Cardiovascular Conditions

An abdominal aortic aneurysm is an enlarged area in the lower part of the major vessel that supplies blood to the body (aorta). The aorta runs from your heart through the center of your chest and abdomen.

The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the body, so a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm can cause life-threatening bleeding.

Depending on the size of the aneurysm and how fast it’s growing, treatment varies from watchful waiting to emergency surgery.

Symptoms
Abdominal aortic aneurysms often grow slowly without symptoms, making them difficult to detect. Some aneurysms never rupture. Many start small and stay small; others expand over time, some quickly.

If you have an enlarging abdominal aortic aneurysm, you might notice:

• Deep, constant pain in your abdomen or on the side of your abdomen
• Back pain
• A pulse near your bellybutton

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/abdominal-aortic-aneurysm/symptoms-causes/syc-20350688

Aortic valve stenosis — or aortic stenosis — occurs when the heart’s aortic valve narrows. This narrowing prevents the valve from opening fully, which reduces or blocks blood flow from your heart into the main artery to your body (aorta) and onward to the rest of your body.

When the blood flow through the aortic valve is reduced or blocked, your heart needs to work harder to pump blood to your body. Eventually, this extra work limits the amount of blood it can pump, and this can cause symptoms as well as possibly weaken your heart muscle.

Your treatment depends on the severity of your condition. You may need surgery to repair or replace the valve. Left untreated, aortic valve stenosis can lead to serious heart problems.

Types
1. Bicuspid aortic valve

Symptoms
Aortic valve stenosis ranges from mild to severe. Aortic valve stenosis signs and symptoms generally develop when narrowing of the valve is severe. Some people with aortic valve stenosis may not experience symptoms for many years. Signs and symptoms of aortic valve stenosis may include:

• Abnormal heart sound (heart murmur) heard through a stethoscope
• Chest pain (angina) or tightness with activity
• Feeling faint or dizzy or fainting with activity
• Shortness of breath, especially when you have been active
• Fatigue, especially during times of increased activity
• Heart palpitations — sensations of a rapid, fluttering heartbeat
• Not eating enough (mainly in children with aortic valve stenosis)
• Not gaining enough weight (mainly in children with aortic valve stenosis)

The heart-weakening effects of aortic valve stenosis may lead to heart failure. Heart failure signs and symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and swollen ankles and feet.

When to See a Doctor
If you have a heart murmur, your doctor may recommend that you visit a cardiologist. If you develop any symptoms that may suggest aortic valve stenosis, see your doctor.

Causes
Your heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. These valves include the mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. Each valve has flaps (cusps or leaflets) that open and close once during each heartbeat. Sometimes, the valves don’t open or close properly, disrupting the blood flow through your heart and potentially impairing the ability to pump blood to your body.

In aortic valve stenosis, the aortic valve between the lower left heart chamber (left ventricle) and the main artery that delivers blood from the heart to the body (aorta) is narrowed (stenosis).

When the aortic valve is narrowed, the left ventricle has to work harder to pump a sufficient amount of blood into the aorta and onward to the rest of your body. This can cause the left ventricle to thicken and enlarge. Eventually the extra work of the heart can weaken the left ventricle and your heart overall, and it can ultimately lead to heart failure and other problems.

Aortic valve stenosis can occur due to many causes, including:

