Peripheral vascular disease is one of the classes of blood disorders that involve the narrowing of blood vessels outside the heart and brain. There also occurs the blocking and spasm of blood in the vessels. The patient with peripheral vascular disease will feel pain, and fatigue, especially during the exercise. The patient gets relief from pain with rest. The vessels which supply blood to arms, stomach, intestines, and kidneys are also affected. Peripheral vascular disease is grouped into arterial diseases, venous diseases, and lymphatic diseases.
Arterial Diseases:
- Arteriosclerosis obliterans or atherosclerosis:
In atherosclerosis, there is the accumulation of plaque, lipids, platelets, monocytes, and other debris inside the coronary artery. The pulse of a patient will decrease or be absent. The color of the individual will be pale on elevation, and dusky red on dependency. In the early stages, there will be intermittent claudication and pain. And in the last stages, the patient exhibits ischemia, ulceration, and gangrene.
2. Thromboangitis Obliterans:
This disease has a connection with smocking and is also called Burger's disease. It is a chronic, inflammatory vascular occlusive disease of small arteries as well as veins. This disease will occur in those adults who smoke. The patient with this disease will suffer from pain, and cyanotic. There will be a risk of ulceration and gangrene. We can limit the progression of burger disease through nursing interventions.
3. Diabetic Angiopathy: In diabetic angiopathy, there will be an inappropriate elevation of blood glucose level and accelerated atherosclerosis. Sometimes, gangrene and amputation occur as a reaction to diabetic angiopathy.
4. Raynaud's disease or Raynaud's phenomena:
In Raynaud's disease, there will be vasoconstriction due to cold so there will be a restriction of blood flow to fingers. Also, there will be cyanosis and numbness. This all occurs due to spasm in small arteries and arterioles.
Venous Disease:
1. Varicose veins:
In varicose veins, the veins appear distended, swollen, tortuous, enlarged, dilated and chocked with blood. This can lead to varicose ulcers if not treated.
2. Deep vein thrombophlebitis:
In this condition there occurs the formation of clots and acute inflammation in deep veins. This commonly occurs in the lower extremity. In the starting this condition is asymptomatic.
Sign and symptoms of DVT:
- The affected leg will have the inflammation
- tenderness
- pain
- swelling
- warmth and skin discoloration in the affected leg.
Anticoagulation is the medical treatment for this disease.
3. Chronic Vein Insufficiency:
In this disease, the valves of veins in the legs do not work efficiently. This creates difficulty for blood to return toward the heart from the legs.
Lymphatic disease:
1. Lymphadenopathy:
In lymphadenopathy, the lymph nodes become large with or without tenderness. It can be secondary to bacterial, fungal, viral infections, autoimmune disease, and malignancy. If not addressed carefully, then may lead to sepsis or metastatic cancer.
2. Lymphedema:
In lymphedema, there is an extra quantity of fluid and this extra accumulation occurs as a result of an obstruction in the lymphatic system. The patient with lymphedema will have swelling in the soft tissue of the arms and legs.
3. Acute lymphangitis:
Acute lymphangitis is a bacterial infection but can also be a parasitic infection .i.e. filariasis. In this disease the lymphatic channels become inflamed. The symptoms include red skin, swelling of lymph glands, fever, loss of appetite, and headache.
Conclusion:
This article specifically covers the basic details of peripheral vascular disease and that is the narrowing of blood vessels. We have covered the arterial, venous, and lymphatic diseases and their subtypes as well. The article is written in a way so that reader can get the point easily.
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