February may have been American Heart Month, but taking care of your heart (and blood vessels) matters all year long. That’s why our team is continuing the conversation this month as we discuss arteries and arterial blockages.
Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart, brain, and limbs. For example, your coronary arteries carry blood to your heart, your carotid arteries take blood to your brain, and your femoral arteries take blood to your legs.
When plaque builds up inside any artery, blood flow can slow or become blocked. Blocked femoral arteries can lead to peripheral artery disease, while blocked carotid arteries can cause carotid artery disease. Regardless of where reduced blood flow is, it increases your risk of complications, including heart attack, stroke, or serious limb problems.
When you spot the warning signs of a blockage, you can get prompt care and reduce your risk of complications like these. Here, our team at Vascular Specialists, shares the five warning signs of arterial blockages and what we can do to help treat them.
Blocked coronary arteries can cause chest discomfort when your heart has to work harder. This may feel like pressure, tightness, squeezing, or heaviness in your chest. Some people also notice discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulder, or arm.
You may feel unusually winded during everyday activities or notice that breathing feels more difficult than it used to.
Call 911 or seek emergency care if you experience new, sudden, severe, or worsening chest pain or shortness of breath.
Reduced blood flow to your brain can cause dizziness, balance issues, or fainting episodes. These symptoms may come and go, but they can signal narrowing in your carotid arteries that supply your brain.
Arterial blockages don’t only affect your heart. Narrowed arteries can cause discomfort in your legs.
For example, pain, cramping, or heaviness in your calves, thighs, or hips during walking may signal peripheral artery disease (PAD). This happens when narrowed arteries can’t deliver enough blood during activity. More than 12 million Americans struggle with PAD.
If the pain eases when you stop and returns when you start walking again, don’t ignore it. That pattern is a red flag.
Cuts or sores that heal slowly, or not at all, can be a sign of poor circulation. Without adequate blood flow, your body struggles to repair tissue.
Untreated leg wounds can lead to infection or more serious complications like tissue damage or amputation.
Blocked arteries reduce circulation, which can cause one leg or one foot to feel colder than the other. You may also notice skin that looks pale, bluish, or purplish.
Reduced blood flow can affect your nerves. This can cause numbness, tingling, or weakness.
These symptoms may come and go, but if they persist, worsen, or interfere with daily activity, one of our vascular specialists should evaluate them.
If you notice any of those symptoms, especially if they’re new, worsening, or occur with physical activity, it’s time to see a medical professional. At Vascular Specialists, our care team uses advanced, noninvasive diagnostic testing like vascular ultrasound to evaluate your arterial health and identify blockages.
If arterial blockages are causing symptoms, we may recommend one or more treatment options based on the location and severity of the blockage.
A stent is a small mesh tube placed inside an artery to help keep it open and maintain healthy blood flow. In many cases, we place stents using minimally invasive techniques. We use stents in many arteries, including your carotid artery or in one of the arteries that supply blood to your legs.
During peripheral artery angioplasty, your Vascular Specialists surgeon uses a small balloon device to widen a narrowed artery. We often perform this procedure alongside stent placement, and it’s less invasive than surgery.
Bypass surgery is a more extensive procedure used when blockages are severe or widespread. Our team of vascular surgeons use healthy blood vessels from another part of your body to reroute blood around the blocked artery. This restores circulation to areas that weren’t receiving enough blood.
If you’re concerned about your arterial health, call Vascular Specialists in Tinley Park, Illinois, at 815-824-4406 to schedule an appointment. For less urgent matters, you can use our online scheduling system.