• Congenital heart defect. The aortic valve consists of three tightly fitting, triangular-shaped flaps of tissue called cusps. Some children are born with an aortic valve that has only two (bicuspid) cusps instead of three. People may also be born with one (unicuspid) or four (quadricuspid) cusps, but these are rare.
  This defect may not cause any problems until adulthood, at which time the valve may begin to narrow or leak and may need to be repaired or replaced.
  Having a congenitally abnormal aortic valve requires regular evaluation by a doctor to watch for signs of valve problems. In most cases, doctors don’t know why a heart valve fails to develop properly, so it isn’t something you could have prevented.
• Calcium buildup on the valve. With age, heart valves may accumulate deposits of calcium (aortic valve calcification). Calcium is a mineral found in your blood. As blood repeatedly flows over the aortic valve, deposits of calcium can build up on the valve’s cusps. These calcium deposits aren’t linked to taking calcium tablets or drinking calcium-fortified drinks.
  These deposits may never cause any problems. However, in some people — particularly those with a congenitally abnormal aortic valve, such as a bicuspid aortic valve — calcium deposits result in stiffening of the cusps of the valve. This stiffening narrows the aortic valve and can occur at a younger age.
  However, aortic valve stenosis that is related to increasing age and the buildup of calcium deposits on the aortic valve is most common in older people. It usually doesn’t cause symptoms until ages 70 or 80.
• Rheumatic fever. A complication of strep throat infection, rheumatic fever may result in scar tissue forming on the aortic valve. Scar tissue alone can narrow the aortic valve and lead to aortic valve stenosis. Scar tissue can also create a rough surface on which calcium deposits can collect, contributing to aortic valve stenosis later in life.
  Rheumatic fever may damage more than one heart valve, and in more than one way. A damaged heart valve may not open fully or close fully — or both. While rheumatic fever is rare in the United States, some older adults had rheumatic fever as children.

Risk Factors
Risk factors of aortic valve stenosis include:

• Older age
• Certain heart conditions present at birth (congenital heart disease) such as a bicuspid aortic valve
• History of infections that can affect the heart
• Having cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure
• Chronic kidney disease
• History of radiation therapy to the chest

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/aortic-stenosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353139

The term “heart failure” makes it sound like the heart is no longer working at all and there’s nothing that can be done. Actually, heart failure means that the heart isn’t pumping as well as it should be. Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure that requires seeking timely medical attention, although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably.

Your body depends on the heart’s pumping action to deliver oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood to the body’s cells. When the cells are nourished properly, the body can function normally. With heart failure, the weakened heart can’t supply the cells with enough blood. This results in fatigue and shortness of breath and some people have coughing. Everyday activities such as walking, climbing stairs or carrying groceries can become very difficult.

Heart failure is a chronic, progressive condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. Basically, the heart can’t keep up with its workload.

At first the heart tries to make up for this by:

• Enlarging. The heart stretches to contract more strongly and keep up with the demand to pump more blood. Over time this causes the heart to become enlarged.
• Developing more muscle mass. The increase in muscle mass occurs because the contracting cells of the heart get bigger. This lets the heart pump more strongly, at least initially.
• Pumping faster. This helps increase the heart’s output.

The body also tries to compensate in other ways:

• The blood vessels narrow to keep blood pressure up, trying to make up for the heart’s loss of power.
• The body diverts blood away from less important tissues and organs (like the kidneys), the heart and brain.

These temporary measures mask the problem of heart failure, but they don’t solve it. Heart failure continues and worsens until these compensating processes no longer work.

Eventually the heart and body just can’t keep up, and the person experiences the fatigue, breathing problems or other symptoms that usually prompt a trip to the doctor.

Heart failure is a term used to describe a heart that cannot keep up with its workload. The body may not get the oxygen it needs.
Heart failure is a serious condition, and usually there’s no cure. But many people with heart failure lead a full, enjoyable life when the condition is managed with heart failure medications and healthy lifestyle changes. It’s also helpful to have the support of family and friends who understand your condition.

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/what-is-heart-failure

Coronary heart disease is a common term for the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries that could lead to heart attack. But what about coronary artery disease? Is there a difference?

The short answer is often no — health professionals frequently use the terms interchangeably.

With coronary artery disease, plaque first grows within the walls of the coronary arteries until the blood flow to the heart’s muscle is limited. This is also called ischemia. It may be chronic, narrowing of the coronary artery over time and limiting of the blood supply to part of the muscle. Or it can be acute, resulting from a sudden rupture of a plaque and formation of a thrombus or blood clot.

The traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease are high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, diabetes, smoking, being post-menopausal for women and being older than 45 for men, according to Fisher. Obesity may also be a risk factor.

