Do you sometimes feel like your hands and feet are numb, or your fingers and toes are just going cold? Do you feel pain in your legs as if your muscles are cramping when you walk? We often ignore these as just normal things. However, these may be a sign that your blood circulation, or blood flow, is a little weak. This is not a disease in itself, but it may be a symptom of another disease. So let's talk about this exactly, simply, today.
What is poor circulation?
Imagine that our body is like a big city. Every house in this city (that is, every cell in our body) has a network of roads that carry essential things like food, water, and oxygen. These roads are our blood vessels. The vehicles that transport these essential things along these roads are our blood. The main center, or engine, of this entire transportation system is our heart.
So, when the heart, blood vessels (arteries, veins) are all healthy, this transportation service happens without any interruption. Every cell in the body receives the oxygen and nutrients it needs on time, and the waste products produced in the cells are taken back.
Poor blood circulation means that there is an obstruction, blockage, or problem somewhere in this transportation system. Like a tree falling on the road, causing a traffic jam. This obstruction prevents blood from moving properly. Especially to the areas farthest from the heart, that is, the tips of our fingers and toes, there is a lot less blood flow.
The biggest problem with this is that our cells are not getting the right amount of oxygen. When they are deprived of oxygen, the cells are unable to do their job properly. That's when symptoms start to appear.
What are the symptoms of poor blood circulation?
When blood flow in the body decreases, various symptoms can appear. These usually affect parts of the body most, such as the hands, feet, and fingers. Let's take a look at what these symptoms are.
| Symptom | Simply put... |
|---|---|
| Numbness or a "electric shock" feeling in the limbs | This is called a "pins and needles" sensation. This sensation can occur when the blood supply to the nerves is reduced. |
| Hands and feet are always cold. | Blood circulation also helps maintain body temperature. When blood flow decreases, the hands and feet become colder than other parts of the body. |
| Muscle pain when walking | When I walk for a short distance, my leg muscles feel like they're being torn apart and hurt. This pain subsides when I sit for a while. This happens because those muscles don't get the oxygen they need. |
| Skin discoloration | Sometimes the skin may become pale or blue due to low oxygenated blood. |
| Swelling of the legs | When blood circulation is poor, fluid in the body cannot drain properly and can accumulate in areas like the legs and cause swelling. |
| Varicose Veins | If the veins in your legs appear blue/purple and knotted, it could also be a problem with blood circulation. |
| Chest pain | If there is a problem with the arteries that supply blood to the heart, you may experience chest pain. This is a serious symptom . |
What are the main causes of poor blood circulation?
There is not one single cause for this condition, but many factors can contribute to it. Generally, people over 40 years of age, those with excess body weight, those with diabetes, and those who do not exercise enough are at higher risk. Let's look at the main causes.
| Reason | What happens with this? |
|---|---|
| Atherosclerosis | Simply put, cholesterol and fat build up inside the blood vessels, blocking the flow of blood. Just like dirt builds up inside a water pipe, reducing the flow of water. |
| Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) | When blood sugar levels remain high for a long time, it damages blood vessels, which hinders blood flow. |
| High Blood Pressure | When blood flows through the veins at high pressure, the walls of the veins become damaged and weak, which also hinders the flow of blood. |
| Smoking | The chemicals in cigarettes directly damage blood vessels, greatly increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. |
| Obesity | As body weight increases, the risk of many diseases that interfere with blood circulation, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and cholesterol, increases. |
| Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) | This occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein in the leg. This can suddenly block blood flow to the leg. |
| Pulmonary Embolism | This is a very serious and emergency condition . DVT is when a piece of a blood clot that forms in the leg breaks off and becomes lodged in a vein in the lungs. |
| Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) | This is also a result of atherosclerosis. It is a major cause of leg pain when walking, especially due to the narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the legs. |
| Raynaud's Disease | In people with this condition, when exposed to cold or stress, the veins that supply blood to the fingers and toes suddenly constrict. The fingers then turn pale, blue, and begin to go numb. |
How does a doctor accurately diagnose this condition?
