Stress Management

Arteriosclerosis/Atherosclerosis

Symptoms

Early signs are not always present, but circulatory disturbances are the first manifestation of arteriosclerosis.

Symptoms include leg cramps while walking, changes in skin temperature and color, an altered pulse, headaches, dizziness and memory defects. The problem is that symptoms often do not arise until the problem has progressed to a dangerous phase. In fact, more deaths occur in the United States from arterial and degenerative heart disease than from heart attacks.

In the brain, hindered circulation causes:

Headaches

Dizzy spells

Ringing of ear

Memory problems

Poor concentration

Mood changes

Transischemic attacks (TIAs) are like strokes, except that the problems disappear on their own within minutes. The symptoms are similar to that of strike. They are:

Sudden attacks of paralysis

Fainting spells

Inability to speak

Vision impairment - inability to see properly

These could be a precursor to stroke. They should be taken very seriously.

Peripheral atherosclerosis (arteriosclerosis obliterans)

A type of peripheral vascular disease in which the lower limbs are affected. In the early stages of heart disease, the major arteries carrying blood to the legs and the feet become narrowed by fatty deposits. Atherosclerosis of the leg or foot not only can limit a person's mobility, but can also lead to loss of a limb. People who have diseased arteries in the leg or foot are likely to have them elsewhere, mainly in the heart and brain.

Symptoms of peripheral atherosclerosis are:

Aching muscles

Fatigue

Cramping pains in the ankles and legs

Pain in the hips and thighs - May be present depending on which arteries are blocked.

Intermittent claudication: This is the arteriosclerosis in the leg. The principal symptom of this is pain while walking. The pain is relieved during rest. The pain is caused by an obstructed artery.

The pain is felt in the legs (most often in the calf, but sometimes in the foot, thigh, hip or buttocks). It is brought on by walking and is quickly relieved by rest. Intermittent claudication is typically the first symptom of developing peripheral atherosclerosis. Additional symptoms include:

Numbness

Weakness

Heavy feeling in the legs

Angina: This occurs when the blood vessels leading to the heart are temporarily blocked. The pain of angina (or chest pain) is the frightening and urgent symptom of arteriosclerosis to many.

High blood pressure is often a sign of hardened and narrowed arteries.

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