Living a healthy lifestyle that incorporates good nutrition, weight management and getting plenty of physical activity can play a big role in avoiding CAD.

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/what-is-cardiovascular-disease/coronary-artery-disease

In heart valve disease, one or more of the valves in your heart doesn’t work properly.

Your heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. In some cases, one or more of the valves don’t open or close properly. This can cause the blood flow through your heart to your body to be disrupted.

Your heart valve disease treatment depends on the heart valve affected and the type and severity of the valve disease. Sometimes heart valve disease requires surgery to repair or replace the heart valve.

Symptoms
Some people with heart valve disease might not experience symptoms for many years. Signs and symptoms of heart valve disease may include:

• Abnormal sound (heart murmur) when a doctor is listening to the heart beating with a stethoscope
• Chest pain
• Abdominal swelling (more common with advanced tricuspid regurgitation)
• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath, particularly when you have been very active or when you lie down
• Swelling of your ankles and feet
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Irregular heartbeat

Causes
Your heart has four valves that keep blood flowing in the correct direction. These valves include th

e mitral valve, tricuspid valve, pulmonary valve and aortic valve. Each valve has flaps (leaflets or cusps) that open and close once during each heartbeat

. Sometimes, the valves don’t open or close properly, disrupting the blood flow through your heart to your body.

Heart valve disease may be present at birth (congenital). It can also occur in adults due to many causes and conditions, such as infections and other heart conditions.
Heart valve problems may include:

• Regurgitation. In this condition, the valve flaps don’t close properly, causing blood to leak backward in your heart. This commonly occurs due to valve flaps bulging back, a condition called prolapse.
• Stenosis. In valve stenosis, the valve flaps become thick or stiff, and they may fuse together. This results in a narrowed valve opening and reduced blood flow through the valve.
• Atresia. In this condition, the valve isn’t formed, and a solid sheet of tissue blocks the blood flow between the heart chambers

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-valve-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20353727

Cardiomyopathy refers to diseases of the heart muscle. These diseases have many causes, signs and symptoms as well as treatments. In most cases, cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscle to become enlarged, thick or rigid. In rare instances, diseased heart muscle tissue is replaced with scar tissue.

As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart becomes weaker. The heart becomes less able to pump blood throughout the body and incapable of maintaining a normal electrical rhythm. The result can be heart failure or irregular heartbeats called arrhythmias. A weakened heart also can cause other complications, such as heart valve problems.

Overview
The main types of cardiomyopathy are:

• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Restrictive cardiomyopathy
• Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia
• Transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM)

Some cases of cardiomyopathy have no signs or symptoms, and need no treatment. But in other cases, cardiomyopathy develops quickly with severe symptoms, and serious complications occur. Treatment is required in these instances.

Treatments include lifestyle changes, medications, surgery, implanted devices to correct arrhythmias and other nonsurgical procedures. These treatments can control symptoms, reduce complications and prevent the disease from worsening

Ischemia does not occur at normal heart rates in most patients because at rest, with a normal heart rate, the heart muscle’s need for blood is comparatively small, and the amount of obstruction of the coronary arteries is not great enough to reduce the flow of blood to the heart muscle. During stress, however, when the heart rate speeds up, and the heart has to work harder, the heart muscle requires a great deal of extra blood to generate the energy needed to perform the extra work. Now, the obstruction to the coronary arteries may be great enough, to prevent the blood flow from increasing, and the heart muscle will become ischemic. Think of a 4 lane freeway with one or two blocked lanes. When traffic is light there will be no slowing of traffic. During rush hour, however, marked slowing of traffic will take place.

Ischemia produces distinctive changes in an electrocardiogram, in a nuclear perfusion study, and in the contraction of the heart muscle that can be seen on an echocardiogram. When these tests are abnormal, most cardiologists immediately assume that one or more coronary arteries are severely obstructed, and that coronary angiography will be necessary to evaluate the Coronary arteries in more detail.

http://www.heartprotect.com/stress-tests.shtml

When it comes to cholesterol, there are two terms worth knowing. Hyperlipidemia means your blood has too many lipids (or fats), such as cholesterol and triglycerides. One type of hyperlipidemia , hypercholesterolemia, means there’s too much LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. This condition increases fatty deposits in arteries and the risk of blockages.