If you have the symptoms mentioned above, the best thing to do is to see your family doctor. He or she will take several steps to diagnose the condition.
1. Physical examination: The doctor will examine your arms and legs. He will look for swelling, changes in skin color, and wounds. He will also check the pulse in your arms and legs.
2. Asking you details: You will be asked many questions, such as what your symptoms are, how long you have had them, whether you have other illnesses like diabetes or high blood pressure, whether you smoke, and whether anyone in your family has these illnesses.
3. Special tests: If necessary, the doctor may recommend several tests like these to find the exact cause.
- Doppler Ultrasound: This can check the speed of blood flow within the blood vessels and whether there is any blockage.
- Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) test: This measures and compares the blood pressure in your leg and arm. If the pressure in your leg is much lower than in your arm, it means that your leg is not getting enough blood flow.
- Angiography or CT Scan: These tests take clear images of the blood vessels and can pinpoint where and how much blockage is present.
- Blood tests: These help find out things like cholesterol levels, sugar levels, and whether there are any blood clotting problems.
What are the treatments for this?
Treatment depends on the cause of your poor circulation. Your doctor will choose the treatment that best suits you. These can be divided into three main categories.
1. Lifestyle changes
This is the most important and first thing to do. Even if you use medication, if you don't make these changes, the results will be minimal.
- If you smoke, stop immediately.
- Getting used to a healthy diet (less oil, salt, sugar, more vegetables and fruits).
- Regular exercise (even something as simple as walking for 30 minutes a day is very beneficial).
- Controlling body weight.
- If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or cholesterol, control them well.
2. Treatment with medication
Depending on your condition, your doctor may prescribe medications such as:
- Statins: These reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the blood and prevent it from depositing in the blood vessels.
- Antiplatelet drugs: Drugs like aspirin reduce the risk of blood clots.
- Blood thinners: Drugs like Warfarin prevent blood clots from forming. These are especially given for conditions like DVT.
- Blood pressure medications.
3. Surgery and other treatments
In some cases, if the blockage in the blood vessels is severe and cannot be controlled with medication alone, it is necessary to resort to treatments like this.
- Angioplasty: A procedure in which a balloon-like device is inserted into a blocked blood vessel and inflated to widen the vessel. Sometimes a small mesh-like device called a stent is inserted to keep the vessel from becoming blocked again.
- Bypass Surgery: Bypassing the blocked blood vessel and creating a new path using a piece of vein taken from another part of the body.
- Catheter-assisted thrombus removal: If a large blood clot is stuck, it is removed with a special device.
When should you seek medical advice?
This is very important. While some symptoms are normal, others indicate an emergency. So be sure to know the difference.
| When to seek medical advice | |
|---|---|
| See a doctor if you have these symptoms: | |
| - | If you develop new symptoms. |
| - | If the current medication does not relieve symptoms. |
| - | If you suddenly develop swelling, redness, or pain in a leg (this could be a sign of DVT). |
| These are emergencies! Go to the ETU (Emergency Treatment Unit) immediately! | |
| - | Sudden chest pain , difficulty breathing. |
| - | If you lose all feeling in your legs. |
| - | If you experience severe pain or numbness in your legs even when you are just standing without doing any exercise. |
Take-Home Message
- Poor circulation is not a disease, it is a symptom of another underlying condition.
- Don't ignore things like numbness in your hands and feet, feeling cold, or having your legs hurt when you walk. Talk to your doctor about it.
- The best and most important thing to do to control this condition is to adopt a healthy lifestyle . Quitting smoking, exercising, and following a good diet are essential.
- If you have diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure, keeping them under control will go a long way in maintaining good blood circulation.
- Sudden chest pain, difficulty breathing, or loss of feeling in a leg are emergencies. In such cases, go to the nearest hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.
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