Your blood and circulation are central to your overall health and your ability to function. Without good circulation, you may experience uncomfortable symptoms that can affect your quality of life and put you at risk of developing other complications.
Our team at Premier Vein and Vascular in Tampa and Largo, Florida, is led by Saleem Saiyad, MD, FACC, a board-certified interventional cardiologist. Our warm and compassionate staff is well-versed in the various issues caused by and related to poor circulation, including how to spot it in our patients.
Your blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your body, which is important to the base-level function of every cell. It’s particularly important to your organs, including your liver and your skin, and to your immune system.
Keeping your circulation healthy starts with a vegetable-heavy diet and regular exercise. If Dr. Saiyad determines that you’re healthy enough for cardiovascular exercise, it’s a great way to protect your health. Quitting smoking, drinking plenty of water, and managing your stress also go a long way toward maintaining healthy circulation.
Smoking, poor diet, and infrequent exercise put you at risk for a number of health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
Several signs could indicate that you have poor circulation. Some symptoms are more severe in certain patients than they are in others. Evidence of poor circulation can appear in many places in your body, affecting your physical and even your mental health.
One of the signature symptoms of poor circulation is tingling in your hands and feet. As blood struggles to reach your extremities, the sensation of pin pricks are quite common, as are cold hands and feet that never seem to be warm or comfortable.
If you have poor circulation, you may experience swelling in your feet, ankles, and legs. Swelling, also called edema, happens when blood pools in one area of the body. You may notice taut, warm skin, heaviness or stiffness in the surrounding joints, and pain.
Blood is essential to the numerous brain functions — your brain controls everything, including your involuntary breathing, your ability to walk, speak or think, and your memory. Insufficient circulation to your brain can cause difficulty concentrating and memory loss, both of which can affect your work, relationships, and other activities.
As with many other symptoms of poor circulation, twisted, bulging blue varicose veins tend to appear on your legs and ankles. Varicose veins occur when a valve within the vein fails, disrupting your circulation. Dr. Saiyad has several methods to treat varicose veins.
In people with lighter complexions, the appearance of blue skin can be a sign of poor circulation. Your lips, feet, hands, nose, and ears could be affected by this change in skin color.
It’s no surprise that fatigue is a sign of poor circulation. Your energy and circulation are closely tied, as your ability to stay awake and alert depends on your body receiving necessary nutrients from your blood.
Your digestive system relies on your circulation to send and receive these nutrients, including oxygen. Poor circulation can cause constipation, diarrhea, and pain in your stomach.
A lack of sufficient oxygenated blood causes muscles to cramp. This cramping is the same as what some experience while playing sports. Breathing deeply is just as important when you’re working out as getting regular exercise is to your circulation.
The flow of blood to the penis can be constricted if you have poor circulation. This is particularly common in men living with diabetes, but it also can occur in those who simply have poor circulation.
If you’re over age 40, you have diabetes, you’re overweight, or you’re inactive, you’re at risk of experiencing poor circulation. If you have symptoms of poor circulation, it’s important to choose a provider with the knowledge and experience to treat you and guide you on a journey to better health.
Call Premier Vein & Vascular at the office location that’s convenient to you, or use our online appointment system to book your consultation with Dr. Saiyad today.