Another way your cholesterol numbers can be out of balance? Your levels of HDL (good) cholesterol can also be too low. With less HDL to remove cholesterol from your arteries, your risk of atherosclerotic plaque and blockages increases.

If you’re diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, your overall health and known risks (such as smoking or high blood pressure) will help guide treatment. These factors can combine with high LDL cholesterol or low HDL cholesterol levels to affect your cardiovascular health. Your doctor may use the National Institutes of Health’s Estimate of 10-Year Risk for Coronary Heart Disease Framingham Point Score to assess your risk of a coronary event in the next 10 years.

The good news is, high cholesterol can be lowered, reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. If you’re an adult 20 or older, have your cholesterol tested and work with your doctor to adjust your cholesterol levels as necessary.

Often, changing behaviors will go a long way toward bringing your numbers into line. (If lifestyle changes alone don’t improve your cholesterol levels, medication may be prescribed.) Lifestyle changes you may be asked to make are:

Eating a Heart-healthy Diet

From a dietary standpoint, the best way to lower your cholesterol is reduce saturated fat and trans fat. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 5 to 6 percent of daily calories and minimizing the amount of trans fat you eat.

Reducing these fats means limiting your intake of red meat and dairy products made with whole milk. (Choosing skim milk, low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead.) It also means limiting fried food and cooking with healthy oils, such as vegetable oil.

A heart-healthy diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts, while curbing sugary foods and beverages. Eating this way may also help to increase your fiber intake, which is beneficial. A diet high in fiber can help lower cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent.

Many diets fit this general description. For example, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute as well as diets suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association are all heart-healthy approaches. Such diets can be adapted based on your cultural and food preferences.

To be smarter about what you eat, you’ll may need to pay more attention to food labels. As a starting point:

• Know your fats. Knowing which fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and which ones don’t is key to lowering your risk of heart disease.
• Cooking for lower cholesterol. A heart-healthy eating plan can help you manage your blood cholesterol level.

Becoming More Physically Active

A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL (good) cholesterol. Less HDL means there’s less good cholesterol to remove LDL (bad) cholesterol from your arteries.

Physical activity is important. Just 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. And there are lots of options: brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or even a dance class can fit the bill.

Quitting Smoking

Smoking lowers HDL (good) cholesterol.

Worse still, when a person with unhealthy cholesterol levels also smokes, his or her risk of coronary heart disease increases more than it otherwise would. Smoking also compounds the risk presented by other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

By quitting, smokers can lower their cholesterol levels and help protect their arteries. Nonsmokers should avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.

Losing Weight

Being overweight or obese tends to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower HDL (good) cholesterol.

Losing excess weight can improve your cholesterol levels. A weight loss of as little as 10 percent can help to improve your high cholesterol numbers.

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia

High blood pressure is a common condition in which the long-term force of the blood against your artery walls is high enough that it may eventually cause health problems, such as heart disease.

Blood pressure is determined both by the amount of blood your heart pumps and the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

You can have high blood pressure (hypertension) for years without any symptoms. Even without symptoms, damage to blood vessels and your heart continues and can be detected. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.

High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.

Symptoms
Most people with high blood pressure have no signs or symptoms, even if blood pressure readings reach dangerously high levels.

A few people with high blood pressure may have headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs and symptoms aren’t specific and usually don’t occur until high blood pressure has reached a severe or life-threatening stage.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373410

Renovascular disease is a progressive condition that causes narrowing or blockage of the renal arteries or veins. These are the blood vessels that take blood to and from the kidneys. It’s the general term used for three disorders: renal artery occlusion, renal vein thrombosis, and renal atheroembolism.

