Circulation Problems Specialist
Blood delivers vital oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your body, so when there’s something wrong with your circulation, it can have a devastating effect on your health. If you’re experiencing circulation problems, Prime Heart and Vascular’s experienced cardiovascular specialist Kiran Kumar Mangalpally, MD, can help. Find out what’s causing your circulation problems and get the treatment you need by contacting one of the Prime Heart and Vascular offices.
Circulation problems are conditions that affect the way blood travels around your body. They may be due to issues with your heart, where it’s failing to pump blood or oxygenate it effectively. Or circulation problems can be a result of diseases affecting your veins and arteries.
Circulation problems are in most cases highly treatable, but without attention, they can lead to long-term ill health and may result in premature death. Some of the most common circulation problems are atherosclerosis and chronic venous insufficiency.
What kind of circulation problem is atherosclerosis?
Atherosclerosis is a disorder that affects your arteries, which carry oxygen-rich blood around your body.
When you have atherosclerosis, excess cholesterol in your blood mixes with debris like calcium and forms a sticky residue known as plaque. The plaque glues itself to the inner walls of your arteries and, over time, becomes so thick it limits blood flow. Atherosclerosis is responsible for three of the leading vascular disorders:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD)
- Carotid artery disease
- Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
Between them, these circulation problems can lead to heart attack, stroke, and the development of claudication (leg pain and fatigue) and arterial ulcers.
What kind of circulation problem is chronic venous insufficiency?
Chronic venous insufficiency affects your veins, most often those in your legs. It occurs when the flow of blood back up to your heart from your feet stops operating correctly, meaning blood can descend back down your legs.
The cause is weak or damaged valves in your veins. The valves should open to allow blood through, then seal again to stop gravity from pulling the blood down your leg. If they aren’t working, the blood forms pools that show up as unsightly varicose veins.
Untreated venous insufficiency can lead to other circulation problems like edema (a buildup of fluid in the tissues that causes leg swelling) and the development of venous ulcers.
Ulcers are open wounds that are difficult to heal and prone to infection. Infected ulcers can develop gangrene, which could ultimately result in the loss of your foot or leg.
What can I do if I have circulation problems?
Prime Heart and Vascular has experts that treat all types of circulation problems and vascular disease. Your provider first diagnoses the cause of your condition using cutting-edge technologies like ultrasound and ankle-brachial index (ABI) testing, after which they can prepare a suitable treatment program.
The type of therapy you need depends on why you have circulation problems, but among the most common treatments are:
- Lifestyle changes
- Medication
- Sclerotherapy
- ClosureFast™ radiofrequency ablation
- VenaSeal™ vein adhesive
- Balloon angioplasty with or without stenting
It’s possible to successfully treat many circulation problems and prevent serious life-threatening conditions under Prime Heart and Vascular’s care.
To benefit from expert circulation problem treatment, call Prime Heart and Vascular today or book an appointment online.
