September is Vascular Disease Awareness Month. The Circulation Foundation are supporting a campaign to highlight and promote awareness for vascular disease to the general public.
The Circulation Foundation describes this as being “the collective term for diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatics”. ( The lymphatic system is part of the immune system. It keeps body fluid levels in balance and defends the body against infections). “Every part of the body to which blood flows can be affected by it. It’s as common as cancer and heart disease and accounts for 40% of deaths in the UK, many of which are preventable”.
It includes any condition that affects your circulatory system and can come in different forms, such as:
Risk factors include:
According to Dr Bryan Power, Clinical Lead for Long Term Conditions for NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), “Vascular disease greatly increases the risk of having angina, a heart attack or stroke so it’s important to try to prevent it. Treatment focuses on managing disease and preventing complications, but there are things people can do to help themselves.
Chief among these is stopping smoking, maintaining a healthy weight through a varied diet, and exercising.”
The symptoms will differ, depending upon the type of vascular disease. For peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which is the most common form of vascular disease, the most common symptoms are:
It is recommended that you see your GP, if you suffer from any of the above symptoms so that they can be investigated, particularly if the symptoms have developed quickly or get suddenly much worse.
For more information on other vascular diseases and the common symptoms, please visit: https://www.circulationfoundation.org.uk/
There is no cure for peripheral arterial disease; however, symptoms can be managed with a healthy lifestyle, as well as medication. Such management can also help reduce your risk of developing types of cardiovascular disease such as coronary heart disease. Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, stopping smoking, having a healthy diet, losing weight if you have been considered overweight, can all help. Your doctor will also look at the underlying cause which should also be treated, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
In some cases surgery can be used to improve the blood flow to the legs, should there be a blockage affecting circulation. If such treatment is unsuccessful and circulation is not able to be adequately restored, there is a risk of serious complications, including critical leg ischaemia (CLI). CLI is extremely serious and if not successfully treated, it can lead to amputation of the leg.
Symptoms of CLI can be similar to those of PAD but the key differences include:
Failure to recognise serious symptoms or take action to carry out diagnostic testing can have serious implications. A delay in diagnosis can lead to delays with treatment which in turn can allow the condition to deteriorate with a risk of life changing complications. If you believe that you or a loved one have experienced such delays in diagnosis or treatment, please contact our experienced medical negligence department to discuss how they can assist you on (01482) 323697.
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