Arteriosclerosis Treatment

Arteriosclerosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment in Waco, TX: Arteriosclerosis is the general name for conditions that cause arteries to become thick and stiff, thereby narrowing the arteries. Arteries carry oxygen and nutrients through the blood from your heart to the rest of your body. When the arteries get thick and stiff, blood flow to your body organs and tissues gets restricted and interrupted, causing blood circulation problems.

What causes arteriosclerosis?

Arteriosclerosis is caused by a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of an artery. Deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium, and fibrin all make up plaque.

Over time, plaque builds up in the arteries, causing the artery walls to become thickened and stiff.

Arteriosclerosis is a slow, progressive disease. It may start as early as childhood and progress into adulthood. It can also progress very rapidly.

Risk factors

Factors that may increase your risk of arteriosclerosis include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Eating saturated fats
• High levels of C-reactive protein
• Sleep apnea
• Lack of exercise and physical activity
• Family history of heart disease

Symptoms of Arteriosclerosis

Signs and symptoms of arteriosclerosis may develop gradually and may vary depending on the affected artery.

Common signs and symptoms of arteriosclerosis may include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Pain in your arm or shoulder
• Feeling sick
• Coughing
• Lightheadedness
• Severe headaches
• Difficulty speaking
• Vision problems
• Leg pain
• Weakness or numbness in your arms or legs

Arteriosclerosis Treatment in Waco, TX

Arteriosclerosis treatment options include:

1. Medications

Medications that may be prescribed include:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
• ACE inhibitors
• Beta-blockers
• Blood thinners
• Cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins
• Diuretics
• Calcium channel blockers
• Vasodilators

2. Surgery

Sometimes surgery might be needed to open up the narrowed artery. Surgical options that may be recommended include:

Angioplasty and stent placement

This procedure is used to open a blocked artery. The procedure involves inserting a catheter with a deflated balloon into the blocked artery. The balloon will be placed into the blocked artery and inflated to widen the artery. A stent will be placed and left in the artery to keep it open.

Endarterectomy

This procedure involves surgically removing the plaque from the walls of a narrowed artery.

Coronary artery bypass surgery

This surgery involves taking a healthy artery from another part of your body and then used to create a bypass around the blocked artery to redirect blood flow.

What is the difference between atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis?

Most people sometimes mistake atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis as the same but they’re not.

Atherosclerosis is a specific type of arteriosclerosis. The causes and symptoms of atherosclerosis are quite different from arteriosclerosis.

Arteriosclerosis is the general name for conditions that cause arteries to become thick and stiff, thereby narrowing the arteries.

Atherosclerosis is a condition that causes plaque to build up in the arteries, thereby narrowing the arteries. Atherosclerosis cause reduced or restricted blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body.

There are different kinds of arteriosclerosis. These include:

• Nonatheromatous arteriosclerosis
• Hyaline arteriolosclerosis
• Hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis
• Mönkeberg’s arteriosclerosis
• Atherosclerosis

Can arteriosclerosis be treated?

Arteriosclerosis can be treated. Keeping a healthy lifestyle such as eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly may help treat arteriosclerosis.

If following a healthy lifestyle doesn’t solve the problem, medications may be prescribed. Severe cases that don’t respond to following a healthy lifestyle or medications may require surgical arteriosclerosis treatment.

What are the 4 stages of atherosclerosis?

Atherosclerosis progresses over time. There are 4 stages of atherosclerosis. Each stage involves changes in the wall of your artery. These changes may be so little that they can’t be detected without a microscope.

Stage 1: Endothelial damage and immune response

Atherosclerosis starts when there is damage to the inner layer of the wall of your artery. The surface of the inner layer is lined with endothelial cells. This thin lining is the barrier between the blood and the wall of your artery. The thin lining is called the endothelium.

Several things can harm or damage the endothelium. The most common cause of damage to the endothelium includes:

• High levels of bad cholesterol in the blood.
• Toxins, such as from cigarette smoke.
• Chronic high blood pressure

When the endothelium is injured or damaged, several things can happen:

• Cholesterol from your blood will start to gather or accumulate at the site of injury.
• These cholesterols will become oxidized and trigger an immune response.
• The immune response causes many white blood cells to travel and gather at the site of the injury, which then leads to inflammation within your artery.

Stage 2: Fatty streak

This is the first visible sign of atherosclerosis. A fatty streak is a yellow streak or patch formed from dead cells at the site of the injury or damage within the artery. The appearance of a fatty streak is the beginning of plaque formation in the artery.

Stage 3: Plaque growth

As more dead foam cells and debris continue to build up at the site of the fatty streak, the fatty streak slowly gets bigger, forming a larger plaque.

Your artery’s smooth muscle cells will then form a layer on top of the plaque and cover the plaque. It prevents the plaque from breaking off in bits into your bloodstream. The plaque will keep growing and getting bigger. It also gains calcium from your body, which makes it harder and difficult to break off.

As the plaque gets bigger and bigger, the opening of your artery becomes narrower, drastically limiting the flow of blood.

Stage 4: Plaque rupture

At this stage, the plaque must have been in your artery for several years and grown very large in size that it has completely blocked your artery.

After several years, the smooth muscle cells covering the plaque and preventing it from breaking off may break open. The plaque may break off and get into your bloodstream. This can trigger the formation of blood clots which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

What are the warning signs of arteriosclerosis?

Warning signs of arteriosclerosis include:

• Chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Pain in your arm or shoulder
• Feeling sick
• Coughing
• Lightheadedness
• Severe headaches
• Difficulty speaking
• Vision problems
• Leg pain
• Weakness or numbness in your arms or legs
• High blood pressure

FAQ

Can you live a long life with atherosclerosis?

You can live a long life with atherosclerosis if it is timely treated. If you’re experiencing any warning signs, meet your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

What foods cause the hardening of the arteries?

Foods such as butter, cheese, high-fat meat, processed meat, fried foods, pastries, and processed packaged foods.

What foods should you avoid if you have atherosclerosis?

Avoid foods that contain fats such as:

• Fatty meats
• Chicken wings
• Hot dogs and sausages
• Fried foods
• Pastries
• Butter
• Cheese

What vitamin removes plaque from arteries?

Vitamin B3 helps to remove plaque from arteries.

What dissolves artery plaque?

Nothing can quickly dissolve plaque. Keeping a healthy lifestyle and taking recommended medications can help remove plaque from your arteries.

Does apple cider vinegar clean arteries?

There is no evidence to prove that apple cider vinegar can clean clogged arteries.