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What is Atherosclerosis? |
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Symptoms
Intense pressure in the body’s arteries inevitably builds up over time, and these tend to develop thicker and more rigid walls that restrict the blood flow to the surrounding organs. Although this condition is technically referred to as arteriosclerosis, it can be used interchangeably with a more specified type called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis steadily develops with time, causing no symptoms, or at least up to the point when an artery is so constricted or obstructed that the blood flow is significantly reduced, sometimes totally blocked. The symptoms of an atherosclerosis depend on the affected artery; for instance, arterial obstructions to the heart cause indications of cardiac arrest like chest pain, and those which occur near the brain cause symptoms of stroke, such as numbness and feebleness.
Causes
Atherosclerosis is progressive condition which can start in early childhood, and even though the cause for it cannot as yet be determined, specialists suspect that it begins with an injury to the interior wall of an artery. This can be caused by many factors, such as high levels of cholesterol or blood pressure, prolonged exposure to irritants like nicotine, and health conditions like diabetes. As soon as the interior arterial walls suffer damage, platelets rush to the site in an effort to repair the injury. These patched-up areas then develop plaque deposits of cholesterol and other byproducts, which accumulate and stiffen, and get in the way of a healthy blood flow. Parts of these deposits consequently rupture and go through the bloodstream, causing a blood clot at the rupture site and leading to organ damage.
Diagnosis
The doctor may detect tell-tale signs of atherosclerosis with a physical exam, such as aneurysms in the abdomen or behind the knees, a poorly-healing wound at the region of restricted blood flow, or a reduced blood pressure in the afflicted limb. Based on the results of the initial exam, the doctor may recommend any or several diagnostic exams, such as blood tests, a Doppler ultrasound imaging test, an electrocardiogram, an angiogram, or through assessment the ankle brachial index, wherein the blood pressures of the ankle and the arm is compared. There are also other imaging tests which can reveal hardened or narrowed arteries and aneurysms, such as an ultrasound test, CT scan, or a magnetic resonance angiogram.
Treatment Info
The first step to treating atherosclerosis is a change for a healthier lifestyle. Smoking and alcoholic intake should be stopped, and these should be replaced by proper nutrition and exercise. Medication is a secondary option for moderate to severe cases, and the patient may take cholesterol-regulating or anti-platelet drugs, anticoagulants, and blood pressure medications. The doctor may also recommend drugs which control the risk factors like diabetes, and treatment drugs for symptoms like leg pain are prescribed as well. For patients with severe symptoms, such as in cases inhibited organ functioning, or if there is a blocked artery which threatens to endanger muscle and skin tissues to atrophy and withering, surgery is the best recourse, and may involve procedures like bypass surgery, angioplasty, thrombolytic therapy, or endarterectomy. Targeted gene therapy is also a potential treatment for atherosclerosis, but is currently at the research phases.
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