The term is most often used to describe diseases affecting the renal arteries since blockage of the renal vein is not very common. Renovascular disease usually affects the elderly. However, young women in their teens to late 30s are at risk of a certain type of renovascular disease called fibromuscular dysplasia, a disorder of the muscular lining of the renal arteries that can cause severe high blood pressure.

Renal artery occlusion happens when one or both of the renal arteries are blocked. The arteries carry blood to the kidneys, where waste material is filtered out of the blood.

Renal vein thrombosis occurs when the veins leaving the kidneys (the renal veins) become blocked. The renal veins carry the filtered blood away from the kidneys to the rest of the body.

Renal atheroembolism results from a buildup of fatty material that blocks the renal arterioles (the smallest section of blood vessels leading to the capillaries). Cholesterol and lipids (fats) may also build up on the lining of the blood vessels, causing them to narrow.

Causes

People who are at risk for other vascular diseases (blood vessel problems) are also more likely to develop renovascular disease (e.g., seniors). For some people on high blood pressure medications, such as ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, the problem may be discovered if side effects such as kidney failure or other severe kidney problems appear. As well, smokers and people with diabetes seem to be more likely to develop renovascular disease, as are people with high blood pressure.

Renal artery occlusion occurs when the renal arteries become closed off, either partially or totally, by an embolism (a blood clot or foreign substance that blocks a blood vessel) or hardening of the arteries. Hardening of the arteries occurs when cholesterol, calcium, and other substances line the arteries. Embolisms can be caused by heart disease, surgery, trauma, or tumors.

Renal vein thrombosis is fairly uncommon, but if there’s been a trauma to the back or abdomen, a blood clot may form and get stuck in the renal veins. Sometimes it’s a result of other kidney-related conditions (e.g., nephrotic syndrome, kidney cancer). Occasionally, a test or procedure might also trigger an embolism.

https://www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/renovascular-disease

Claudication is pain caused by too little blood flow to muscles during exercise. Most often this pain occurs in the legs after walking at a certain pace and for a certain amount of time — depending on the severity of the condition.

The condition is also called intermittent claudication because the pain usually isn’t constant. It begins during exercise and ends with rest. As claudication worsens, however, the pain may occur during rest.

Claudication is technically a symptom of disease, most often peripheral artery disease, a narrowing of arteries in the limbs that restricts blood flow.

Treatments focus on lowering the risks of vascular disease, reducing pain, increasing mobility and preventing damage to tissues.

Symptoms
Claudication refers to muscle pain due to lack of oxygen that’s triggered by activity and relieved by rest. Symptoms include the following:

• Pain, ache, discomfort or fatigue in muscles every time you use those muscles
• Pain in the calves, thighs, buttocks, hips or feet
• Less often, pain in shoulders, biceps and forearms
• Pain that gets better soon after resting

The pain may become more severe over time. You may even start to have pain at rest.

Signs or symptoms of peripheral artery disease, usually in more-advanced stages, include:

• Cool skin
• Severe, constant pain that progresses to numbness
• Skin discoloration
• Wounds that don’t heal

When to See a Doctor
Talk to your doctor if you have pain in your legs or arms when you exercise. Claudication can lead to a cycle that results in worsening cardiovascular health. Pain may make exercise intolerable, and a lack of exercise results in poorer health.

Peripheral artery disease is a sign of poor cardiovascular health and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Claudication is generally considered a warning of significant atherosclerosis in the circulatory system, indicating an increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Additional complications of peripheral artery disease due to atherosclerosis include:

• Skin lesions that don’t heal
• Death of muscle and skin tissues (gangrene)
• Amputation of a limb

The best way to prevent claudication is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and control certain medical conditions. That means:

• Quit smoking if you’re a smoker
• Exercise regularly
• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet
• Maintain a healthy weight
• If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar in good control
• Keep cholesterol and blood pressure within normal values

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/claudication/symptoms-causes/syc-20370952

Venous reflux refers to the abnormal backing up of blood in the veins. When blood flows backward in the veins, a person is then known to have venous insufficiency (also called chronic venous insufficiency or CVI for those for whom reflux is an ongoing concern). Venous insufficiency is a common medical condition that underlies most of the clinical presentations of venous diseases, such as varicose veins, swollen and achy legs, and venous ulcers.

