Vascular insufficiency - causes and signs of vascular insufficiency

By localization, such deficiency can be divided into: regional (affecting a specific part of the body) and systemic (affecting the vessels of the entire body).

By the rate of formation and progression, acute and chronic deficiency are distinguished.

Causes

The acute variety occurs with various cardiac pathologies, massive blood loss, poisoning, severe infections, adrenal insufficiency, organic damage to the nervous system, extensive burns, craniocerebral and general injuries.

The primary causes of the chronic form are vegetative and neurological factors, organic damage to the brain stem and heart, in which hypotension is observed with constant low blood pressure and, as a consequence, with constant systemic hypoxia of organs and systems, the impossibility of adequate tissue perfusion with increasing consumption due to loads.

Symptoms

The main symptom of this condition is a decrease in blood pressure. Depending on the degree of disturbance of systemic hemodynamics, the disease manifests itself as fainting, collapse or shock.

Fainting is characterized by the following symptoms:

• sudden dizziness, ringing in the ears, nausea, cold sweat and muscle weakness;
• paleness of the face, hands and feet, their coldness;
• decreased blood filling of peripheral vessels;
• increase or decrease in heart rate;
• no pulse is detected in the peripheral arteries, but there are minor and rare pulsations in the carotid arteries;
• partial or complete loss of consciousness;

If the patient is placed in a horizontal position, the symptoms of fainting go away after 1-3 minutes.

Collapse initially manifests itself as increasing weakness, anxiety, hypodynamia, dizziness, decreased body temperature, facial features are sharpened, the skin is pale with a gray tint, cold to the touch. Cold sweat, rapid shallow breathing, tachycardia, threadlike pulse and decreased blood pressure are noted. The person is conscious, he is indifferent, reacts sluggishly to light, sometimes convulsions and tremors of the upper limbs may occur.

Signs of shock include manifestations of deep collapse with the addition of anuria, hypoxia, hypothermia of the body, "marbled skin" is noted - the dermis is cold to the touch, pale gray in color, with white and cyanotic stripes and spots, which is due to a sharp violation of microcirculation.

The chronic variety often manifests itself as arterial hypotension of various origins. Conventionally, this diagnosis can be made by measuring daily blood pressure and comparing it with the norms for a certain age.

Diagnostics

Making a diagnosis is not difficult if you rely on the symptoms described above. It is very important to identify the entire cause-and-effect relationship that led to the emergence of a clinical picture, which will allow you to choose the right treatment tactics and prevention in the future.

When diagnosing a chronic form, you should carefully and efficiently measure blood pressure (Holter monitoring with a daily activity diary). Comparing the results with the physiological age norm will help make a final diagnosis. Often, a consultation with a cardiologist, neurologist, psychiatrist or psychologist and surgeon is necessary.

Treatment

First of all, it is necessary to provide first aid to the patient.

It is strictly forbidden to try to bring the victim to a sitting or standing position. Sometimes this leads to his death. First aid is as follows: it is worth giving the victim a lying position, without putting anything under his head, but slightly raising his legs.

It is important to give him the opportunity to breathe freely, unbuttoning the collar, providing access to fresh air. It is necessary to excite the nervous system with simple actions - splash with water, slap on the cheeks. If this does not help, then urgent hospitalization is needed.

When correcting chronic forms, the cause of low blood pressure is established and eliminated. The complex of therapeutic measures is aimed at maintaining a sufficient level of pressure and improving the adaptive capacity of the cardiovascular system.

Prevention

Preventive measures include a vigilant attitude towards your own health, it is worth adhering to the work and rest regime, and avoiding overwork. It is also necessary to monitor a healthy diet and give up bad habits.