous system of channels through which blood transports oxygen and nutrients to and waste materials from all body tissues.
Heart disease - MayoClinic.com - Mayo Clinic
www.mayoclinic.com Home Diseases and Conditions
Jan 16, 2013 Heart disease Comprehensive overview covers symptoms, causes, treatments and prevention of heart disease.
Lupus Vasculitis and Blocked Blood Vessels - Hospital for Special ...
www.hss.edu/conditions_lupus-vasculitis-blocked-blood-vessels.asp
Warning About Misuse of the Term ; What is Vasculitis? What Vasculitis is Not; When Does Vasculitis Occur in Rheumatic Disease? When is Vasculitis an Important ...
Arteries vs. Veins - What's the difference? Blood Vessel ...
www.khanacademy.org/science/healthcare-and-medicine/blood-vessel...
Learn some important differences between arteries (high pressure/low volume) and veins (low pressure/high volume). Rishi is a pediatric infectious disease physician ...
Buergers Disease Vasculitis Blood Vessel Inflammation Causes ...
www.healthblurbs.com/buergers-disease-vasculitis-blood-vessel...
Buergers disease, aka thromboangiitis obliterans, is a rare blood vessel disease of the extremities, especially hands and feet. It is caused by vasculitis, which ...
blood vessel - definition of blood vessel by the Free Online ...
www.thefreedictionary.com/blood+vessel
blood vessel n. An elastic tubular channel, such as an artery, a vein, or a capillary, through which the blood circulates. blood vessel n (Life Sciences & Allied ...