In healthy human circulation, the heart pumps blood carrying oxygen down through the body through the arteries; oxygen-depleted blood moves back up to the heart through the veins. Aided by the contraction of the calf muscle, blood in the veins moves against gravity.

Vein valves, which are small flaps attached to the inside of the vein walls, allow blood to flow upwards, and are key to vein health.

In healthy veins, valves are one way, meaning they allow the blood to move upward and then close so blood continues to move in the right direction. When veins are unhealthy, the valves become weak, and instead of closing, their laxity allows for two way blood flow. This causes venous insufficiency or CVI. See the illustration below.

Symptoms of Venous Insufficiency
CVI causes several symptoms ranging from mild to severe.

Pain often accompanies the symptoms of venous reflux. Sometimes legs can feel itchy, sore, or heavy. In severe cases, you may develop a venous ulcer (a wound by your ankles).

How do Doctors Diagnose Venous Insufficiency?
Your doctor will take a complete medical history and physical exam, taking special note of any changes in your skin temperature, color, and texture. Your doctor will also check the pulses in various places throughout your circulatory system.

After a physical exam, if your doctor suspects you have venous disease, you will then have a venous reflux exam. In this simple test, also called a duplex venous ultrasound, a sonographer or your doctor uses a handheld transducer to evaluate vein function, check for venous reflux and ensure there are no blood clots, blockages or other conditions.

Treatment
Treatment usually begins with conservative measures: compression stockings, leg elevation, weight loss. If conservative measures don’t help, your doctor will decide how to proceed based on your individual venous anatomy as well as your unique medical history and priorities.

Non-surgical methods:

• Endovenous thermal ablations: Endovenous ablation uses hеаt рrоduсеd by a laser or hіgh-frеquеnсу sound waves to heat uр affected veins and seal them closed, re-routing blood flow to healthier veins. There is no down-time associated with endovenous ablation; it is safe, effective and convenient.
• Sclerotherapy: Sclerotherapy is the injection оf a medication directly іntо аffесtеd vеіnѕ. Delivered in liquid or foam form, the medication irritates the walls of the veins and causes them to seal closed. Over time, the veins are reabsorbed by the body.

A venous ulcer is a sore on your leg that heals very slowly, often due to weak blood circulation in the leg. They can last anywhere from a few weeks to years.

Venous ulcers occur when there’s a break in the skin on your leg, often around the ankle. The veins in the leg, which should send blood back to the heart, instead allow backflow.

This backflow of blood can mean swelling and increased pressure in the leg. When that happens, it can weaken the skin and make it harder for a cut or scrape to heal.

Do I Have a Venous Ulcer?
About 1% to 3% of Americans have venous ulcers. They’re more common in older people, especially women.

Symptoms may include:

• Itching or burning skin
• Swollen area around the sore
• A rash or dry skin
• Brownish discoloration
• A foul-smelling fluid oozing from the sore

An ulcer is vulnerable to infection. If it becomes infected, you may experience:

• A fever
• Worsening pain
• A redness or swelling of the surrounding skin
• Pus

Risk factors include:

• Varicose veins
• Have previous leg injuries
• Have had blood clots or phlebitis
• Smoking
• Obesity

May-Thurner syndrome is a rare vascular condition that affects a vein in your pelvis.
It occurs when a nearby artery compresses the left iliac vein. This vein brings blood from your pelvis and legs back up to your heart.

The compression prevents blood from flowing properly, leading to narrowing and scarring.

In some cases, an artery can compress the right iliac vein, or both veins.

May-Thurner Syndrome Complications
Some people with May-Thurner syndrome have no symptoms, but over time, this condition can lead to:

• Leg swelling.
• Chronic venous insufficiency, in which blood pools in your veins. This causes swelling, pressure, skin changes, and venous ulcers or sores that don’t heal.
• Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot in a vein deep below your skin.

If a blood clot breaks free and travels to your lungs, heart, or brain, it can lead to serious, even life-threatening issues like:

• Pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in your lung
• Heart attack
• Stroke

https://www.upmc.com/services/heart-vascular/conditions-treatments/may-thurner-syndrome

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. Deep vein thrombosis can cause leg pain or swelling, but also can occur with no symptoms.

Deep vein thrombosis can develop if you have certain medical conditions that affect how your blood clots. It can also happen if you don’t move for a long time, such as after surgery or an accident, or when you’re confined to bed.

Deep vein thrombosis can be very serious because blood clots in your veins can break loose, travel through your bloodstream and lodge in your lungs, blocking blood flow (pulmonary embolism).

Symptoms
Deep vein thrombosis signs and symptoms can include:

• Swelling in the affected leg. Rarely, there’s swelling in both legs.
• Pain in your leg. The pain often starts in your calf and can feel like cramping or soreness.
• Red or discolored skin on the leg.
• A feeling of warmth in the affected leg.

Deep vein thrombosis can occur without noticeable symptoms.

When to See a Doctor
If you develop signs or symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, contact your doctor.
If you develop signs or symptoms of a pulmonary embolism — a life-threatening complication of deep vein thrombosis — seek immediate medical attention.

The warning signs and symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include:

• Sudden shortness of breath
• Chest pain or discomfort that worsens when you take a deep breath or when you cough
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or fainting
• Rapid pulse
• Coughing up blood

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/deep-vein-thrombosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352557

Syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness usually related to insufficient blood flow to the brain. It’s also called fainting or “passing out.”

It most often occurs when blood pressure is too low (hypotension) and the heart doesn’t pump enough oxygen to the brain. It can be benign or a symptom of an underlying medical condition.

Syncope is a symptom that can be due to several causes, ranging from benign to life-threatening conditions. Many non life-threatening factors, such as overheating, dehydration, heavy sweating, exhaustion or the pooling of blood in the legs due to sudden changes in body position, can trigger syncope. It’s important to determine the cause of syncope and any underlying conditions.

However, several serious heart conditions, such as bradycardia, tachycardia or blood flow obstruction, can also cause syncope.

https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/arrhythmia/symptoms-diagnosis–monitoring-of-arrhythmia/syncope-fainting

Carotid artery disease is the narrowing of the carotid arteries, the main arteries located on the sides of your neck. These arteries supply blood flow directly to the brain.

A blockage consisting of an atherosclerotic plaque can develop in the artery. This blockage can narrow the channel for blood to flow through and also cause turbulence and small clots to form on the plaque surface.

These small clots and bits of plaque can “break off” into the bloodstream and be carried away – up to the brain and cause a stroke or mini-stroke. A stroke is a sudden change in neurological functioning that results in paralysis, weakness, blindness, numbness or difficulty with speech.

Do I Have Carotid Artery Disease?
Symptoms of carotid artery disease consist of stroke or mini-stroke symptoms. Due to the sudden blockage of blood flow to an artery in the brain, the nerve cells in the brain stop working properly.

Symptoms can include:

• Paralysis of an arm or leg (usually on one side of the body)
• Weakness of an arm or leg
• Numbness
• Blindness in one eye
• One-sided facial droop
• Slurring of speech or difficulty speaking

A mini-stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), consists of the same symptoms above but, unlike a stroke, usually passes within a few minutes. Both a stroke and mini-stroke are medical emergencies and should be dealt with by calling 911 or your local EMS for immediate transport to a hospital.

Most of the time patients may not have any symptoms of carotid artery disease at all. However, during a physical exam, we may hear a “bruit,” an abnormal whooshing sound, through the stethoscope when listening to your neck.

Other conditions such as dizziness, fainting spells, or vertigo are not usually directly associated with carotid artery disease but may lead to tests that discover its presence.

Common Risk Factors

• Age
• Smoking
• Coronary artery disease (history of heart attacks)
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Kidney failure
• History of radiation to the neck (i.e. treatment of neck cancer)